Name: The Great Gatsby Before Reading Date: — Judge a Book by its Cover While metaphorically speaking, it’s sound advice to “never judge a book by its cover,” it’s not necessarily a bad idea while speaking in a literal sense. This English phrase commonl y means you should not judge the value of someone or something based only on the way it looks alone. However, judging an actual book by its cover can tell you a lot about what you are about to read. The visual aspects of a book cover can tip off readers to important information regarding the novel, like the genre or setting of the story. Today you are going to pay homage to the iconic artwork of Spanish artist Francis Cugat who designed, developed, and painted the cover of the novel The Great Gatsby (written by F. Scott Fitzgerald) in 1925. Directions: Evaluate the text and graphics of the novel cover by answeri ng the following questions. 1. What is the first image you notice on the cover? What details are the most intriguing? 2. What literary genre does the cover suggest The Great Gatsby will be? Explain your rationale. 3. What will the tone or mood of the novel entail? What emotions does the artwork evoke? 4. What does the painting tell you about the narrative? What does it possibly suggest about the characters or setting of the book? 5. If you had to describe the cover in five individual words—without forming a sentence—what five words would you use? 6. Come up with at least two questions you have about the novel based on the cover of the book. Before Reading Discussion Questions Directions: In groups of 3-4, discuss and answer the following questions. 1. Why do you think some people believe pursuing a dream or goal is more satisfying than actually achieving it? Explain. 2. Have you ever wanted to relive a moment from your past, to redo it? Describe the situation. How and why would you change the past? 3. How are economic classes separated in America? Is it just money or is there more to it? Explain and give examples. 4. What are the pros and cons to reading a book from first person point of view? Which perspective do you prefer to read from and why? 5. Why do people tell little lies to themselves about reality? What situations might someone do this? Is it harmless to convince yourself something is real or true that’s not? 6. In your own opinion, what laws (if any) do you believe can be broken in certain situations? Include two examples and explain. Name: Class: The Great Gatsby Anticipation Guide Directions: Circle agree or disagree to indicate if you agree with each statement below. 1. More money brings more problems. Agree Disagree 2. If you work hard, you will achieve all of your dreams. Agree Disagree Agree . Disagree 3. There’s nothing wrong with marrying someone for money. : 4. Rich people act like they are better than others. Agree Disagree 5. Having a college degree means you’re worth more in . society. Agree . Disagree 6. Anything you can do to better your life is acceptable. Agree Disagree 7. Ignorance is bliss. Agree Disagree 8. If you really are in love, you will-wait for that person : : until you can be together again. Agree Disagree 9. You can’t be in love with two people at the same time. Agree Disagree 10. Reality is an imperfect reflection of an ideal. Agree Disagree 11. Appearances are misleading. Agree Disagree 12. People with a lot of money are oblivious to the rest of , the world’s problems. Agree . Disagree 13. Being careless can be dangerous. Agree Disagree 14. People who do illegal things are evil. Agree Disagree 15. You should never be ashamed of your family and where you came from. Agree . Disagree 16. Time heals all emotional wounds. Agree Disagree 17. The more money you have, the more sophisticated you are. Agree . Disagree 18. People without a lot of money are unhappy. Agree Disagree
