One of the most beloved books in American history is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece The Great Gatsby. Widely considered the embodiment of the Great American Novel, Jay Gatsby has been named to the top of the list of 100 best fictional characters since 1900, and the book has continually fostered discussion on the enigmatic American Dream since its publication in 1925. Fans of the revered novel can look forward to seeing acclaimed director Baz Luhrmann’s version of the book on Christmas Day this year, a long awaited film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway. Until then, here are a few lessons about presentation that we can learn from Fitzgerald’s emotional, tragic and poignant novel.
Firstly, at one point Fitzgerald’s dutiful narrator Nick Carraway muses, “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.” These are affecting words speaking to the human condition (for who hasn’t felt inside one or more of these four categorizations?) and ones worth considering while preparing for a presentation. Are you the pursuing? Is your audience the pursued? Are you tired? Busy? Is your audience likely to be? Get in the minds of your audience; learn to view yourself, your company, your presentation through their eyes. Tailor your presentation specifically to them. If you’re giving an investor pitch and have only 15 minutes to make your point, begin with the knowledge that your audience is a busy, tired, distracted yet successful businessperson. Construct your presentation accordingly.
Those who are familiar with Fitzgerald’s novel are well versed in Gatsby’s star-crossed love for Daisy, whom he doggedly constructs an ideal version of himself to appeal to her expectations, regardless of how unattainable those expectations are. Tragically, Gatsby chases an illusion his entire life, dedicating every morsel of his being to one futile idea. Dissertation after dissertation could be and has been written about this tragic flaw of Gatsby’s, but we can learn something here in regards to presentation, too. Be realistic. You may want this presentation to be the best thing you’ve ever done, you may want this presentation to change the world. These are good goals to have, but don’t allow yourself to be bogged down by perfections and ideals. Prepare to the best of your ability, practice as much as possible, but avoid thinking in ideals and absolutes. You’re going to do the best you can, and that’s enough.
“It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment,” Nick relates about Gatsby’s plight with Daisy. He had conceived every possible idea of her, and of her and him together, and when he began to see things through another’s perspective, it was heart wrenching. Those ideals, those fantasies, those moments he’d created of Daisy over time diminished when he heard judgments and opinions of an outsider. It’s possible to fall into Gatsby’s pattern if you tend to work alone on presentations. Though the feeling may not be one of great sadness, it can be frustrating to hear feedback and criticism, no matter how constructive it is, after you have spent lots of time brainstorming, creating, designing and nuancing a presentation. But fresh eyes are essential to identifying what’s good, what’s bad and what can be improved, so remain open to critiques. Consider suggestions and new ideas; don’t discourage or shutdown reflection from other sources. Your end product will be better if you consider all parts of the conversation.
Gatsby embodied the American Dream, and while whether such a Dream exists anymore is a debate for another day, much can be gleaned from his poetic unraveling in The Great Gatsby. Above all, his tragic character encourages us to live with an attainable reality in mind, and that goes with presentations as well. Do the best you can and all will be well.
