Higher English
The Great Gatsby by F Scott
Fitzgerald
Critical Essay
Revision Booklet
A Mackintosh – Breadalbane Academy
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Introduction
Purpose of this booklet
This booklet has been written to help you to revise the key areas of the
novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ in time for your Higher exam. If there is a
reference in this booklet you do not understand – look it up, or ask the
teacher!
Reminder: the Critical Reading paper
When you are ready to write your essay, you should turn to the Prose
Fiction section of the paper. It will give you the option of three questions.
Choose the one that best fits ‘The Great Gatsby’ and begin to plan your
essay. You have 45 minutes to complete this part of the exam.
Remember that you are writing about the novel, NOT THE FILM.
Summary (adapted from Wikipedia)
‘The Great Gatsby’ is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott
Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of
West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922.
Nick Carraway takes a job in New York as a bond salesman. He rents in
West Egg, next door to the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious
multi-millionaire. Nick visits East Egg for dinner at the home of his cousin,
Daisy and her husband Tom, a college acquaintance of Nick's. They
introduce Nick to Jordan Baker, an attractive, cynical young golfer with
whom Nick begins a romantic relationship. Nick learns that Tom has a
mistress, Myrtle Wilson, who lives in the "valley of ashes”. Nick travels to
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New York City with Tom and Myrtle to an apartment Tom keeps for his
affairs with Myrtle and others. At Tom's New York apartment, a vulgar
and bizarre party takes place. It ends with Tom breaking Myrtle's nose
after she annoys him by saying Daisy's name several times.
Nick eventually receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's parties. Gatsby
and Jordan meet Gatsby himself, an aloof and surprisingly young man
who recognizes Nick from their same division in the Great War. Nick later
learns that Gatsby knew Daisy through a purely chance meeting in 1917.
From their brief meetings and casual encounters at that time, Gatsby
became (and still is) deeply in love with Daisy.
Jordan confides in Nick that the only reason Gatsby bought the mansion is
because it was across the bay from Tom and Daisy's home, and that
Gatsby's extravagant lifestyle and wild parties were an attempt to
impress Daisy and raise her curiosity about her "anonymous" neighbour
across the bay. His research of Nick, who has so fortuitously rented the
small cottage next door to Gatsby's mansion, results in a wholly new
approach to his problem of how to introduce Daisy to the "new" Jay
Gatsby.
Nick invites Daisy to have tea at his house without telling her that Gatsby
will also be there. After an initially awkward reunion, Gatsby and Daisy re-
establish their connection. They begin an affair and, after a short time,
Tom grows increasingly suspicious of his wife's relationship with Gatsby.
At a luncheon at the Buchanans' house, Daisy speaks to Gatsby with such
undisguised intimacy that Tom realizes she is in love with Gatsby. Though
Tom is himself involved in an extramarital affair, he is outraged by his
wife's infidelity. He forces the group to drive into New York City and
confronts Gatsby in a suite at the Plaza Hotel, asserting that he and Daisy
have a history that Gatsby could never understand. In addition to that, he
announces to his wife that Gatsby is a criminal whose fortune comes from
bootlegging alcohol and other illegal activities. Tom contemptuously
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sends her back to East Egg with Gatsby, attempting to prove that Gatsby
cannot hurt her.
When Nick, Jordan, and Tom drive through the valley of ashes on their
way home, they discover that Gatsby's car has struck and killed Tom's
mistress, Myrtle. Nick later learns from Gatsby that Daisy, not Gatsby
himself, was driving the car at the time of the accident but Gatsby took
the blame. Myrtle's husband, George, falsely concludes that the driver of
the yellow car is the secret lover he recently began suspecting she has,
and sets out on foot to find him. After finding out the yellow car is
Gatsby's, he arrives at Gatsby's mansion where he fatally shoots Gatsby
and then himself. Nick stages an unsettlingly small funeral for Gatsby in
which none of Gatsby's associates or partygoers attend. Later, Nick runs
into Tom in New York and finds out that Tom had told George that Gatsby
was Myrtle's secret lover and that Gatsby had killed her, then gave
Gatsby's address to George. Nick breaks up with Jordan, and, disillusioned
with the East, moves back to the Midwest.
Task
1. How would you break this into a clear beginning, middle and
end?
2. Write a summary of the novel which is no longer than 3
sentences long.
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Context (from York Notes website)
The First World War
• The First World War, also known as The Great War, was a
predominantly European conflict fought between July 1914 and
November 1918.
• America was drawn into the conflict in 1917.
• The demands of war accelerated America’s industrial production
resulting in the economic boom of the 1920s.
• Nick Carraway says that he participated in the Great War, and it left him
feeling ‘restless’. Nick tells us that Jay Gatsby ‘did extraordinarily well in
the war’.
The Jazz Age
• The 1920s in America became known as The Jazz Age because this
popular musical genre of the day reflected a spirit of rebelliousness and
pleasure-seeking.
