NB: This document makes reference to Literary Reference Centre, plagiarism and Works Cited. We will
be discussing these shortly after Christmas.
Literary Research Essay:
What makes The Great Gatsby GREAT?
What is a literary research essay?
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It is a well-researched, formally-written document, different from most essays because of
the amount of research expected. This research comes from both the primary source (ie. your
novel) and secondary sources (ie. literary criticism, literary handbooks or dictionaries,
reviews, historical texts, …).
What does one look like?
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Write out a thesis based in your study.
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Organize your findings logically using the format that follows. Many orders can be used:
chronological, classification, cause and effect, geographical, . . . . There should be at least 2
prongs to the thesis, perhaps more.

End with a fully-written conclusion which, as always, sums up what you have been
trying to say, what your research proves.
What are you expecting of us?

An essay of no more than 4-6 typed pages, 4-6 paragraphs, depending on your thesis.

Primary source
o Definition:



o Include many quotations from your novel to prove your thesis. That means all major
claims must be backed up.
Secondary sources:
o Definition:
o Include quotations from at least 3 secondary sources. Please try to look in Literary
Reference Centre. Think about the quality of your references! Quotations must be
referenced in the text and in the Works Cited.
Include a superbly crafted Works Cited.
Above all, I am expecting an absence of plagiarism. Remember that ANY time you use
someone else’s ideas--anything that’s in your “research” column--you MUST give the
researchers credit. You WANT to give them credit. How else can you prove that you’ve
done secondary source research?
So, what topics can we choose?
1. Consider the writer’s narrative choices (1st person minor character POV,
quasi-flashback style). How is this book enhanced by its narrative
style/point of view?
2. Setting is very important. F.Scott Fitzgerald IS the 1920’s. How does he
bring this turbulent period to life? What does Fitzgerald’s novel say about
the 1920’s? You may explore the connection between setting and
atmosphere.
3. How has Fitzgerald created powerful, memorable characters with whom
you can identify and form attachments? Think about primary and secondary
characters, flat and round. How are they (either or both) valuable in the
telling of this story?
4. How are any or all of allusion, symbolism, metaphor and simile used to
create a powerful narrative?
5. How has the plot structure (the ordering, the suspense, the foreshadowing,
the climactic events, the denouement, etc.) been crucial to the novel’s
success?
6. Jay Gatsby gives the novel its name, but is he a hero? Consider multiple
definitions for “hero” and decide which, if any, is suitable for our leading
man (or anyone else, if you’d prefer).
7. A great deal is made in this novel about Gatsby’s journey. Explore the
archetype of the hero’s journey in this story. Consider if it fits for any of
the characters and how much.
8. A writer is often as recognizable for his style as for his name on the cover.
What are the fingerprints of Fitzgerald’s unique writing style? You may
want to explore how autobiographical the novel is.
9. Explore the concepts of protagonist and antagonist. Who is the
protagonist? The antagonist? How has the conflict between these made for
a strong narrative?
10.Got another possibility? Persuade me that it’s a possibility.
Final Value: 10% of your final mark
Due Date: