Student Name
Mrs. Ritsema
English 11
18 Oct 2013
The Great Gatsby Analysis
Directions: Answer ONE of the following prompts in a well-developed and organized essay.
1. At the beginning of the novel, Nick says, “’whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember
that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had’” (5) and then in the very last line of
chapter three, he claims, "I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known" (64). By the end of the
book, Jordan Baker decides that this statement itself is a lie. Is Nick Carraway honest or dishonest as a
narrator? Can we trust him?
2. Is Nick Carraway a necessary character in this story? If we were not given the story mediated through
his perspective, what would we gain? What would we lose?
3. What is the effect of us getting the information out of order? We don’t know the truth about Gatsby
until Chapter Six, and we don’t know the rest of the truth until Chapter Eight. We get even more
information when Jay’s father shows up, so what might be the purpose of this?
4. Explore the “Greatness” of Gatsby. Is Gatsby great, and if so, in what way? If he is not great, then why
is the novel title The Great Gatsby? Does his greatness evolve over the course of the novel? (You might
consider the difference, in this text, between perceived greatness and actual greatness.)
5. How does the character of Nick (inside the story, not the voice telling it) change over the course of the
novel, and more importantly, why? What does Fitzgerald gain by having Nick change?
6. Discuss Jay Gatsby as a tragic hero. How might we view him as a tragic hero, and why does Fitzgerald
create this tragic hero?
7. A major theme of The Great Gatsby is the moral decline of humanity. The Great Gatsby paints a
superficial world where people are egotistical, selfish, and vain. The characters we meet often lack
meaningful thoughts, emotions, and relationships, which illustrates that human values are wasting away.
Discuss how characters in The Great Gatsby illustrate that humanity is morally declining.
8. Examine another major theme of this novel…or the use and purpose of symbols… What does this novel
teach us about love/marriage are they the same?
9. Another topic of your choice (approved by me)
For this essay assignment, I will expect to see an outline, a rough draft with revision made on it, and a final
draft. Of course, your essay needs to be typed and MLA formatted.
Draft Due: Friday October 24, 2014
Final Due Date: Tuesday October 28, 2014