• The Jazz Age was in part a reaction to the First World War, which was
seen as the end of an era.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald became known as the major chronicler of the Jazz
Age.
• The Great Gatsby addresses deeply serious issues that lay behind the
decade’s rebelliousness and pleasure-seeking.
Prohibition
• Between 1920 and 1933 there was a ban on making and selling alcohol
in America.
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• A great deal of alcohol is consumed nonetheless in the pages of this
novel.
• The unlawful supplying of alcohol was known as bootlegging.
• It is rumoured that bootlegging was the source of Jay Gatsby’s wealth.
New York
• By the 1920s New York had become a major commercial and industrial
city, making use of the latest advances in engineering.
• Immigration, including internal migration of African Americans from the
South, made it a racially and culturally mixed city.
• John Dos Passos, in his novel Manhattan Transfer (1925), depicted New
York as an impersonal machine-like city, with rootless people passing
through it.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses his novel on an individual who stands out
from the mass society of the city.
Technology in the novel
• In America, the early decades of the twentieth century saw great leaps
forward in technological innovation and mass production.
• The telephone and the automobile, both fairly recent inventions, were
starting to modify social behaviour through their impact on
communication and travel.
• Both play a significant role in The Great Gatsby, although their effect is
not necessarily positive.
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• In ‘Studies in Classic American Literature’ (1923), D. H. Lawrence argues
that Americans are prolific inventors because they are ‘idealists’ who
prefer to ‘let a machine do the doing’.
Task
1. Use each of the sub-headings to organise your notes on context.
Write a paragraph how each improves your understanding of a
theme, character, incident, or symbol in the novel. Use quotations
to back up your answers.
You should then have a paragraph on each of the following:
The First World War (use the phrase ‘the lost generation’)
The Jazz Age (see also ‘The Roaring 20s’)
Prohibition
New York
Technology
*If you are struggling to write a paragraph off the top of your
head, brainstorm ideas and then put your best thoughts into the
paragraph.
2. (Re)familiarise yourself with the term ‘The American Dream’.
How does it relate to ‘The Great Gatsby’ and what is the novel
trying to say about it?
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Setting
Setting refers to where and when a story takes place. You may be able to
see how context and setting are linked. If not, you will have a chance to
think about it in this section.
Place
West Egg – where Gatsby and Nick live. Gatsby’s mansion is gaudy and
over the top. It is a pleasant area, but has a lower status when compared
with East Egg. The idea is that Gatsby is not established enough to own a
house in East Egg, signifying his status as nouveau riche.
East Egg – where the Buchannan’s live. Very upmarket area, with
established, rich families of high status. Consider the relation between
the two areas – Gatsby can see East Egg from his house, but it remains
untouchable or unreachable for him.
The Valley of Ashes – the industrial wasteland between East/West Egg
and New York City. While both East and West Egg are outwardly free of
signs of decay, The Valley of Ashes is full of waste and pollution. This
signifies the wasteful nature of industrial progress and modern life.
Contrasts with the affluence of West and East Egg, suggesting that the
characters we focus on in the novel are extremely privileged to the point
of being out of touch with the real world.
New York City – A place for parties and pleasure. Consider the points at
which the action takes place in New York City. Nick describes the city
during Tom and Myrtle’s party.
Time
1922 – See ‘context’ notes above. Post WWI, during the roaring twenties.
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Summer – Consider the symbolism of setting during summer. What do we
associate with summer months?
Task
Find quotations that tell you about each of the aspects of setting listed
above. Write these down and then answer the following question:
Why do you think Fitzgerald has included these details in the novel? How
do they add to your appreciation of other aspects of the novel?
Characterisation – Main Characters
What is a main character?
A main character should be central to the action of the text. If they
weren’t there, it would make a big difference to the plot of the novel. In
order to maintain reader interest, they will be developed and/or
complex characters. They might:
Change or learn over the course of the novel
Come into conflict with someone, something, or themselves
Have contradictory character traits, making them complex (and
perhaps more realistic)
There is scope for a little debate over who constitutes as a ‘main
character’ in ‘The Great Gatsby’. Here are the main characters as we have
studied them:
- Jay Gatsby
- Nick Carraway
- Daisy Buchannan
- Tom Buchannan
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Task
For each of the main characters, make sure you note the following:
1. Their characteristics
2. Evidence to back up (quotations)
3. What makes them a major character (look back to start of this
section)
You may choose to do this in mind map, bullet point or table form.
What is a minor character?
A minor character is less central to the action of the text. The novel could
still be readable without them. Minor characters are often used to
perform a role or function, symbolise something, create conflict with
something or relate to a theme.
The following characters can be discussed as minor characters:
- Myrtle Wilson
- George Wilson
- Jordan Baker
Task
For each of the minor characters, make sure you note the following:
1. Who are they? What are their characteristics?
2. Evidence to support this.
3. What do they add to the novel. Look at the criteria in the intro to
this section.
