Literary Research Essay Outline:
What is a literary research essay?
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It is a well-researched, formally-written document, different from most essays because of the amount of research expected. This research comes from both the primary source (ie. your novel) and secondary sources (ie. literary criticism, literary handbooks or dictionaries, reviews, historical texts, …).
What does one look like?
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Write out a thesis based in your study.
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Organize your findings logically using the format that follows. Many orders can be used: chronological, classification, cause and effect, geographical, . . . . There should be at least 2 prongs to the thesis, perhaps more.
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End with a fully-written conclusion which, as always, sums up what you have been trying to say, what your research proves.
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What are you expecting of us?
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The outline for an essay of no more than 4-6 typed pages, 4-6 paragraphs, depending on your thesis.
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Primary source: Include such quotations from your novel as are necessary to prove your thesis. That means all major claims must be backed up.
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Secondary sources: Include quotations from at least 3 secondary sources. Please try to look in Literary Reference Centre. Think about the quality of your references! Quotations must be referenced in the text and in the Works Cited.
Include a superbly crafted, annotated Works Cited.
Above all, I am expecting an absence of plagiarism. Remember that ANY time you use someone else’s ideas-anything that’s in your “research” column--you MUST give the researchers credit. You WANT to give them credit. How else can you prove that you’ve done secondary source research?
So, what topics can we choose?
1.
Consider the writer’s narrative choices (1 st person minor character POV, quasi-flashback style). How is this book enhanced by its narrative style/point of view ?
2.
Setting is very important. F.Scott Fitzgerald IS the 1920’s. How does he bring this turbulent period to life? What does Fitzgerald’s novel say about the 1920’s? You may explore the connection between setting and atmosphere.
3.
How has Fitzgerald created powerful, memorable characters with whom you can identify and form attachments? Think about primary and secondary characters, flat and round. How are they (either or both) valuable in the telling of this story?
4.
How are any or all of allusion, symbolism, metaphor and simile used to create a powerful narrative?
5.
How has the plot structure (the ordering, the suspense, the foreshadowing,

the climactic events, the denouement, etc.) been crucial to the novel’s success?
6.
A great deal is made in this novel about Gatsby’s journey, but is he the hero?
Explore the archetype of the hero’s journey in this story. Consider if it fits for any of the characters and how much.
7.
A writer is often as recognizable for his style as for his name on the cover.
What are the fingerprints of Fitzgerald’s unique writing style? In this story, you may consider how autobiographical the novel is.
8.
Explore the concepts of protagonist and antagonist . How has the conflict between these made for a strong narrative?
9.
Got another possibility? Persuade me that it’s a possibility.
Final Value: 10% of your final mark Due Date: