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Essays on The Great Gatsby

The great gatsby essay topic examples.

Whether you want to analyze the American Dream, compare and contrast characters, vividly describe settings and characters, persuade readers with your viewpoints, or share personal experiences related to the story, these essay ideas provide a diverse perspective on the themes and complexities within the book.

Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays require you to analyze and present arguments related to the novel. Here are some topic examples:

• 1. Argue whether the American Dream is achievable or illusory, as depicted in The Great Gatsby .
• 2. Analyze the moral ambiguity of Jay Gatsby and the consequences of his relentless pursuit of the American Dream.

Example Introduction Paragraph for an Argumentative Essay: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is a tale of ambition, decadence, and the elusive American Dream. This essay delves into the complex theme of the American Dream, exploring whether it remains attainable or has transformed into a tantalizing illusion, luring individuals like Jay Gatsby into its enigmatic embrace.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for an Argumentative Essay: In conclusion, the analysis of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby invites us to reevaluate our perceptions of success and fulfillment. As we contemplate the fate of Jay Gatsby and the characters entangled in his world, we are challenged to define our own version of the American Dream and the sacrifices it may entail.

Compare and Contrast Essays

Compare and contrast essays enable you to examine similarities and differences within the novel or between it and other literary works. Consider these topics:

• 1. Compare and contrast the characters of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, exploring their contrasting worldviews and motivations.
• 2. Analyze the similarities and differences between the portrayal of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises .

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Essay: The characters and settings in The Great Gatsby and other literary works offer a rich tapestry for comparison and contrast. This essay embarks on a journey to compare and contrast the enigmatic Jay Gatsby and the brash Tom Buchanan, delving into their contrasting values, aspirations, and roles within the novel.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Essay: In conclusion, the comparison and contrast of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan illuminate the divergent paths individuals can take in pursuit of their desires. As we consider the consequences of their choices, we are prompted to reflect on the complexities of ambition and morality.

Descriptive Essays

Descriptive essays allow you to vividly depict settings, characters, or events within the novel. Here are some topic ideas:

• 1. Describe the opulent parties at Gatsby's mansion, emphasizing the decadence and extravagance of the Jazz Age.
• 2. Paint a detailed portrait of Daisy Buchanan, focusing on her beauty, charm, and the allure she holds for Gatsby.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Descriptive Essay: The Great Gatsby immerses readers in the lavish world of the Roaring Twenties. This essay embarks on a descriptive exploration of the extravagant parties at Gatsby's mansion, capturing the opulence and hedonism of the era, as well as the illusions they create.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Descriptive Essay: In conclusion, the descriptive portrayal of Gatsby's parties serves as a vivid snapshot of the Jazz Age's excesses and the fleeting nature of indulgence. Through this exploration, we are reminded of the allure and transience of the materialistic pursuits that captivated the characters of the novel.

Persuasive Essays

Persuasive essays involve arguing a point of view related to the novel. Consider these persuasive topics:

• 1. Persuade your readers that Nick Carraway is the moral compass of the story, serving as the voice of reason and morality.
• 2. Argue for or against the idea that Gatsby's love for Daisy is genuine and selfless, despite his questionable methods.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Persuasive Essay: The Great Gatsby presents a tapestry of characters with complex moral dilemmas. This persuasive essay asserts that Nick Carraway emerges as the moral compass of the story, guiding readers through the labyrinth of decadence and disillusionment in the Jazz Age.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Persuasive Essay: In conclusion, the persuasive argument regarding Nick Carraway's role as the moral compass underscores the importance of ethical navigation in a world characterized by excess and moral ambiguity. As we reflect on his influence, we are compelled to consider the enduring value of integrity and virtue.

Narrative Essays

Narrative essays offer you the opportunity to tell a story or share personal experiences related to the themes of the novel. Explore these narrative essay topics:

• 1. Narrate a personal experience where you encountered the allure of materialism and extravagance, similar to the characters in The Great Gatsby .
• 2. Imagine yourself as a character in the Jazz Age and recount your interactions with Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Narrative Essay: The themes of The Great Gatsby resonate with the allure of a bygone era. This narrative essay delves into a personal encounter with the seductive pull of materialism and extravagance, drawing parallels to the characters' experiences in the novel.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Narrative Essay: In conclusion, the narrative of my personal encounter with the allure of materialism reminds us of the timeless nature of the themes in The Great Gatsby . As we navigate our own desires and ambitions, we are encouraged to contemplate the balance between aspiration and morality.

Differences and Similarities Between Tom and Gatsby

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The Portrayal of Female Characters in F.s. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

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April 10, 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Novel; Fiction, Tragedy

Jay Gatsby , Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, Meyer Wolfsheim, George B. Wilson, Trimalchio, Mr. Gatz

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote "The Great Gatsby" with multiple motivations in mind. Firstly, he sought to critique the materialistic excesses and moral decay of the Roaring Twenties, a period of post-World War I prosperity. Fitzgerald aimed to expose the disillusionment and hollowness behind the glittering facade of the American Dream. Additionally, he drew inspiration from his own experiences and observations of the wealthy elite and their decadent lifestyles. Through the character of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald explored themes of unrequited love, longing, and the pursuit of an unattainable ideal. Ultimately, Fitzgerald's intent was to capture the essence of an era and offer a profound commentary on the human condition.

The story revolves around Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a married woman with whom he had a romantic past. Narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest, the novel delves into the opulent and extravagant lives of the wealthy elite in Long Island. As Gatsby throws lavish parties in the hope of rekindling his relationship with Daisy, the narrative explores themes of love, wealth, illusion, and the disillusionment that comes with the pursuit of the American Dream.

The American Dream , decadence, idealism, resistance to changes, social excess, caution.

The influence of "The Great Gatsby" extends far beyond its initial publication in 1925. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel has become a literary classic, revered for its exploration of themes such as wealth, love, and the elusive American Dream. It remains relevant due to its timeless portrayal of human desires, societal decadence, and the consequences of relentless pursuit. The book's vivid characters and atmospheric prose have inspired countless writers and artists, shaping the landscape of American literature. With its commentary on the dark underbelly of the Jazz Age, "The Great Gatsby" continues to captivate readers, serving as a cautionary tale and a poignant reflection of the human condition.

1. During F. Scott Fitzgerald's lifetime, approximately 25,000 copies of the book were sold. However, since then, it has gained immense popularity, selling over 25 million copies and establishing itself as one of the most renowned American novels. 2. The Great Gatsby did not have its original title as the author considered various options, ranging from "Under the Red, White and Blue" to "The High-Bouncing Lover." These alternative titles were potentially revealing too much about the content prematurely. 3. In 1926, just a year after its publication, the book was adapted into a film, demonstrating its quick transition from page to screen. 4. Fitzgerald's cause of death is believed to have been tuberculosis rather than a heart attack. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 44. 5. The price of this famous novel at the time of its publication in 1925 was $2, representing its value in that era. 6. The Great Gatsby did not immediately receive critical acclaim upon release. However, it has since garnered recognition and praise, becoming a significant literary work.

"The Great Gatsby" has made a significant impact on various forms of media, captivating audiences across generations. The novel has been adapted into several films, with notable versions including the 1974 adaptation starring Robert Redford and the 2013 adaptation featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. These cinematic interpretations have brought the story to life visually, further immersing audiences in the opulent world of Jay Gatsby. Additionally, the novel has been referenced and alluded to in countless songs, television shows, and even video games, solidifying its cultural significance. Its themes of love, wealth, and the pursuit of the American Dream continue to resonate and inspire creative works in popular culture.

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.’” “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” “So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight.” “I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

Studying "The Great Gatsby" holds great importance due to its enduring relevance and literary significance. The novel offers profound insights into themes such as wealth, love, social class, and the corruption of the American Dream. Its exploration of the Jazz Age exposes the allure and emptiness of a materialistic society, making it a compelling study of human desires and societal decay. F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterful prose and symbolic imagery provide rich material for analyzing character development, narrative techniques, and social commentary. Moreover, delving into the novel's historical context allows for a deeper understanding of the cultural and societal shifts of the 1920s.

The inclusion of "The Great Gatsby" as an essay topic for college students stems from its exploration of themes like the American Dream, the juxtaposition of poverty and wealth, and the destructive allure of corruption. The character of Gatsby embodies the American spirit and can be paralleled to contemporary individuals fixated on materialism and fame as measures of romantic success. Furthermore, this literary masterpiece holds a significant place in American literature, as F. Scott Fitzgerald skillfully weaves socio-cultural elements into each sentence, providing a timeless portrayal of American life that resonates across generations. The choice to analyze and write about "The Great Gatsby" allows students to delve into these thought-provoking themes and examine their relevance to society.

1. Stallman, R. W. (1955). Conrad and The Great Gatsby. Twentieth Century Literature, 1(1), 5–12. (https://doi.org/10.2307/441023) 2. John Jerrim, Lindsey Macmillan, (2015). Income Inequality, Intergenerational Mobility, and the Great Gatsby Curve: Is Education the Key?, Social Forces, Volume 94, Issue 2. (https://academic.oup.com/sf/article/94/2/505/2583794) 3. Robert C. Hauhart (2013) Religious Language and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby’s Valley of Ashes, ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews, 26:3 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0895769X.2013.798233) 4. Burnam, T. (1952). The Eyes of Dr. Eckleburg: A Re-Examination of “The Great Gatsby.” College English, 14(1), 7–12. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/371821) 5. Tom Phillips (2018) Passing for White in THE GREAT GATSBY: A Spectroscopic Analysis of Jordan Baker, The Explicator, 76:3. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00144940.2018.1489769?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab) 6. Matterson, S. (1990). The Great Gatsby and Social Class. In: The Great Gatsby. The Critics Debate. Palgrave, London. (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-20768-8_9) 7. Licence, A. (2008). Jay Gatsby: martyr of a materialistic society: Amy Licence considers religious elements in The Great Gatsby. The English Review, 18(3), 24+. (https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA173676222&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=09558950&p=LitRC&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E5a84816e) 8. Khodamoradpour, Marjan and Anushiravani, Alireza, (2017) Playing the Old Tunes: A Fiskean Analysis of Baz Luhrmann's 2013 Cinematic Adaptation of the Great Gatsby. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, Volume 71. (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3020752) 9. Anderson, H. (1968). THE RICH BUNCH IN" THE GREAT GATSBY". Southern Quarterly, 6(2), 163. (https://www.proquest.com/openview/6a9e704a476d873aada2d2529821b95a/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2029886)

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88 Perfect Essay Topics on The Great Gatsby

Welcome to The Great Gatsby Essay Topics page prepared by our editorial team! Here you’ll find a large collection of essay ideas on the novel! Literary analysis, themes, characters, & more. Get inspired to write your own paper!

• 🔬 Literary Analysis
• 🎭 Characters
• 📊 Compare & Contrast
• 🗺️ Navigation

🎓 References

🔬 literary analysis of the great gatsby: essay topics.

• What are the literary devices used to create the image of Jay Gatsby?
• Analyze how Fitzgerald uses imagery in The Great Gatsby.
• The Great Gatsby: analysis and feminist critique
• What do colors symbolize in The Great Gatsby?
• How does Fitzgerald use geographical setting to show the contrast between social classes in the novel?
• How does Fitzgerald convey a notion of the American Dream through metaphors and symbols?
• What does the green light in Daisy’s window represent in The Great Gatsby?
• What does the Valley of Ashes symbolize in The Great Gatsby?
• What role does Nick Carraway’s narration play in the story? If we got it through an omniscient third-person narrator, what would we gain or lose?
• Could the story have been set in other places, like Chicago or Los Angeles, or were New York City and Long Island absolutely necessary?
• Look at the novel’s opening lines. If we accept Nick’s advice when we read the story, will our views of it change? Or, in other words, does refraining from criticism promote compassion?
• Is there a hidden meaning of the title of The Great Gatsby? What is it?
• How is the color white used within the novel? When does it make a false representation of innocence? When does it truly represent innocence?
• Color symbolism in The Great Gatsby
• What is the role of a New York setting in the novel’s storyline?
• What is the real meaning of ‘great’ in the title of The Great Gatsby?
• What significance do colors have in the party’s descriptions in chapter 3?
• Why is Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby a satire?
• Elaborate on the green light as the symbol of the American dream.
• What is the meaning of the phrase “Can’t repeat the past?.. Why of course you can!” What does Gatsby really want from Daisy?
• What role do the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg play in The Great Gatsby?
• How is The Great Gatsby a satirical representation of the society?
• Are the rich in the novel really so careless as everyone believes them to be?
• Create an alternative ending for The Great Gatsby. Justify your choice.
• What is the relationship between those born rich and those who became rich in the novel?
• Fairy tale traits in The Great Gatsby

🎭 Essay Topics on The Great Gatsby’s Characters

• Discuss female characters and their significance in The Great Gatsby.
• Compare Gatsby and Wilson. In what ways are they similar?
• Gatsby & Nick in The Great Gatsby
• Who is the most responsible for Gatsby’s death? Why is it so?
• Why do Tom and Daisy stay together at the end of the novel?
• Does Gatsby’s money bring him real happiness?
• Can Jay’s feelings for Daisy in The Great Gatsby be considered love?
• How do secondary characters affect the story?
• Daisy Buchanan: quotes analysis
• Who is the real hero in The Great Gatsby?
• Can we call Jay Gatsby a romantic hero or a villain?
• What does Jay Gatsby really live for in the novel: the present or the past?
• Compare Myrtle and Daisy.
• Jay Gatsby & Tom Buchanan: compare & contrast
• What does Tom’s quarrel with Myrtle in chapter 2 tell us about his personality?
• Elaborate on how both Tom and Gatsby want to change not only the future, but the past in chapter 7.
• What was Gatsby’s power of dreaming like? Was Daisy a worth object?
• Is anyone to blame for Gatsby’s death?
• Nick as the narrator in The Great Gatsby
• Are there any moral characters in the novel?
• Can Jordan and Daisy be considered perfect role models for the upper class in America? Why or why not?
• Is Gatsby really great? In what way? How does his greatness evolve as the plot unfolds?
• How does Nick’s character change over the course of The Great Gatsby?
• Does Gatsby deserve the definition of a self-made man? Why or why not?
• What role does Daisy play in the conflict between Gatsby & Tom?

🌻 Essay Topics on The Great Gatsby’s Themes

• What are the central themes in The Great Gatsby?
• What roles do fidelity and infidelity play in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby?
• What importance does sex have in the story?
• What role does alcohol play in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald?
• Did Fitzgerald really criticize the idea of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby?
• Does love play have any importance in The Great Gatsby?
• What role does the relationship between geography and social values play in the novel?
• Francis Scott Fitzgerald & his American Dream
• What is the meaning of time in The Great Gatsby?
• How do the aristocratic East Eggers, Tom and the Sloanes, regard Gatsby in chapter 6? How is their contempt connected to the theme of social class in the novel?
• Analyze The Great Gatsby through the prism of feminist theory.
• How are the themes of kindness and compassion presented in The Great Gatsby?
• Describe how the theme of ambition is presented in the novel.
• Elaborate on how Fitzgerald contrasts education and experience in The Great Gatsby.

⌛ Essay Topics on the Context of The Great Gatsby

• Describe how F.S. Fitzgerald’s life experiences influenced The Great Gatsby.
• What are the examples of modernism in The Great Gatsby?
• How does Fitzgerald represent the society of his time in the novel? Would you like to live in the Jazz era? Why or why not?
• How is America shown in The Great Gatsby? What values do the East and the West represent?
• How does Fitzgerald provide a critical social history of Prohibition-era America in his novel?
• How is the economic boom of postwar America shown in The Great Gatsby?
• Why did The Great Gatsby was neither a critical nor commercial success just after its publication? Why did its popularity grow exponentially several decades after?
• How are racial anxieties of the time shown in the novel?

📊 The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay Topics

• Make a critical comparison of the novel with the 2013 movie.
• Make a comparison of the novel with the 1949 movie.
• Compare The Great Gatsby movies of 1949 and 2013.
• Compare and contrast two classic American novels: The Great Gatsbyand The Grapes of Wrath.
• Female characters in The Streetcar Named Desire & The Great Gatsby .
• How are Donald Trump and The Great Gatsby’s Tom Buchanan alike?
• Compare Miller’s Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby.
• What other fictional or non-fictional character from a book or movie can Nick Carraway be compared to?
• Jay Gatsby & Eponine from Les Miserables .
• Make a critical comparison of The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby.
• Compare The Great Gatsby with A Farewell to Arms.
• Make a comparison of Daisy from The Great Gatsby with Henrietta Bingham from Irresistible.
• Love in The Great Gatsby & The Catcher in The Rye .
• What pop stars of nowadays Daisy can be compared to?
• Macbeth vs. Jay Gatsby: make a character comparison.
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Study Guide Menu

• Short Summary
• Summary (Chapter 1)
• Summary (Chapter 2)
• Summary (Chapter 3)
• Summary (Chapter 4)
• Summary (Chapter 5)
• Summary (Chapter 6)
• Summary (Chapter 7)
• Summary (Chapter 8)
• Summary (Chapter 9)
• Symbolism & Style
• Quotes Explained
• Essay Topics
• Essay Samples
• Questions & Answers
• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Biography
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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The Great Gatsby

F. scott fitzgerald, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Great Gatsby: Introduction

The great gatsby: plot summary, the great gatsby: detailed summary & analysis, the great gatsby: themes, the great gatsby: quotes, the great gatsby: characters, the great gatsby: symbols, the great gatsby: literary devices, the great gatsby: quizzes, the great gatsby: theme wheel, brief biography of f. scott fitzgerald.

Historical Context of The Great Gatsby

Other books related to the great gatsby.

• Full Title: The Great Gatsby
• Where Written: Paris and the US, in 1924
• When Published: 1925
• Literary Period: Modernism
• Genre: Novel
• Setting: Long Island, Queens, and Manhattan, New York in the summer of 1922
• Climax: The showdown between Gatsby and Tom over Daisy
• Point of View: First person

Extra Credit for The Great Gatsby

Puttin' on the Fitz. Fitzgerald spent most of his adult life in debt, often relying on loans from his publisher, and even his editor, Maxwell Perkins, in order to pay the bills. The money he made from his novels could not support the high-flying cosmopolitan life his wife desired, so Fitzgerald turned to more lucrative short story writing for magazines like Esquire. Fitzgerald spent his final three years writing screenplays in Hollywood.

Another Failed Screenwriter. Fitzgerald was an alcoholic and his wife Zelda suffered from serious mental illness. In the final years of their marriage as their debts piled up, Zelda stayed in a series of mental institutions on the East coast while Fitzgerald tried, and largely failed, to make money writing movie scripts in Hollywood.

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The Great Gatsby Sample Essay

This sample essay demonstrates the full range of A-level skills needed to meet the assessment objectives at the highest level.

“They’re a rotten crowd.” I shouted across the lawn. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.” How does Fitzgerald convey a “rotten crowd” in The Great Gatsby and to what effect?

“Rotten” describes a state of putrefaction. It is a word we apply to decomposing fruit, fruit that is over-ripe, decaying and which, close-up, stinks. What a brilliant word to convey the decaying civilisation of post-war Europe and America that surrounds Gatsby – and repulses his friend, Nick – shocking him into moral awareness.

