The Great Gatsby Essay
Due Dates:
Outline - November 29th in Class
Rough Draft - December 1st
Final Draft - December 7th
You will write a literary response essay for The Great Gatsby Your essay should be an analysis of the text, supported by examples, not a summary of the book. Your essay should fully address the topic and make points about the novel that respond to the question.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, follows Jay Gatsby, a man who orders his life around one desire: to be reunited with Daisy Buchanan, the love he lost five years earlier. Gatsby's quest leads him from poverty to wealth, into the arms of his beloved, and eventually to death.
Essay Question:
What would have happened if instead of confronting Tom Buchanan in the Plaza Hotel in New York, Gatsby and Daisy left in the middle of the night to start a new life together? Would they live happily ever after or would they eventually split apart? What kinds of problems would they face in their relationship? What do those problems say about the role of social class in relationships and the nature of dreams versus reality?
Look for examples in the text to support your ideas as well as the article we read in class:
"When Richer Weds Poorer, Money Isn't the Only Difference"
The format of your essay:
The organization of your essay should include:
You will be graded on the following:
Ideas
Organization
Mechanics
Outline - November 29th in Class
Rough Draft - December 1st
Final Draft - December 7th
You will write a literary response essay for The Great Gatsby Your essay should be an analysis of the text, supported by examples, not a summary of the book. Your essay should fully address the topic and make points about the novel that respond to the question.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, follows Jay Gatsby, a man who orders his life around one desire: to be reunited with Daisy Buchanan, the love he lost five years earlier. Gatsby's quest leads him from poverty to wealth, into the arms of his beloved, and eventually to death.
Essay Question:
What would have happened if instead of confronting Tom Buchanan in the Plaza Hotel in New York, Gatsby and Daisy left in the middle of the night to start a new life together? Would they live happily ever after or would they eventually split apart? What kinds of problems would they face in their relationship? What do those problems say about the role of social class in relationships and the nature of dreams versus reality?
Look for examples in the text to support your ideas as well as the article we read in class:
"When Richer Weds Poorer, Money Isn't the Only Difference"
The format of your essay:
- Your Name/Class (20th Century American Literature) in the top, right hand corner
- Margins: 1"
- Font: 12-point, Times New Roman
- 1.5 - Spaced
- Pages: At least 2, no more than 3
The organization of your essay should include:
- A title
- An introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion.
- Body paragraphs with topic sentences, examples from the text, and an explanation of the example
You will be graded on the following:
Ideas
- Do you clearly state the main idea of your essay (thesis)?
- Do you make points and support them with evidence from the text?
Organization
- Is your essay clearly organized, using an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Mechanics
- Do you use proper English, spelling, and grammar?
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