The Great Gatsby - UChicago | Graham School
Source: https://graham.uchicago.edu/course/the-great-gatsby
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:18
The Great Gatsby - UChicago | Graham School
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Course - HUAS32022
The Great Gatsby
Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby remains a core part of college curricula and part of popular American culture. This course will explore the enduring legacy of Fitzgerald's great American novel. How has American identity changed in the past 100 years? How does our national identity inform our foreign policy?
View Available Sections
Deadline
June 9, 2026
Format
In-Person, Online
Tuition
$270
Next Start Date
July 15, 2026
Course Description
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel
The Great Gatsby
provides a critical look at the United States during the post-World War I Jazz Age. By the early 1920s, America had become a global power with interests and commitments extending far beyond its borders.
Domestic concerns, however, presented the overriding priority and would remain so until World War II. Set in prosperous Long Island and told with pitch-perfect language from the view of a down-to-earth narrator, The Great Gatsby provides a critical social history of the era with its treatment of enduring questions of social class, inherited wealth, gender, race and environmentalism.
Published in 1925,
The Great Gatsby
remains a core part of college curricula and part of popular American culture. How has American identity changed in the past 100 years? How does our national identity inform our foreign policy? Join us as we discuss the enduring legacy of Fitzgerald’s great American novel.
Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Required Texts
F. Scott Fitzgerald,
The Great Gatsby
, Scribner (paperback edition), ISBN: 978-0-7432-7356-5
Available Course Sections
Date & Time
Details
Format
Guided by expert staff, and aided by students with a variety of experience and knowledge, I gained new understanding, opened myself to new points of view, and have grown intellectually.
Roberta Lee
CER’22
What I love most about teaching at the Graham School is that it is like eating at the chef's table: there are no barriers between students and instructors. We are all peers, indeed, friends learning alongside each other.
Jennifer Lind
MLA’22, Graham School instructor
M
Exploring great books and new ideas with like-minded students and engaging instructors is a great gift.
Martin J. Friedman
CER'20
Here I was introduced to perspectives from the humanities and social sciences that challenged me to approach things from different angles and become more tolerant to differences. Enrolling in Graham is the best decision I ever made.
Alvaro Iriarte
MLA‘23
W
I enjoy the interplay of the classmates and the instructors. We bring up points, we have disagreements, and we learn from each other, and the learning just goes on and on—and it makes you feel younger.
Walt Kurczewski
CER’10 (Basic Program)
I think that, at its best, learning takes place within a community. A community that is committed to intellectual rigor and discussion, a community that is led by experts. For me and I hope for you, the Graham School has been just such a community, I cannot imagine my adult life without it.
Kate Coleman
MBA’78, MLA’98
Frequently Asked Questions
Review common questions about our courses. You can also
contact us
for more information.
Do we take assessments in these courses?
Graham School non-credit courses are not graded and therefore have no tests. They focus on nourishing a love of learning, allowing you to immerse yourself in topics and discussions you find interesting.
How can I best prepare for class?
Complete any assigned reading and come prepared to participate actively in classroom discussion. While not required, we offer an optional course to prepare students to engage with challenging works:
How to Read Classic Texts
. While this is presented as an introductory course for the Basic Program, students in other programs or open enrollment courses are also welcome to participate and grow their skills.
Do I have to complete an application?
Applications are not required for our open enrollment courses.
Who is best suited to take a course at the Graham School?
Anyone who is interested in immersing themselves in these topics and engaging in deep discovery with others is welcome to take part in this course.
UChicago has a reputation for academic rigor. Will I be able to meaningfully participate in the classroom discussions?
Yes. Our non-credit courses are built for adults who have life experience and want to learn. Our instructors create an inclusive learning environment by encouraging all students to participate, regardless of their academic background.
What happens if I have to miss a class?
Our online classes are recorded and shared with the registered students through the Canvas site for the course. For in-person courses, you can ask a fellow student to take notes for you if you have to miss a session.
What is your withdrawal/cancellation policy?
You can find our withdrawal and cancellation policy with other registration issues
here
. Most drop or transfer requests can be made through your student account.
Will this course be offered online or in person?
The Graham School offers both online and in-person class experiences. The description for each course section specifies whether it will be offered online through Canvas or in person at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago.
What happens if I miss a class?
While our courses are driven by live discussions, we do record the online sessions. If you miss a class, you can watch the recording to catch up. Please note that students may only access recordings for the sections in which they are registered
. In-person classes are not recorded.
I can no longer participate in a course I registered for. Can I get a refund?
If you need to drop a course, please email us at
graham@learningplatform.support
to process your request. When reaching out, please include your full name, the course name and the section. If you made a donation during your course purchase, please confirm if you would like the donation refunded as well.
Courses dropped before the first day of class are eligible for a full refund. Courses dropped after the first class are subject to a 10% cancellation fee. No refund will be issued for courses dropped after the first week of classes.
How do I access my course after registration?
Your course will be available on the Graham Learning Platform three weeks before the start date.
You’ll
log in using the same credentials you used during registration. If you need help accessing your course, check out
our
helpful
video tutorial
.
I have a question about the course registration process, who should I reach out to?
If you have a question about how to register for a course, watch the helpful videos on our
registration tips page
. You can also email our support team at
graham@learningplatform.support
. You will receive a response within 24 hours.
Related Courses
View Courses
Featured
Online
Summer I
James Joyce’s Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kendall Sharp
In-Person
Summer I
Aristotle’s Organon
Online
Summer I
August Wilson: Theater’s Poet of Black America
Paul Cato
Questions about the Graham School? Get in touch.
Contact Us
This is the search overlay. Use the Escape key to close it.
