Explain how the novel does or does not demonstrate the death of the american dream. Is the main theme of gatsby indeed the withering american dream ? what does the novel offer about american identity? reference the characteristics of the american dream within the body of your paper. Discuss how the novel exemplifies the dehumanizing/corrupting nature of wealth consider examining characters, plot, symbols, etc. Or, more generally, explain the theme of the corruption of people and society through an examination of characters in the novel who are corrupt. Describe fitzgerald’s satirical portrait of modern society using gatsby’s parties as support.

Compare and contrast the homes of characters consider nick, gatsby, tom, and george/myrtle wilson. How does each home to is a symbol for its owner/renter how does each home reflect the personality of its renter/owner ? consider comparing and contrasting the characters, also focusing on their attitudes/ beliefs/values. Argue who is/are the most admirable and/or despicable character s in the novel and why. How does each act towards men? what are their motivations/goals/interests/values? how are they treated by men including the narrator/author ? 9. Show how fitzgerald uses clothing and the changing of costumes to tell the reader more about the characters and/or express theme s. Do a close reading of a passage of your choosing, explaining the passage in light of the entire novel. Note: the passage must be approved by me first! example: in reference to tom and daisy, nick remarks, they were careless people, tom and daisy they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made 180 181.

Discuss fitzgerald’s use of symbolism this is a large topic that must be significantly narrowed – such as focusing on one symbol and analyzing it in detail with a specific thesis. How does it function in the novel consider discussing how it relates to theme, communicates information about characters, develops the plot, etc. Eckleburg, clothing, cars, the green light, biblical allusions god, jesus, grail , characters’ houses, weather, water, music, celestial bodies moon, stars, planets , nature’s bounty flowers, shrubs, trees, fruit , etc. Trace the development of the narrator, nick carraway – how does he change, and how are these changes significant how do they relate to the themes of the novel ? 13. Is what gatsby feels for daisy love, obsession, affection, or accumulation/objectification? what is fitzgerald’s message here? consider discussing whether or not gatsby can really love, given his characteristics. Who is the real person: jay gatsby or jimmy gatz? does he become the platonic conception of himself ? what does that mean? is it a peculiarly american phenomenon? 16.

What does it have to offer about the american identity and the american dream? 17. Morally ambiguous characters characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good are at the heart of many works of literature. choose a character from the novel who is morally ambiguous and write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his/her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Discuss the novel’s theme that the american dream is corrupted by the desire for wealth.

1925 american stock/getty images the discussion activities and writing exercises in this guide provide you with possible essay topics, as do the discussion questions in the reader’s guide. Advanced students can come up with their own essay topics, as long as they are specific and compelling.

A2 English Language Investigation Coursework Help

Are these passages about nick or gatsby? what has nick forgotten that he is trying to retrieve? finally, does gatsby misuse the past and his memories in order to enliven the present? does this make him part of the lost generation? originally titled on the road to west egg, then trimalchio, then under the red white and blue or gold hatted gatsby, fitzgerald had difficulty settling on his title. At the end of chapter 3, nick says: i am one of the few honest people that i have ever known. When you consider his role as narrator, do you believe that he is honest? are his depictions of others honest? if he is not honest, why does he believe he is so honest? examine the last page of the novel.

Fitzgerald writes, gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter to morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.…and one fine morning why does fitzgerald leave this sentence unfinished? what does nick think will happen one fine morning? are hopes and dreams always centered on a future belief? is this more important than the actual satisfaction of one’s desires? why or why not?

analyze fitzgerald 39 s conception of the american dream. Does he view it as totally dead, or is it possible to revive it? is nick a reliable narrator? how does his point of view color the reality of the novel, and what facts or occurences would he have a vested interest in obscuring? trace the use of the color white in the novel. When does it falsify a sense of innocence? when does it symbolize true innocence? do a close reading of the description of the valley of ashes. What makes gatsby ldquo great rdquo ? in one sense, the title of the novel is ironic the title character is neither ldquo great rdquo nor named gatsby. He is a criminal whose real name is james gatz, and the life he has created for himself is an illusion. By the same token, the title of the novel refers to the theatrical skill with which gatsby makes this illusion seem real: the moniker ldquo the great gatsby rdquo suggests the sort of vaudeville billing that would have been given to an acrobat, an escape artist, or a magician.

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He sees both the extraordinary quality of hope that gatsby possesses and his idealistic dream of loving daisy in a perfect world. Though nick recognizes gatsby rsquo s flaws the first time he meets him, he cannot help but admire gatsby rsquo s brilliant smile, his romantic idealization of daisy, and his yearning for the future. The private gatsby who stretches his arms out toward the green light on daisy rsquo s dock seems somehow more real than the vulgar, social gatsby who wears a pink suit to his party and calls everyone ldquo old sport. Rdquo nick alone among the novel rsquo s characters recognizes that gatsby rsquo s love for daisy has less to do with daisy rsquo s inner qualities than with gatsby rsquo s own. That is, gatsby makes daisy his dream because his heart demands a dream, not because daisy truly deserves the passion that gatsby feels for her. Further, gatsby impresses nick with his power to make his dreams come true mdash as a child he dreamed of wealth and luxury, and he has attained them, albeit through criminal means.

In a world without a moral center, in which attempting to fulfill one rsquo s dreams is like rowing a boat against the current, gatsby rsquo s power to dream lifts him above the meaningless and amoral pleasure seeking of new york society. In nick rsquo s view, gatsby rsquo s capacity to dream makes him ldquo great rdquo despite his flaws and eventual undoing. What is nick like as a narrator? is he a reliable storyteller, or does his version of events seem suspect? how do his qualities as a character affect his narration? nick rsquo s description of himself in the opening chapter holds true throughout the novel: he is tolerant and slow to judge, someone with whom people feel comfortable sharing their secrets. His willingness to describe himself and the contours of his thoughts even when they are inconsistent or incomplete mdash his conflicted feelings about gatsby, for instance, or the long musing at the end of the novel mdash makes him seem trustworthy and thoughtful.