Gatsby Projects
Your task is to prepare a project that reflects your knowledge of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great
Gatsby. This project will be due May 27/28, 2014. We will have class presentations of these
projects beginning on these dates as well. Your project will be assessed using the Written Task
Rubric and Further Oral Activity Rubric. Most projects are to be completed by individuals,
unless otherwise noted. Your project is limited only by your imagination. The one requirement
is that the project must deal RHETORICALLY, SPECIFICALLY with the novel—not the
movie(s), the novel The Great Gatsby, either as a reflection of actual events in the story or as a
related topic/theme that finds its roots in this novel. If the project you wish to do is not listed
below, be certain to get my permission. Possible projects include the following:
1. Create a 3-D mask that represents The Great Gatsby. The mask should be symbolic and
represent ideas and themes from the story. Explain your mask—how you created it and
what it means—in a brief rationale (150 words minimum). You may want to create more
than one mask to express your ideas.
2. Perform a dramatic interpretation of a scene from The Great Gatsby; Nick’s numerous
monologues provide excellent opportunities for dramatic interpretations. Memorize the
passage for a 5-10 minute presentation and perform in front of the class.
3. Create a newspaper (four pages minimum) covering events from The Great Gatsby. Your
paper should look “professional”: use a computer program that will help you with the
layout of the paper. Be certain to include not only news articles, but also feature articles,
sports articles, classifieds, other ads, comic strips, etc. The articles should reflect
knowledge of the novel as well as the 1920s. Two may work on this project. Note:
examine classroom copies of informative articles concerning the Jazz Age.
4. Create a picture of one of the scenes or an interpretation of a theme in The Great Gatsby.
You may also illustrate a significant passage, including the passage in your picture. (It
will be important that you have artistic ability and that you letter well.) This picture will be
judged for its content, its interpretation of the literature, its artistic quality, and its
neatness. Use a rationale to briefly explain how and why you created your artwork and
the meaning or significance of your creation (150 words minimum).
5. Create an additional scene for The Great Gatsby. The scene should contain dialogue and
should maintain the same characterization as the author has created. A possible scene is
Daisy’s version of her romance (“spoiler” information deleted here) as she tells it to
Nick. (Perhaps this scene would reveal the contents of the letter that Daisy receives, the
letter that nearly causes her to cancel her wedding plans with Tom.)
6. Create a packet of bulletin board materials for The Great Gatsby. These materials should
include the title in large letters and words and pictures that represent events, characters,
settings, and especially main ideas and themes of the story. Pictures representing the
Roaring 20s should be created: the style of clothing, the style of hair, the cars, etc. Some
famous quotations should also be included in this packet. You should use construction
paper and poster board and color—make the presentation colorful.
7. Create a board game or card game with The Great Gatsby as its focus. Make certain that
the game is accurate in its representation of events in the novel (no factual errors), that
the directions are clear, and that the game is sturdy.
8. Produce a video of a scene from The Great Gatsby. You will be judged on the quality of
the performance and the quality of the videotaping. The video may be a verbatim
excerpt or a parody of a scene from the story. The scene should be a minimum of 10
minutes in length. Be certain you know how to run a camcorder if you wish to tackle this
one. Up to four classmates may work on this project.
9. Compile a group of modern songs that in some way express each songwriter’s view of
the American Dream. You will need to collect a minimum of eight songs, group them
into categories (e.g., “an optimistic look at the American Dream,” “the dark side of the
American Dream,” etc.), and comment on these songs—write at least 400 words about
what these songs reveal about America and the American Dream today. You may break
up the writing into eight separate paragraphs (a paragraph after each song, 50 words or
so) or write a single analysis in which you discuss all eight songs in one essay. Tie in
ideas from The Great Gatsby in your discussion. Provide the lyrics of each song. Be
certain you do not violate copyright policies.
10. Write your own song about the American Dream, making references to events and
characters in The Great Gatsby. You may choose rock, folk, country and western, jazz,
rap, or any other type of music as your medium. Have the lyrics typed and the song on
CD, but also expect to perform the song live in class.
11. Create a soundtrack for The Great Gatsby: Choose a “theme” song for each chapter of The
Great Gatsby. You must also explain why each song is an appropriate fit for the events,
thematic ideas, tone, and mood of each chapter. For example, in chapter two when Tom
is cheating on Daisy by taking his mistress to New York City for a fling, you might
choose a country and western song that deals with cheating. See me for further details
about this project. Be certain you do not violate copyright policies.
12. Read T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Wasteland” and research information on the poem’s
meaning. Then choose to present a portion of the poem to the class and explain its
meaning. You may also choose to illustrate a part of the poem. Whatever choice you
make concerning a presentation of this poem, you must be certain to explain in writing
(at least 200 words) how this poem ties in with the events in The Great Gatsby. You will
need to meet with me to discuss the poem before beginning your project for this poem.
NOTE: This project requires special permission.
13. Take on the role of a movie director and explain in a letter to a producer how you would
film The Great Gatsby. Are there scenes you would cut or change? How would you
handle Nick as the narrator? Include a list of current actors you would cast for the major
roles and reasons for these choices. This letter should be more than one page in length
(900-1100 words) and contain specific details.
14. Create a travel brochure or a travelogue of the places mentioned in The Great Gatsby.
Items you would need in this brochure or travelogue would include, but are not limited
to, the following: maps and pictures of Long Island and Manhattan, as well as visuals of
Louisville, Kentucky, Oxford (in England), and Yale—from the 1920s, if possible;
pictures of some of the places mentioned in New York City; the interior of a speakeasy; a
picture of Gatsby’s mansion (since it was a copy of a famous place in France); etc. Brief
descriptions of these pictures, with direct reference to events in the novel, must
accompany your visuals. See me about this project before you begin.
15. Create 2 pictures of metaphors (or similes or other forms of figurative language) from
The Great Gatsby, e.g., “but a stirring warmth flowed from her as if her heart was trying
to come out to you concealed in one of those breathless, thrilling words” (p 14). Each
metaphor must be included in each picture, and the picture will be judged on its artistic
quality, its interpretation of the metaphor, and its neatness.
16. Read Sir Philip Sidney’s poem, “The Nightingale,” and the story of Tereus, Procne, and
Philomela from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Summarize these works and then explain their
connection to The Great Gatsby, especially in terms of Tom’s and Daisy’s relationship.
(On page 15, Daisy comments on a nightingale she’s seen: “I looked outdoors for a
minute and it’s very romantic outdoors. There’s a bird on the lawn that I think must be a
nightingale come over on the Cunard or White Star Line. He’s singing away—“her voice
sang—"It’s romantic, isn’t it, Tom?”)
17. Create a project of your own design, for example, creating “found poems” from the
novel.