Your Shopping Cart
Enroll Now
We use
cookies
to enhance your experience on our site.
Skip to main content
Course - HUAS32022
The Great Gatsby
Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby remains a core part of college curricula and part of popular American culture. This course will explore the enduring legacy of Fitzgerald's great American novel. How has American identity changed in the past 100 years? How does our national identity inform our foreign policy?
View Available Sections
Deadline
June 9, 2026
Format
In-Person, Online
Tuition
$270
Next Start Date
July 15, 2026
Course Description
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel
The Great Gatsby
provides a critical look at the United States during the post-World War I Jazz Age. By the early 1920s, America had become a global power with interests and commitments extending far beyond its borders.
Domestic concerns, however, presented the overriding priority and would remain so until World War II. Set in prosperous Long Island and told with pitch-perfect language from the view of a down-to-earth narrator, The Great Gatsby provides a critical social history of the era with its treatment of enduring questions of social class, inherited wealth, gender, race and environmentalism.
Published in 1925,
The Great Gatsby
remains a core part of college curricula and part of popular American culture. How has American identity changed in the past 100 years? How does our national identity inform our foreign policy? Join us as we discuss the enduring legacy of Fitzgerald’s great American novel.
Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Required Texts
F. Scott Fitzgerald,
The Great Gatsby
, Scribner (paperback edition), ISBN: 978-0-7432-7356-5
Available Course Sections
Date & Time
Details
Format
Guided by expert staff, and aided by students with a variety of experience and knowledge, I gained new understanding, opened myself to new points of view, and have grown intellectually.
Roberta Lee
CER’22
What I love most about teaching at the Graham School is that it is like eating at the chef's table: there are no barriers between students and instructors. We are all peers, indeed, friends learning alongside each other.
Jennifer Lind
MLA’22, Graham School instructor
M
Exploring great books and new ideas with like-minded students and engaging instructors is a great gift.
Martin J. Friedman
CER'20
Here I was introduced to perspectives from the humanities and social sciences that challenged me to approach things from different angles and become more tolerant to differences. Enrolling in Graham is the best decision I ever made.
Alvaro Iriarte
MLA‘23
W
I enjoy the interplay of the classmates and the instructors. We bring up points, we have disagreements, and we learn from each other, and the learning just goes on and on—and it makes you feel younger.
Walt Kurczewski
CER’10 (Basic Program)
I think that, at its best, learning takes place within a community. A community that is committed to intellectual rigor and discussion, a community that is led by experts. For me and I hope for you, the Graham School has been just such a community, I cannot imagine my adult life without it.
Kate Coleman
MBA’78, MLA’98
Frequently Asked Questions
Review common questions about our courses. You can also
contact us
for more information.
Do we take assessments in these courses?
Graham School non-credit courses are not graded and therefore have no tests. They focus on nourishing a love of learning, allowing you to immerse yourself in topics and discussions you find interesting.
How can I best prepare for class?
Complete any assigned reading and come prepared to participate actively in classroom discussion. While not required, we offer an optional course to prepare students to engage with challenging works:
How to Read Classic Texts
. While this is presented as an introductory course for the Basic Program, students in other programs or open enrollment courses are also welcome to participate and grow their skills.
Do I have to complete an application?
Applications are not required for our open enrollment courses.
Who is best suited to take a course at the Graham School?
Anyone who is interested in immersing themselves in these topics and engaging in deep discovery with others is welcome to take part in this course.
UChicago has a reputation for academic rigor. Will I be able to meaningfully participate in the classroom discussions?
Yes. Our non-credit courses are built for adults who have life experience and want to learn. Our instructors create an inclusive learning environment by encouraging all students to participate, regardless of their academic background.
What happens if I have to miss a class?
Our online classes are recorded and shared with the registered students through the Canvas site for the course. For in-person courses, you can ask a fellow student to take notes for you if you have to miss a session.
What is your withdrawal/cancellation policy?
You can find our withdrawal and cancellation policy with other registration issues
here
. Most drop or transfer requests can be made through your student account.
Will this course be offered online or in person?
The Graham School offers both online and in-person class experiences. The description for each course section specifies whether it will be offered online through Canvas or in person at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago.
What happens if I miss a class?
While our courses are driven by live discussions, we do record the online sessions. If you miss a class, you can watch the recording to catch up. Please note that students may only access recordings for the sections in which they are registered
. In-person classes are not recorded.
I can no longer participate in a course I registered for. Can I get a refund?
If you need to drop a course, please email us at
graham@learningplatform.support
to process your request. When reaching out, please include your full name, the course name and the section. If you made a donation during your course purchase, please confirm if you would like the donation refunded as well.
Courses dropped before the first day of class are eligible for a full refund. Courses dropped after the first class are subject to a 10% cancellation fee. No refund will be issued for courses dropped after the first week of classes.
How do I access my course after registration?
Your course will be available on the Graham Learning Platform three weeks before the start date.
You’ll
log in using the same credentials you used during registration. If you need help accessing your course, check out
our
helpful
video tutorial
.
I have a question about the course registration process, who should I reach out to?
If you have a question about how to register for a course, watch the helpful videos on our
registration tips page
. You can also email our support team at
graham@learningplatform.support
. You will receive a response within 24 hours.
Related Courses
View Courses
Featured
Online
Summer I
James Joyce’s Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kendall Sharp
In-Person
Summer I
Aristotle’s Organon
Online
Summer I
August Wilson: Theater’s Poet of Black America
Paul Cato
Questions about the Graham School? Get in touch.
Contact Us
This is the search overlay. Use the Escape key to close it.
Your Shopping Cart
Enroll Now