Body Biography for The Great Gatsby
For the character you choose, your group will be creating a body biography—a visual and written portrait
illustrating several aspects of the character’s life within the story.
You have many possibilities for filling up your giant sheet of paper. I have listed nine categories of which you need
to have on your body biographies, but feel free to add anything else you think needs to be on there so others can
understand your character better. Make sure that what you decide to put on your body biography can be explained
to the whole class. Your body biography should reflect the creativity and a true understanding of the character.
Body Biography Requirements
Although I expect your biography to contain many elements, your project must contain the following:
 Visual symbols
 Your character’s three most important quotations from the play
 All nine categories must be represented on your biography
 CREATIVITY!
Nine Categories of Your Body Biography
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Placement: Carefully choose the placement of your text and artwork. This includes objects, words,
phrases, and pictures. For example, the area where your character’s heart would be might appropriate for
illustrating the important relationships with his life.
Spine: The “spine” is your character’s objective within the story. What is the most important goal for your
character? What drives his thoughts and actions? This is your character’s “spine.” How can you illustrate
it?
Virtues and Vices: What are your character’s best qualities? What are his/her worst qualities? How can
you make us visualize them?
Colors: Colors are often symbolic. What color(s) do you most associate with your characters? Why?
How can you work these colors in your project?
Mirror, Mirror: Consider both how your character appears to others on the surface and what you know
about the character’s inner-self (what the character really thinks about himself). Do these images clash or
are they the same? What does this tell you about the character?
Changes: How has your character changed within the story? Trace these changes through your artwork.
Lines: Be sure to include three or more important lines of the character in regards to a discovery or
description of self.
Symbols: What objects can you associate/relate with your character that illustrate his own importance
with the story?
Formula Poem: “Bio-Poem” in regards to your character (use the formula below or write your own that
consists of at least 10 lines)
Names of Group Members: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
(no more than three)
Line 1: Name
Line 2: Four traits (characteristics) that describe the person
Line 3: Friend of ______________
Line 4: Lover of ______________ (list three things/people that your character loves)
Line 5: Who feels ______________ (three items)
Line 6: Who needs______________ (three items)
Line 7: Who fears ______________ (three items)
Line 8: Who gives _____________(one item fully explained)
Line 9: Who would like to see _________________ (one item)
Line 10: Resident of _________________
Line 11: Name
GET STARTED!
1. Write the Bio-Poem FIRST so that you get ideas for what to put on your body.
2. Use the rough draft body and sketch out where you will be putting items and what the items will be.
3. Show me your rough draft body.
Body Biographies – Rubric
Students’ Names: _________________________________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Quotes
Symbols
Colors
Original Text
Overall creativity/originality
Explanation of analysis
____/25
____/20
____/10
____/20
____/10
____/15