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Cranston High School West Library: Barone - The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby Research Paper Guidelines

Requirements:
  • 4-6 Pages
  • 4-7 Outside Sources Cited
  • Proper MLA format
  • Include essential essay components:
    • Purpose: writing to a clear claim/thesis. Writing for an academic audience.
    • Organization: Introduction, Body, Conclusion, Transitions, Evidence with elaboration
    • Voice: Sentence fluency, sentence structure, sentence variety, and academic vocabulary.
Prompts:
  • Analyze the portrayal of wealth in the novel—the difference between “old money” and “new money” as well as the things that money can and cannot buy. What is Fitzgerald ultimately trying to say about money and materialism? What does Gatsby’s rise and fall say about the pursuit of wealth and status in the world of the novel?  

  • One of the main themes of the novel is how illusion is mistaken for reality. Illustrate how this is true in the various party scenes, in the empty gestures and speeches of the main characters, and in the basic fabric of Jay Gatsby’s life.

  • A symbol in a novel is a concrete object that represents an idea or a set of ideas. Choose three major symbols in the book. Explain what those symbols mean and how they function together to support a central theme. (Hint: obviously in order to respond to this prompt, you will have to identify what theme is being supported.)   

  • Write an essay analyzing the role of women in The Great Gatsby, as represented by Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle. What kind of influence or power do they wield? Consider their social positions and interactions.

Sample Papers, Notecards, and Rough Draft Checklist

Format for Research Paper

I. Intoduction: Formal thesis statement
II. Body paragraph #1
III. Body paragraph #2
IV. Body paragraph #3
V. Conclusion: Formal thesis statement (reworded)

My Bib

MyBib Instructions

Directions for creating a Works Cited page in MyBib

  1. Create or log into your account
  2. Start New Project
  3. Name the Project
  4. Add Citations (+Citations)
  • Website
  • Copy and paste URL
  • Click on website result
  • Try to find missing or incorrect information in website article
  • Click “Save”
  • Book with one Author
  • Click Book Tab
  • Type in ISBN number
  • Click on correct title
  • Click “Save”
  • Chapter in a Book
  • Find under “More”
  • Choose “Book Chapter”
  • Fill in information
  • Click "Save"
  • Database/E-Book articles
  • Copy formatted citation from database
  • Find under “More”
  • Choose Write/paste
  • Paste
  • Click “Save”
  1. When you are finished adding all citations 
  2. “Download Bibliography”
  3. Download to Google Drive
  4. Copy and paste the Works Cited page into your paper

Youtube Video - MLA format with Google Docs

Printed Materials

The Great Gatsby ISBN

9780743273565

E-Book for the Great Gatsby

Click on book cover and if prompted type the remote password at the bottom left:  cran_log

 

Bloom's Literature

No login needed from school. Off campus? Email sevje@cpsed.net for password.

Literature Resource Center

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Off campus? Email sevje@cpsed.net for password.

 

Gale eBooks

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Off campus? Email sevje@cpsed.net for password.

ABC-CLIO Social Studies Databases

No login needed from school.

Off campus? Email sevje@cpsed.net for password.

 

Literary Reference Center

No login needed from school.

Off campus? Click here and scroll down for Literary Reference Center.