It is primarily through the moral judgements of his narrator, Nick Carraway, – the character that goes East to make money only to retreat revolted by the moral, cultural and social rottenness that he finds among the moneyed classes he wished to join – that Fitzgerald presents his “rotten crowd.” Through Nick, Fitzgerald exercises his narrative art with extraordinary compression: cultural allusion and symbolic names and images are central to his method – underpinning the actions of his characters – so too a poet’s feel for the sound and connotations of words.

Fitzgerald’s allusive method brilliantly conveys the rottenness of Gatsby’s crowd. Names, and names of books allude to a rotten world. Relationships in the East are rotten and infect the outlying members of the great Carraway dynasty: Nick’s second cousin twice removed is married to a philanderer; already unfaithful on honeymoon, we find him in the second chapter introducing Nick to his mistress. Now, the great Gatsby himself has been no monk (he ‘knew women early’ (82) Nick tells us, momentarily picturing a proud and promiscuous young Gatsby), but in pursuing Daisy, he pursues more than sex: he wishes to attain a higher state of being – to ‘romp with the mind of God,’ to ‘gulp down the milk of wonder.’ Romping and gulping suggests a child’s wide-eyed amoral appetite for unbounded satisfaction. Tom’s rottenness, his sexual corruption, then is apparent by contrast with the sublime, high-minded aspirations of the man who would cuckold him. Taking then, Nick, to the apartment where he conducts his affair, Tom leaves Nick while he and Myrtle both disappear – presumably to the bedroom – before reappearing after Nick has had time to ‘read a chapter’ of Simon Called Peter . A chapter-read is an innovative way to measure the length of a human coupling and perhaps degrades (reveals the rottenness of) Tom’s relationship in its brevity (or in its longevity, reveals the rotter luxuriating in his sin) – but more importantly, it is through the title of the book that Fitzgerald reveals the rottenness of this crowd. Robert Keable’s 1922 best-seller records the career of an earnest young clergyman, Peter Graham who volunteers as an army chaplain in the First World War. His faith fails to sustain him on the path of righteousness and he abandons his nice middle class fiancée, Hilda, for the generous charms of a prostitute and a generation of young women whose sexual freedom is more aligned to the Myrtles of Gatsby than the prim propriety of Hilda and the Edwardian England Peter has left behind. However, Peter is not simply a lost cause to the church, he is disillusioned with its teachings and with human nature, the sexual freedoms and easy pleasures of the war generations seem to him more real, more essentially human than the morality he preached from the bible. The novel, condemned in his review as ‘immoral’ by Fitzgerald, is seriously concerned with what war reveals of essential human nature: its immorality, its pessimism lies in its disillusion with love. Fitzgerald’s Gatsby holds on to his aspirations, his faith in the possibility of transcendence through love, despite the hardships of his (quickly overcome!) poverty. It is perhaps only through the contrast with Keable’s response to war that we can appreciate the extraordinary hope implicit in Fitzgerald’s, in his faith in the higher callings and aspirations of the human heart. It would be interesting to know if Fitzgerald had a particular chapter in mind that “didn’t make any sense to [Nick].”

Thus, almost passing reference to a contemporary novel, is fraught with much meaning. The use of a character’s reading material to shape and create meaning is a familiar part of the novelist’s art: think Austen’s Catherine Morland, gently mocked by her author for her indulgence in The Mysteries of Udolfo and the power it has over her imagination. This allusive method is not surprising in Fitzgerald: it is the foundation of Eliot’s “The Waste Land” –a poem Fitzgerald knew by heart, written in the year he sets his Gatsby . In it, the morality, the spiritual condition, of one generation is measured against representative cultural fragments from earlier civilisations.

Fitzgerald is similarly wide-ranging in his frame of reference to convey his “rotten crowd,” alluding to contemporary novels and events as well as ancient texts. Take the casual naming of just one party-goer for example: Ismay. Ismay is collected up as part of a group: “the Ismays and the Christies.” Perhaps Fitzgerald has in mind Bruce Ismay, Managing Director, of the White Star Line and held to blame for the greatest shipping disaster of all time: the loss of the Titanic in 1912; he was J Brute Ismay to the press at the time. He was rumoured to have put pressure on the Chief Engineer to drive the ship faster for a record time for the Atlantic Crossing and was himself a survivor. Newspaper cartoons showed him watching the ship sink from the safety of a lifeboat whilst the true “women and children first” heroes stood facing death on the doomed ship. So, Ismay comes to represent the selfish, self-serving rottenness of Fitzgerald’s contemporary society and the inversion of its moral values.

Ismay is among the first of the East Eggers on Nick’s famous list that helpfully divides the party guests into two according to the Egg whence they arrive: East Egg is the old money (Jesmond) in our local terms; West Egg is new money (we think Darras Hall). The West Eggers are “all connected with the movies in one way or another.”  So one “controlled films Par Excellence” another is a “promoter” (and at the Chapter VI party we meet “the moving-picture director and his Star” (89)). In contemporary – and non-party political terms we find in West Egg the New Labour celebrity culture of film stars, pop stars, and fashion designers as well as the stalwart Old Labour of the Trade Union movement meeting at Blair’s parties: it would be a mistake to believe either group is any more free from corruption than Gatsby’s guests.  Fitzgerald’s crowd fills up the “empty spaces of a timetable” (52) that is now out of date. And their “gray” names assigns them to the ash heaps of The Valley of the Ashes – where the detritus of a dead civilisation is dumped.

The whole list in its conception is a brilliant tribute to writers of the past: “the Prince of something, whom we called Duke, and whose name, if ever I knew it, I have forgotten” concludes the roll with a wonderful contempt for empty title (“of something”) and undeserved respect (“whom we called”). The forgotten name that concludes his portrait echoes Chaucer’s final valediction on his Merchant:

For sothe (truly) he was a worthy man with alle, in every way But, sooth (truth) to seyn, I noot (= ne woot, don’t know )how men hym calle.

“I noot how men hym calle,” he is in other words unworthy of name or remembering. Of all writers, Chaucer is so especially concerned with a man’s worth, (the word is used ironically in the quotation above) his worthiness, the parity between the inner and the outer man. The choice of the Merchant is apt: he represents financial rottenness, self-serving material greed.

The last line of all in Nick’s guest list, “All these people came to Gatsby’s house in the summer,” in its obvious summing up of what we already knows echoes Homer’s method in the famous muster of the armies at the beginning of The Iliad , (e.g. “These were the men whom Amphimachus and Nastes brought.”). The very idea of remembering each with some anecdote of their deeds is again Homeric – but how unedifying their deeds: fighting with bums, drunk on the gravel, arriving with another’s wife, run over by Mrs. Ulysses Swett. The name Ulysses is enough to point us to our Homer. This “rotten crowd” is mocked in comparison to the Greek Heroes of the great ancient civilization of the past: the one at its heroic zenith, the other at its rotten nadir.

