Honors American Literature
Dreams and Illusions Process Prompt
As we have read The Great Gatsby we have discussed the morality of the characters as seen through their personal choices.
What moral issues are raised in The Great Gatsby (materialism, dishonesty, fidelity, adultery, murder, others)?
Choose two or three characters to analyze and explain how they create and deal with these issues in the novel. Be sure to discuss the consequences of the choices the characters make. How have Fitzgerald’s choices for these characters shaped the themes of the novel? How are those themes relevant today?
- 1000-2000 Words
- Complete Draft Due Tuesday 4/16
- Final Draft Due Friday 4/19
Suggestions for your essay:
- Introduce the book generally, title, author, time period. Provide some context about the 1920’s as a background for discussing the moral issues in the book.
- Introduce the characters you will be writing about (2 or 3). Give some background about each one and explain what moral issues they were dealing with in the novel.
- Write in more depth about your first character. What morality issues does this character confront and how does he or she deal with those decisions. Use evidence from the book to support your analysis.
- Write in more depth about your second character. What morality issues does this character confront and how does he or she deal with those decisions. Use evidence from the book to support your analysis. (Remember to make graceful transitions between characters. Perhaps compare or contrast them as you go.)
- Write in more depth about a third character. What morality issues does this character confront and how does he or she deal with those decisions. Use evidence from the book to support your analysis.
- How have Fitzgerald’s choices for these characters shaped the themes of the novel? What do their consequences say about Fitzgerald’s view of these moral issues? Does what happens to these characters show us what he really thinks? Use evidence from the text to support your analysis.
- How do the morality issues in The Great Gatsby relate to our society today? How do contemporary Americans deal with the same issues you wrote about? Give specific modern examples.
- Bring it all together.
- The themes expressed in The Great Gatsby as shown by the actions of ____________, _______________, and ______________ show us that...