The Great Gatsby essay prompts:
Pick one of the three essay topics below and write a __ page essay
responding to it. Think of an intriguing title for your essay. Your essay will
be graded using the formal essay rubric.
1) What lesson have you learned from this novel that you can apply to
your own life?
Such as ….
the importance of not getting stuck in the past;
the importance of being true to yourself; (the limits of reinventing
yourself in pursuit of a goal; the difference between true growth and
creating an artificial “persona”);
the consequences of living your whole life for another;
the downside of money for money’s sake, or wealth accumulated to
impress others;
the value of following a worthy, achievable dream.
Give two examples of characters or situations in the book that drove home
this lesson. Describe how you would apply this lesson in your own life.
Find and quote one passage in the novel that supports your response.
Write at least three paragraphs.
2) At the beginning of the novel, Nick tells the reader, “Gatsby turned out
all right at the end.” Nick continues to state that it was the people who
preyed on Gatsby, the foul dust that floated in the wake of Gatsby’s dreams,
which Nick found so profoundly disappointing (Direct Characterization).
Near the conclusion of the book Nick reports that he shouted out to Gatsby,
“You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.” even though Nick
“disapproved of him from beginning to end”. (Indirect Characterization)
Explain what Nick means by both of these passages. Quote and comment on
two other passages in the novel where Fitzgerald characterizes Gatsby as a
positive figure, despite his bootlegging and stock manipulations Your essay
should consist of a minimum of four paragraphs . (Intro, body, body,
conclusion).
3) Choose two literary devices (symbol, motif, characterization, imagery,
figurative language [metaphor, simile, personification], or diction) and
explain how they point to one of the novel’s two main themes: the
corrupting influence of wealth and the futility of trying to recapture the past.
You will need to derive a thesis statement from one of these two themes.
Remember a thesis must be universal, arguable, not a command, not a
cliché, and contained in one sentence. An example of a thesis statement is:
“The power of wealth promotes irresponsibility by insulating people from
the consequences of their actions.” Write a minimum of five paragraphs, one
of which is an introduction and the last a conclusion which tells the reader
why all this matters. For the three body paragraphs pick any combination of
literary devices.