Plenty of food then for scholars wishing to track down all these names and associations. Ulysses Swett is in fact a real person (born 1868) and a member of the famous Swett family of Cape Cod who traced themselves back through thirteen generation. However, the names have an immediate, not just a scholarly impact. Swett (homophone for a squalid bodily function) is allied with Belcher (the, what, shamelessly, insolent expulsion of stomach gas through the mouth?– usually avoided because of the bad smell) and Smirke (the silent mocking laugh) – all aspects of our base corporeal rather than spiritual natures.

Worse are the animal names: Blackbuck, Roebuck, connoting both money (buck=dollar) and animal sexuality (a buck is a male deer – like the word ‘tup’ we make the gender distinction usually to refer to sexual behaviour). The name ‘Blackbuck’ perhaps evokes Tom’s fear of the Rise of the Colored Empires , of the sexual potency of black races according to popular myth and also a fear of the black dollar, of black wealth as a part of rising black supremacy. So the names have a resonance that goes beyond the animals and fish they denote (Beluga, Whitebait, Hammer Head – it is easy fit them into a taxonomical classification). It is fun to learn from Wikipedia that the Beluga whale has a ‘high-pitched twitter.’ Such information adds another dimension to our own imagined constructions of Gatsby’s party crowd. But the name itself seems ugly. Is it because it has the consonants of the word ‘ugly’ in it? Or because, as we search to make sense of an unfamiliar word, our brains try out the word ‘bulge’ through the association of sound and thus evoke some ungainly swollen creature, some ulcerous tumescence of money and immorality. Is there something belchy in the sudden release of air in the second vowel sound, Bel u ga? And that is before we think about the associations with caviar and the untouchable luxuries of the war-time rich.

And then there are the Hammerheads: another wonderfully evocative name. What rottenness does this conjure? A family of boneheads. The Hammerhead Shark has evolved an elongated and flattened skull perhaps for the manipulation of prey – nice associations there. It also contains the idea of the tool after which the shark is named, the hammer, blunt bludgeoning instrument. Picture it here in the hands of one of Gatsby’s bootlegging cronies, crushing the skull of some unfortunate prey. Hear in its sounds, the repeated glottal fricatives, (‘ Ha mmer hea d’) the heavy breathing of the hammer-wielder exerting himself in the act of skull-crushing.

There is a poetry in this carefully constructed mock epic that delights in the cultural allusion, in the connotative capacity and the phonological features of words to express the sheer rottenness of this crowd.

Fitzgerald offers a wide, but not comprehensive, survey of the animal kingdom to convey his rotten crowd: in all this verminous, predatory, bestial crowd there is not one airborne, flying creature. There are fish aplenty as well as the semi-aquatic rodent, Ernest Beaver and the tree dwelling Doctor Webster Civet , who despite his airy habitat “drowned last summer.” James B. (“Rot-Gut”) Ferret take his name from the domesticated earth-burrow dwelling carnivorous mammal. All three (beaver, civet, ferret) are noted for scent glands, genital or anal: in the wild, they pollute the air to mark territory; killed, they are used for perfume. The point is of course that Fitzgerald’s elemental imagery portrays Gatsby’s aspirations to transcend mortal bounds as an aspiration to fly. Daisy is associated with air, floating, fluttering, anchored like a balloon. Gatsby aspires to her airiness which lifts her among other things, ‘above the hot struggles of the poor.” (122) He is condemned, through Fitzgerald’s imagery to death by water: he is shot in a swimming pool, to be buried in “soggy ground” (142). The moment is foreshadowed at Nick’s tea-party reunion: Gatsby stands “in a puddle of water glaring tragically” (72). Fitzgerald’s rotten crowd is an earth-bound water-dwelling crowd and they drag Gatsby down to his watery death and earthy resting place. Their very names make the air he breathes stink.

This crowd perhaps constitutes the ‘funny fruits’ (103) of New York of a civilisation that has, in Spenglerian terms, (Oswald Spengler, The Decline of Civilization – the book Fitzgerald never recovered from when writing Gatsby) organically outgrown itself, lost touch with the nature that feeds it to produce the cities, and city folk, this ‘rotten crowd’ that are its fruit. And Fitzgerald’s judgement reveals Nick’s growth to moral understanding – he too will reject the wealth of the East, its money, machines and rottenness to nurture the reputation and aspirations of Jay Gatsby, seeking his flower, his Daisy Fay, who, in his imagination (according to Nick) represents the green breast of an earlier, rural America. For Nick, in Gatsby, found an incarnation of the Faustian legend (there was indeed a Faustina O’Brien –a diminutive and corrupt mini-Faust on that party-list (53)), of man’s desire to transcend the bounds of his mortality and the rottenness of his world.

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The Great Gatsby and Philip Larkin essay plans

Description.

• language and literature
• philip larkin
• the great gatsby
• scott fitzgerald
• comparative
• use descriptive tags to organise your content

Resource summary

The exam The exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes, with two sections: unseen prose non-fiction, and the Gatsby and Larkin question if you've studied the 'Society and the Individual' topic. You should spend 1 hour and 30-45 minutes on the Gatsby and Larkin question, which is 30 marks (the biggest question). It is Section B of Edexcel's English Language and Literature A Level Paper 2.  The question will be structured along the lines of 'Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present __________'. The essay plans provided in this resource cover 8 possible steers: masculinity, femininity, power, materialism/consumerism, death/violence, society's negative influence on an individual, illusion vs. reality, and love. I have also included introductions for some of the topics.    When writing the answer, remember to consider the following points as a tick list: SAGE MICE ECCC Structure Arguments Genre Evaluative comments Motifs/symbols Introduction Conclusion Evidence from Larkin Evidence from Gatsby Comparative language  Context of reception Context of production   There are 4 assessment objectives for this question: AO1- terminology and written expression. Make sure you analyse both literary and linguistic techniques AO2- analysis and evaluation. AO3- context of production and reception AO4- comparison           

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present masculinity

Introduction Example   Despite writing in vastly different eras, both Larkin’s poetry collection ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ (1964) and Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1925) hold a strikingly similar portrayal of masculinity as a form of control; men are considered successful based on their possessions, including their wife and family. While Fitzgerald indicates that cramming men into this stereotype is detrimental- Gatsby dies as a result of the struggle between class- Larkin seems to have a more ambivalent relationship with masculinity. He never fought in the war due to his bad eyesight, and he never produced children, so he may be viewed as a subversion of the masculine stereotype, especially given his rejection of the philistine and sometimes vulgar nature associated with men in the 1950s and 60s. However, he also considers the concept of legacy; despite being very famous for his poetry, he considered himself not having a legacy as he had no children (the ultimate show of masculinity).

