Gatsby as Grail Quest
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“… he had committed himself to the following of a grail.”
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(The Great Gatsby, Chapter 8)
The poet Sylvia Plath once compared F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great
Gatsby to a fairy tale with a knight in shining armor, a princess, and a
dragon. Read/listen to the critical essay "Dragon goes to bed with
princess: F. Scott Fitzgerald's influence on Sylvia Plath“.
Do you agree with Plath’s interpretations of Fitzgerald’s work? Explain
why or why not.
In another critical essay, “Sangria in the Sangreal: The Great Gatsby
as Grail Quest”, the authors note Fitzgerald’s fascination with
Arthurian legends and find elements of the quest for the Holy Grail in
The Great Gatsby. In this research lesson, you will develop your
knowledge of the Grail Quest and analyze the text of The Great Gatsby
to draw your own conclusions about this interpretation of the novel.
The Question
What parallels can be drawn between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s
The Great Gatsby and the Grail Quest of Arthurian legend?
Information Sources
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What do you already know about King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the
their quest for the Holy Grail? Below is a list of movies based on Arthurian legend to
jump-start your thinking. Note: Linked movie trailer videos may not play on school
computers, but you could access them from this Slam-dunk lesson at home.
• Movies on King Arthur or Arthurian Legend Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Use these sources to gather information about the Grail
Quest and complete the Student Activity on Slide 3:
Informational Websites:
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The Quest for the Holy Grail
Grail The Holy Grail
The Holy Grail: Background, Texts, Images
King Arthur
The Fisher King
Arthurian Legend
Arthurian Legend Illustrated
Critical essays:
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"Dragon goes to bed with princess:
F. Scott Fitzgerald's influence on Sylvia Plath”
“Sangria in the Sangreal:
The Great Gatsby as Grail Quest”
"Knight of the Holy Grail"
by Frederick Judd Waugh
[Galahad has a vision of the grail.]
Public domain image.
The Student Activity
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Use the chart Research Notes and Text Analysis: The Great Gatsby as
Grail Quest to gather notes from your research and analysis of the novel.
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Use the information sources on Slide 2 to complete the first column of the
chart with notes about Elements of the Grail Quest from Arthurian legend.
Then, consider which Aspects of the Novel The Great Gatsby relate to the
Grail Quest elements to complete column two.
Provide Text Support with details and examples from the novel to complete
the third column.
"Knights of the Round Table Departing on the Quest for the Holy Grail" by William Dyce
Public domain image.
The Assessment Activity
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What parallels can be drawn between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s
The Great Gatsby and the Grail Quest of Arthurian legend?
Compose an essay that answers the question by affirming or denying the
following parallels based on a critical interpretation of
The Great Gatsby as Grail Quest:
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Gatsby as Hero
Daisy as Object
Tom as Guardian
Nick as Helper
Support your interpretation with details from
your research notes and text analysis chart.
You may also use support from either of the
critical essays and find similar parallels in
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story
“O Russet Witch”.
“Celestial Eyes”
Dust Jacket Illustration for The Great Gatsby
by Francis Cugat (1925)
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Enrichment Activities
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Learn more about the Grail Quest in
the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and
other authors by reading and
listening to these critical essays:
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"Sir Galahad" by Arthur Hughes
[The long quest of Galahad,
Lancelot's son, is encouraged
by supernatural beings.]
Public domain image.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Following of a Grail'
The Grail Theme in Twentieth-Century
Literature
Watch the Francis Ford Coppola film
The Great Gatsby (1974).
• How are the Grail Quest parallels
evident in the film version of the novel?
Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby
in the 1974 film The Great Gatsby.
Source: Esquire
Did you read Dan Brown’s novel The DaVinci Code, or did
you see the movie version? This is a story that explicitly
features the Holy Grail and its guardians, the Priory of Scion.
Visit this website to check out some theories about Brown’s
controversial treatment of the Holy Grail in his story.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DaVinciCode.jpg
Teacher Support Materials
Lesson Objective: Students will affirm or deny the interpretation of
characters in The Great Gatsby as representative of elements
of Grail Quest, by researching the Grail Quest of Arthurian
legend, analyzing the novel text, and composing an essay.
Time Management: This may be completed as a two day lesson:
40-50 minutes in the computer lab for research; 40-50
minutes in class for text analysis and composing essay.
MSC Standards for Grade 11 English
MSC- 1.2.1 The student will determine the contributions of literary
elements in classical and contemporary texts.
MSC-2.1.1 The student will analyze stylistic elements in a text or
across texts that communicate an author’s purpose.
Differentiation Strategies:
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Websites/articles vary in length/reading levels.
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Read-aloud audio feature is available for articles in the
Literature Resource Center Database.
Learning Preferences/Styles:
Field independent, Visual, Auditory, Active, Global.
Notes to the Teacher:
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Teacher can also discuss parallels between the Grail quest
and the pursuit of the American Dream.
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Students should read chapter eight in preparation for the next
lesson. You may wish to assign questions from “Guide
Questions for Great Gatsby” with the reading.
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AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner:
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any
format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to
make inferences and gather meaning.
1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing
information and pursuing inquiry.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and
apply knowledge to curricular areas, real- world
situations, and further investigations
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and
technology skills to create products that express new
understandings.
ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for
Students:
3. Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital
tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and
ethically use information from a variety of sources and
media.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision
Making Students use critical thinking skills to plan and
conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and
make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools
and resources. Students:
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make
informed decisions.
Created by Kelly Ray, Library Media Specialist and Stephanie DiCecco, English Teacher
BCPS Slam Dunk Model, Copyright 2010 , Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. The models may be used for educational, non-profit
school use only. All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. This lesson is based on Dr. Jamie
McKenzie’s Slam Dunk Lesson module available at http://questioning.org/module2/quick.html.