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Cranston High School West Library: Ray - The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby Research Paper Guidelines

​Prompts:​
  1. 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?  
  2. 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.)   
  3. 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.
  4. Explore Gatsby as a symbol of the American Dream. Does he represent the realism of the American Dream? How? What might Fitzgerald be saying about the idea of the American Dream throughout the novel? In what ways does Gatsby represent the ideal, and in what ways does he represent the decline of America, as seen by Fitzgerald?
  5. Research the “Lost Generation,” a term coined by Gertrude Stein. F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the writers Stein labeled as a member of this group. Write a paper that explores the reasons Stein created this label, who was considered a part of this “Generation,” the characteristics of this “Generation,” and how The Great Gatsby fits into this characterization.

 

Requirements:
  • 4-6 Pages
  • 4 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

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

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Bloom's Literature

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Literature Resource Center

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Literary Reference Center

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ABC-CLIO Social Studies Databases

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Gale eBooks

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EBSCO Databases

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