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present women

Introduction Example   In their works, Fitzgerald and Larkin both scrutinise women and the feminine identity, but in significantly different manners. Fitzgerald’s novel, ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1925), is arguably utilised to highlight how women are subject to male control and violence, and are forced to conform to the rigid stereotype of femininity constructed by men. Fitzgerald may have used the novel as a way to criticise the fallacy of women’s suffrage in 1920- the women’s efforts have gained them very little, and Fitzgerald argues whether they actually have real autonomy. In contrast to Fitzgerald’s exposure of sexism, Larkin uses his poetry collection, ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ (1964), to convey sexist beliefs, although it is unclear as to whether these beliefs are a result of intentional misogyny, or due to his lack of understanding of women. His relationship with women is ambivalent; he pities their inferiority in society, but also conforms to many of the sexist beliefs that were typical of 1950s/60s Britain. His relationships with multiple women simultaneously only goes to show his misunderstanding of their nature. It is also fundamental to note that both authors are male, so we may expect their portrayal of women to be subject to the male gaze, consciously or not.

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present power

Introduction Example   Although writing in significantly different eras, there is a striking similarity between Fitzgerald and Larkin’s portrayal of power. On the one hand, we see power as a form of control employed by those in positions of authority or status to manipulate those inferior to them. Fitzgerald’s novel, ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1925), clearly demonstrates the power within relationships is controlled by the man. As a result, we could argue that Fitzgerald presents this imbalance of power in order to criticise the sexism that was typical of 1920s America. Similarly, Larkin uses his poetry collection ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ (1964) to illustrate male authority, perhaps influenced by his father’s controlling relationships with his mother. However, an alternate reading of power within these two works is the durability and impact of love and dreams. Although power destroys Gatsby, the power of his love and dreams is still admirable to Nick. Larkin often questions the validity of love and faith, but seems to appreciate its power over our lives.  

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present materialism/consumerism

Introduction Example   Although writing in vastly different eras, both Larkin and Fitzgerald provide a striking portrayal of materialism and consumerism, and the detrimental effects they have on lives. In Fitzgerald’s novel, ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1925), we see materialism and consumerism as the true downfall of Gatsby, Myrtle and George- they pursued their dreams of wealth, only to have them stripped from them, ironically enough, by the wealthy. There is a sense of absence to the aforementioned wealthy people in the novel, which is most apparent in Tom and Daisy. Fitzgerald may be criticising the inert and thoughtless nature of old money, especially when we see the vitality of Gatsby being so callously cut short. Larkin illustrates a similar state of affairs in 1950s and 60s Britain; materialism and consumerism has made people blind to reality. Instead, people dress up in costumes and perform their daily routines in a monotonous cycle of buying and consuming, buying and consuming.

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present death and violence

Introduction Example   In their works, Fitzgerald and Larkin portray subtly different views of death, although their illustration of violence is startling similar. In Fitzgerald’s novel, ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1925), we see death as a symbol of failure to achieve dreams, and even, to an extent, how dreams are the true downfall of the characters. Gatsby dies as a result of Daisy’s actions, George dies as a result of his dream to leave the VoA with Myrtle, and Myrtle dies as a result of her relationship with Tom. Interestingly, all deaths are unnatural in The Great Gatsby- murder and suicide- so we could comment on how desire ultimately kills. Larkin, in contrast, has a more ambivalent view of death; he fears it, but it also intrigues him. In many of his poems, the cause of death is consumerism, much like Fitzgerald, but he also shows the power of death in poems like ‘An Arundel Tomb’, which considers legacy.

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present society's negative impact on individuals

Introduction Example   Despite the time differences between Larkin writing his poetry collection ‘The Whitsun Weddings’ in 1964, and Fitzgerald writing his novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ in 1925, both writers reflect on the ways in which their distinct societies affect individuals’ lives, particularly in a negative manner. Larkin often utilises his poetry to critique society’s view of relationships, especially in terms of female inferiority, while Fitzgerald’s novel, although fictional, provides a scathing perspective of the ways in which wealth and social class creates loveless marriages and infidelity, perhaps portrayed as a result of Fitzgerald’s tumultuous relationship with Zelda. Larkin also explores faith and patriotism; he takes a cynical view of how society constructs religion for personal gain. In contrast, Fitzgerald rarely mentions religion specifically, instead being more implicit; Daisy is the object of Gatsby’s worship, and Gatsby represents a sort of Antichrist. Tom’s skewed patriotism is also illustrated to offer a critique of society’s detrimental perspective of diversity.

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present illusion vs. reality/ deception

Evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by F Scott Fitzgerald and Philip Larkin to present love

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The Great Gatsby Unit Plan | Entire Novel Study

This resource includes an  ANTICIPATION GUIDE (pre-reading activity) for the novel  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

An anticipation guide is a comprehension strategy that is used  BEFORE   reading  to activate students’ prior knowledge and build curiosity about a new topic.

In this lesson, students will respond to several claims by indicating if they agree or disagree with that said statement. Next, students will work collaboratively in groups to answer related discussion questions to further build anticipation about the novel before reading.

Are you looking for  pre-reading activities for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ? Why not pay homage to the beautiful artwork of Spanish artist Francis Cugat who painted the original cover of the novel  The Great Gatsby !?

Have students analyze the text and graphics of the famous artwork; they will literally  judge a book by its cover  by answering questions about the emotions and associations they think of while looking at the image. Then, students should make predictions about what the story will be about.

This activity is fun and engaging for students! It’s a great reading strategy to build anticipation prior to a novel study on the American novel  The Great Gatsby.

This resource includes guided notes for  Background Information for the novel  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  The Great Gatsby background info is essential for students to learn and be familiar with before reading the novel!

The focus of this lesson entails a brief history of the 1920s to include the following topics: author background, setting of  The Great Gatsby,  1920s culture, the Jazz Age, the Roaring Twenties, the economic boom, gender roles, racism, prohibition, modernism, art deco, new money vs old money, social class, the Harlem Renaissance, post-war era, the Lost Generation, organized crime, and the American Dream.

Before reading the novel  The Great Gatsby , teach your students about the author, the setting, society, and culture of the 1920s to ensure they truly understand the prominent themes in the novel.

In this lesson, your students with be engaged as they take notes from a Powerpoint presentation and answer questions using the accommodating worksheet provided.

Students will answer questions along the way that create personal connections to the time period of the 1920s.

Have your students create a collaborative poster and learn about  F. Scott Fitzgerald  in a fun, engaging way!

Your students will create an author biography by researching F. Scott Fitzgerald and establishing his profile on a poster.

Students will learn about Fitzgerald and his body of work as a legendary author.

This goes perfectly for any novel study on  The Great Gatsby!

Additionally, they will learn the importance of collaboration and effective communication.

Project Steps:

1) To construct the author study poster, your students will work in groups to conduct research on Fitzgerald.

2) Students will then transfer their findings to boxes on the poster.

3) Next, they will work together to color or paint the pieces of the poster.

4) Lastly, students will tape together the final product.

The poster is made up of six pieces of paper, which can be printed on regular copy paper or card stock.

Once taped together, the final product will be  28″ x 15″  and can last a lifetime if you laminate it!

This resource includes the following:

• Step by Step Student Directions (PDF & editable word document)
• Author Study Project Rubric (PDF & editable word document)
• Author Study Graphic Organizer for Students (PDF & editable word document)
• 6 Blank Coloring Pages that come together as one beautiful poster (PDFs)
• F. Scott Fitzgerald Author Study Answer Key
• Example of Final Project: Completed Text & Fully Colored Body

This resource includes a fun, engaging activity that will get your students talking about  The Great Gatsby  before reading the novel! This  pre-reading activity for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  consists of over 20 classic “Would You Rather” questions.

The questions are all closely related to themes, motifs, and events directly from the novel—but without any spoilers! For example… Would you rather: marry someone rich OR make your own fortune??

Your students will be able to personally connect with the text, make predictions, and build anticipation before completing a novel study on the famous American novel  The Great Gatsby!

This resource entails 90 academic words defined:  Vocab Lists & Quizzes for All 9 Chapters!  All   The Great Gatsby   by F. Scott Fitzgerald vocabulary resources you need in one place!

Included in this resource  The Great Gatsby Vocabulary:

1. Powerpoint presentation with 90 words—and their definitions—from  The Great Gatsby.

2. Graphic organizers for students to record all definitions as well as write their own.

3. Teacher answer key for all 90 words.

4. Three quizzes: 30 words each, separated by every 3 chapters.

5. Answer keys for quizzes.

Make sure your students are completing their independent reading for the novel  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald  with these quick  Reading Checks or Chapter Quizzes ! This product works well if your students are reading independently or if you are reading as a class and you want to ensure students are paying attention! 🙂

These questions require brief responses; they are recall questions that are meant to be easy to remember for anyone who has completed the reading. This is a tool used simply to check that students are completing the independent reading, comprehending the basic information, and/or are engaged during class.

The reading checks are divided by every individual chapter (9 chapters altogether). There are two different versions of every set of questions (a & b). This is so you can use different quizzes for different classes and avoid cheating (students talk and share answers).

This product includes a Powerpoint presentation as well as printable worksheets that are meant to be cut in half and distributed to students (optional).

To administer quizzes:

• project the questions on your board for students to see
• have students use scrap paper or lined paper to write their answers down (or print the worksheets included)
• when everyone is done, have students grade each other’s answers by switching papers in class
• review the correct answers out loud and project them on the board
• collect graded quizzes

Teacher answer keys included!

The Great Gatsby Chapter Activities — Chapter by Chapter Literary Analysis & Text-Dependent Reading Questions!

This resource includes literary analysis, reading comprehension, and discussion-type questions for all nine chapters of the novel  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald, as well as 10 after reading discussion questions.

As your students read the novel  The Great Gatsby,  chapter by chapter, have them digest, analyze, and discuss the important scenes and literary elements Fitzgerald demonstrates.

There are 10 questions per chapter, plus 10 after reading questions, totaling in 100 awesome questions in this product! Thorough answer keys are included.

You can print this resource as one all-encompassing packet or you can provide students worksheets one chapter at a time.

Students will analyze point of view, theme, imagery, symbolism, irony, and more with this lesson.

This Imagery Project is an after reading activity based on the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

For this project, students will carefully select a scene from the novel  The Great Gatsby  that is filled with imagery. Students will illustrate and analyze the scene. To analyze the scene, students will pick out textual evidence that appeals to the five senses: sight, taste, touch, smell, and sound. Students will describe the effect the descriptive language has on the reader and the overall mood of the scene. Student’s must also explain Fitzgerald’s purpose for the use of imagery in the scene.

For this after reading activity based on the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, students will write an obituary for Jay Gatsby using characterization skills.

If you are looking for engaging after reading activities for  The Great Gatsby,  this writing task provides students an opportunity to analyze Jay Gatsby’s character in an interesting way! Students will discuss Jay Gatsby’s history, his accomplishments, his personality, and more, all in a well-written tribute to his memory.

Have your students analyze characters from  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s  novel  The Great Gatsby  in a fun and engaging way:  Character Collabs !

Your students will use several  characterization  methods to depict each character’s profile, demonstrate their understanding of the literature, and present their final work on a poster.

Posters will showcase your students’ body of work after completing each character’s biography.

Additionally, students will learn the importance of collaboration and effective communication.

There are seven characters included in this resource:

• Nick Carraway
• Daisy Buchanan
• Tom Buchanan
• Jordan Baker
• Myrtle Wilson
• George Wilson

1) To construct each poster, your students will work in groups to analyze their specific character.

2) Students will then transfer their findings to boxes on each poster.

3) Next, they will work together to color the pieces of the posters.

4) Lastly, students will tape together the final products.

Each poster is made up of six pieces of paper, which can be printed on regular copy paper or card stock.

Once taped together, each final product will be  28″ x 15″ .

• Teacher Guide
• Student Directions
• Brainstorm Character Analysis Worksheet
• Blank Coloring Pages for each character
• Answer Keys
• Example of Final Project for Jay Gatsby
• Digitally Colored Examples for every character
• Editable documents: directions, rubric, brainstorm worksheet

After reading the beloved American novel  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald,  have your students reexamine the  most important quotes  and dialogue throughout the book.

In this lesson, students will first identify 10 popular quotes by their speaker. Next, students will take a closer look at 25 quotes from all nine chapters of  The Great Gatsby.  Students will analyze these quotes for their meaning and significance by answering open-ended questions pertaining to each quote.

This activity is a great addition to any  novel study  of  The Great Gatsby  and a nice review for after reading! Detailed answer key included.

In this resource, students will conduct a literary analysis of  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  and write a  TDA Essay  using textual evidence to support their responses.

There are TWO writing options students can choose from for this Response to Literature/TDA essay.

Included in this product you will get one copy of the following each as PDFs  (ready to print)  as well as one copy of the following each as WORD Documents (as to be  editable   for teachers ).

