- Watch the following two videos that analyze the novel. In them, John Green talks about the likability of the characters, the meaning of some of the symbols, and other aspects. The second one in particular is about the idea of Gatsby being Great. They should help you understand the novel more deeply.
After watching the videos, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: IS GATSBY GREAT?
This should be answered in TWO PARAGRAPHS. You do not need textual evidence. Each paragraph is worth 10 points, based on the usual criteria: answering the question, topic sentences, specific examples, and clear writing.
Paragraph 1: What do you think the title of the novel means? What sort of “Greatness” is the book talking about? You can think about Nick’s perspective or the author’s point of view. Basically, you need to define what “great” means.
Paragraph 2: Does Gatsby fit this definition of “Great” as you’ve given it? Yes, no, maybe, it depends, something else? Explain why or why not, giving specific examples that show you understand the story.
- The last lines of the book are perhaps the most well-known in American literature. Most people argue that they show a fundamental difficulty of existence: that we believe and hope that our future will be better than our past present. However, making progress towards the future is sometimes impossible.
Look at the last two paragraphs and try to explain what in the Fitzgerald’s actual words matches the interpretation above. That is, based on what you read at the end of the book, how would one say that the book ends on the idea of optimism but also sadness?
Sample Solution
