THE GREAT GATSBY
SEMESTER I FORMAL ESSAY
The Prompt:
James Truslow Adams, writing in The Epic of America (1931), coined the term “The American
Dream,” and said this:
“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller
for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream
for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown
weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of
social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of
which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the
fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”
The Great Gatsby has long been considered “a novel about the American Dream.” Considering and
drawing from the definition above, consider the following questions and guidelines in a welldeveloped essay:

To what extent does the pursuit of the American Dream through wealth, power, and
social class compromise us as people?

How does pursuing the American Dream make us better? How does it set us apart
from other nations?

Consider Jay Gatsby’s American Dream, the value systems behind his dream, and the
lengths he takes to attain the dream.

Ultimately, assert whether the American Dream is an attainable force of good or an
elusive fantasy.
Requirements:

Your essay must be no shorter than four pages and no longer than six pages in length.

You must use outside source material to support your argument.
o
Common Core English 11: You must cite The Great Gatsby and at least one other
source to support your argument.
o
AP English Language and Composition: You must cite The Great Gatsby and at least
three other sources to support your argument.

In addition to your writing, you will be expected to demonstrate mastery of MLA format.
MLA Checklist
 12 point font
 Times New Roman
 1-inch margins
 Page numbers and your last name on the upper right-hand corner of each
page
 Proper heading: your name, your teacher’s name, the class name & your period,
the date (8 December 2014)
 Original title
 Works Cited page
You will be expected to cite both The Great Gatsby and outside sources. You may choose from
the following list of outside sources:

Janny Scott and David Leonhardt, “Class in America”

David Brooks, “The Commercial Republic”

Joshua Zeitz, “F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Age of Excess”

Richard Wilkinson, “How economic inequality harms society”

David Kamp, “The American Dream”

Katherine Q. Seelye, “What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession?”

Roger Cohen, “American Stories”

Sarah Churchwell, “The Great Gatsby and the American Dream”

R. Clifton Spargo, “Why Every American Should Read The Great Gatsby, Again”

Robert H. Frank, “When the Rich-Poor Gap Widens, ‘Gatsby’ Becomes a Guidebook”

Barack Obama, “American Dream Speech”

Julian Castro, 2012 DNC speech
Important Dates:

Intro Paragraph Due: Wednesday, November 26th in class

Outline and Rough Draft Due: Monday, December 1st in class for odd periods/Tuesday,
December 2nd in class for even periods

Final Draft Due: Monday, December 8th at 4:30 PM for all periods
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Intro Paragraph:

Introduce topic

Provide background information on Gatsby and his American Dream (three sentences
maximum)

Introduce your thesis:
First Point: The American Dream can be a force for bad (1-2 Paragraphs)
Question 1: To what extent does the pursuit of the American Dream through wealth, power, and
social class compromise us as people?
Sentence Starters:

The pursuit of the American Dream through wealth, power, and social class is harmful
because….

Gatsby’s American Dream is inseparably connected to his pursuit of wealth, power, and
social class. In the end, his obsession with acquiring this definition of the American Dream
destroys him. We see this in the text when….

The American Dream is not attainable for most Americans/The American Dream is not
attainable for anyone…
Examples from articles and/or The Great Gatsby:
1.
2.
Second Point: The American Dream can be a source for good (1-2 Paragraphs)
Question 2: How does pursuing the American Dream make us better? How does it set us apart
from other nations?
Sentence Starters:

The American Dream is a source of good and sets America apart from other nations
because…

In The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is a remarkable motivator…

The American Dream makes America special and Gatsby’s undying belief in the American
Dream made him special…
Examples from articles and/or The Great Gatsby:
1.
2.
Your Point: The American Dream is [you fill in the blank] (2-3 paragraphs)
Question 3: Ultimately, is the American Dream is an attainable force of good or an elusive fantasy?
Sentence Starters:

Ultimately, the American Dream is an attainable force of good…

Ultimately, the American Dream is an elusive fantasy…
Defend your position with examples from articles and the novel. Do not use the word “I” for your
leading sentence. However, you can use personal experiences to defend your position.
Examples from articles, The Great Gatsby, and your personal experiences:
1.
2.
3.
Conclusion Paragraph
Tips for conclusion paragraphs:

Your conclusion wraps up your essay in a tidy package and brings it home for your reader

Your topic sentence should summarize what you said in your thesis statement

This suggests to your reader that you have accomplished what you set out to
accomplish

Do not simply restate your thesis statement, as that would be redundant

Rephrase the thesis statement with fresh and deeper understanding

Your conclusion is no place to bring up new ideas

Your topic for each body paragraph should be summarized in the conclusion

Wrap up the main points

Your closing sentence should help the reader feel a sense of closure

Your closing sentence is your last word on the subject; it is your "clincher"


Demonstrate the importance of your ideas

Propel your reader to a new view of the subject

End on a positive note
Your closing sentence should make your readers glad they read your paper