• Essay Prompts for two different topics on the novel  The Great Gatsby
• Two Prewriting Graphic Organizers for students to brainstorm ideas, thesis, examples, and textual evidence
• TDA Essay Rubric broken down into categories: content, focus, organization, style, conventions, and format

Teach your students about the  Symbols/Symbolism and Colors in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

In this resource, you will get a Powerpoint lesson that is 58 slides, filled with information, quotes, examples, and photos to help your students analyze the important symbols and colors in the novel.

Below is a list of symbols your students will analyze:

• Dan Cody’s Yacht
• Gatsby’s Shirts
• New York City
• Valley of Ashes
• Wolfsheim’s Cufflinks
• Gatsby’s Uncut Books
• The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg
• West Egg and East Egg
• Gatsby’s Car
• Gatsby’s Mansion
• Gatsby’s Bedroom
• Gatsby’s Swimming Pool
• The Green Blinking Light on Daisy’s Dock

This lesson is great for cooperative learning and group work. Instructions for a jigsaw activity are included (optional).

In addition to the Powerpoint presentation, you will receive two graphic organizer options and an answer key.

Your students are going to love  The Great Gatsby Digital Escape Room!  Students will decipher and solve puzzles in this dramatic, backyard pool scene from the novel. In this 360° digital escape room, students will try to evade the police and enter Gatsby’s mansion to pack a get away bag!

This activity is designed to work for a laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Students will solve a series of clues based on the novel  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald in order to crack the master lock and escape the premises.

This game entails reading comprehension skills, finding textual evidence, and making inferences. Watch the preview video to get a closer look of what this resource entails.

Included in this download are teacher instructions, student instructions (digital), the master lock graphic organizer, answer keys, and a reflection sheet (optional).

PLEASE READ: While using this resource, you must have a wi-fi connection and the ability to access the following sites: Google Forms and Kuula.co. Please check that these websites are not blocked by your district’s filter before purchasing. Your students do not need to have a Google account.

This resource includes  The Great Gatsby Final Unit Test with a Study Guide for Review and Answer Keys!

This test, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s  The Great Gatsby , requires students to demonstrate what they learned from the novel and their overall comprehension of the book. (Answer key included)

This exam consists of 68 questions and offers students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities in a variety of ways, to include:

• multiple choice questions
• true or false
• short answer (1-2 sentences)
• character identification (with word bank)
• extended response (5 sentences or more)

Also included in this product is an accommodating  study guide  that closely mirrors the expectations of the test. (Answer key included)

Additionally, I provide an “answer sheet” for any teachers that prefer students to not write on the actual tests because it is quicker to grade multiple choice questions with answer sheets. Answer sheets are  completely optional!

The Great Gatsby Movie Guide  worksheet is an in-depth Film Analysis and Book Comparison based on the 2013 movie  The Great Gatsby,  directed by Baz Luhrmann.

This exercise is meant for students to analyze the film as well as specific decisions made by the director. Students will also be required to input personal opinions regarding the movie, such as cast and music choice.

Answer guide included!

Have your students share their unique understanding of the novel  The Great Gatsby   by F. Scott Fitzgerald  by imaginatively blending their written ideas with colorful images based on information from the text.

With this  one-pager reading comprehension project,  students will analyze the literature by determining theme, symbolism, characterization, point of view, setting, important quotes and more. Students’ artwork make for unique and creative analyses of the literature and also make great  bulletin boards!  This is the perfect project for students to work on at the end of a novel study and to summarize their thoughts/ideas about the book.

Included in this purchase is:

• Student directions for the one pager summary project
• Rubric for the one pager project
• Example one-pager based on the novel  The Great Gatsby
• 10 BLANK TEMPLATES (printable—optional)

This resource includes  FIVE FULL WEEKS of content for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald!

Additionally, in this  UNIT PLAN BUNDLE , you will receive a teacher guide that encompasses an example Unit Schedule/Pacing Guide!

Lessons Included in this Bundle:

• Anticipation Guide and Questions
• Judge The Book by its Cover Before Reading
• Background Info on 1920s, the American Dream, the Roaring Twenties culture, and F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Would You Rather Pre-Reading Game
• Vocabulary For Every Chapter with Quizzes
• Reading Checks/Quizzes for All 9 Chapters
• Imagery and Descriptive Language Project
• Obituary for Jay Gatsby Project
• Character Analysis and Characterization Activity
• Important Quotes Explanation and Analysis
• Reading Questions for Every Chapter
• TDA Essay Prompt and Rubric
• Symbols and Colors Powerpoint Lesson
• Digital Escape Room Reading Comprehension Game
• Study Guide and Final Test
• Movie Guide and Comparison Worksheet (Baz Luhrmann Film, 2013)
• One Pager Creative Project

1 thought on “The Great Gatsby Unit Plan | Entire Novel Study”

This unit is awesome! It is well designed and includes everything that I wanted to include in my personal unit plus the ancillary materials that I will not have to make myself. Thank you!!

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Teacher Guide

The great gatsby lesson plan.

• Introduction to The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, is widely considered to be F. Scott Fitzergerald's greatest novel. It is also considered a seminal work on the fallibility of the American dream. It focuses on a young man, Jay Gatsby, who, after falling in love with a woman from the social elite, makes a lot of money in an effort to win her love. She marries a man from her own social strata and he dies disillusioned with the concept of a self-made man. Fitzgerald seems to argue that the possibility of social mobility in America is an illusion, and that the social hierarchies of the "New World" are just as rigid as those of Europe.

The novel is also famous as a description of the "Jazz Age," a phrase...

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The Great Gatsby Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Great Gatsby is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

describe daisy and gatsby's new relationship

There are two points at which Daisy and Gatsby's relationship could be considered "new". First, it seems that their "new" relationship occurs as Tom has become enlightened about their affair. It seems as if they are happy...

Describe Daisy and Gatsby new relationship?

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-great-gatsby/q-and-a/describe-daisy-and-gatsbys-new-relationship-70077/

What are some quotes in chapter 1 of the great gatsby that show the theme of violence?

I don't recall any violence in in chapter 1.

Study Guide for The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is typically considered F. Scott Fitzgerald's greatest novel. The Great Gatsby study guide contains a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Great Gatsby
• The Great Gatsby Summary
• The Great Gatsby Video
• Character List

Essays for The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

• Foreshadowing Destiny
• The Eulogy of a Dream
• Materialism Portrayed By Cars in The Great Gatsby
• Role of Narration in The Great Gatsby
• A Great American Dream

Lesson Plan for The Great Gatsby

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Great Gatsby Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Great Gatsby

• Introduction
• Historical and biographical context
• Plot summary
• Major characters
• Writing and production