You may choose to do this in mind map, bullet point or table form.
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Mode of narration
Mode of narration refers to who is telling the story. Sometimes it can be
a detached, 3rd person, omniscient narrator and the reader never really
knows who is speaking, nor is it relevant. In ‘The Great Gatsby’, the story
is in first person, from the point of view of Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s
neighbour and Daisy’s cousin.
Because we only have Nick’s limited perspective, you must consider
whether or not we can trust his version of events. That is not to say he is
deliberately misleading the reader, but he can only offer his point of view
on what happens that summer. Also consider the fact that the story is
being narrated to us three years after that summer – how has this
clouded his judgement, made him idealise things, and forget other
things?
Task
1. What connections does Nick have with each of the characters,
and how might this cloud his judgement about them?
2. Where does Nick contradict himself in terms of his feelings about
other characters?
3. To what extent do you trust Nick as a reliable narrator? This
answer should take the form of a mini-essay (1 page of A4) and
use evidence from the text (quotations) to support your answer.
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Plot
Elements of plot
In your critical essay, you want to avoid simply retelling the story for the
reader. You must remain analytical/evaluative throughout. Therefore,
writing simply about the technique of plot can be quite difficult. It is
better instead, to consider writing about the following, more specific,
techniques:
Key incident – an important incident in the plot
Turning point – the incident which begins to change the story
Climax – a moment of drama, a key moment that the plot has
been working towards, the beginning of the end
Conflict – disagreements between characters or ideas which
create tension in the plot
When discussing plot, it is important to discuss the specific incident but
then relate this to the novel as a whole – why is it important to your
understanding of the novel as a whole?
Here are the main key incidents we have studied in class:
Key incident 1 – Opening
Nick narrates the opening, background to character, setting up
narration of novel from a point in the future. Sense of foreboding,
that this story will not have a happy ending. Consider how this
sets up character and theme, and gives clues as to what will come
next.
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Key incident 2 – Turning point
Nick sets up an afternoon tea for Daisy and Gatsby at Gatsby’s
request. Gatsby is very flustered and is clumsy; he tries to run
away when Daisy arrives. At first, the meeting is very awkward.
Nick excuses himself so that Daisy and Gatsby can have some
time alone. When he comes back, they are talking and so
engrossed that they don’t notice he is there. Consider the
importance of characterisation in this incident, and how this
incident changes the course of action in the novel. How could it
have been different?
Key incident 3 – Climax
On the hottest day of the year, Gatsby goes to lunch at the
Buchannan’s house. He intends to tell Tom that Daisy is leaving
him. Tom suspects Daisy and Gatsby’s involvement and they go to
The Plaza in New York City for drinks. The climax of the novel
takes place in this claustrophobic space. Tom calls into question
Gatsby’s integrity, suggesting that he is a criminal and never went
to Oxford. Gatsby insists that Daisy tells Tom that she never loved
him. Daisy cannot do this and is torn between the two. In the
argument, Daisy ends up choosing Tom over Gatsby. Tom tells
Daisy and Gatsby to make a start back to the house in Gatsby’s
car. Nick and Jordan have been witness to all of this, and at the
end of this episode, Nick remembers that it is his 30th birthday.
Consider the importance of symbolism of the heat in this incident,
along with characterisation, dialogue and conflict.
Key incident 4 – Ending
No one attends Gatsby’s funeral, with the exception of Nick,
Gatsby’s father and the old man Nick met at the first party (Owl
Eyes). After narrating the funeral episode, Nick becomes reflective
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once more, as in the opening section of the novel. He recalls
meeting Tom in NYC in the October after Gatsby’s death. He
reflects on the experience. Finally he offers his final thoughts on
Gatsby, noting how close he had come to achieve his dream, but
how events can often take away what we seem so close to
achieving. Consider the symbolism in this section such as the
pathetic fallacy of the weather in the funeral episode. Also
consider characterisation and mode of narration. Consider
theme and what the final message of the novel is.
These are the key incidents we have focused on in class, but there are
other important parts in the novel you should be able to talk about in
detail. This is just a starting point to help you focus on key incident.
Task
1. Take notes on the techniques used effectively within each key
incident.
2. Consider how each incident develops what has come before, and
how it introduces what is to come next?
3. How does each key incident develop the themes of the novel?
Conflict
Conflict is the technique of setting up certain things in opposition with
each other. This can be people, groups or ideas. Consider where conflict
exists in ‘The Great Gatsby’.
Task
1. Which characters are in conflict with one another?
2. Where do we see this conflict come to a head?
3. How does it impact the plot of the novel?
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Symbolism
Colour
Fitzgerald uses colour throughout the novel to enhance his descriptions.
Often the colour can be symbolic.
Yellow and Gold = wealth and riches. Consider Yellow as a fake version of
gold – looking like wealth but a bit of a false, gaudy version (think about
Gatsby’s car).
White = innocence and femininity. Daisy’s dress at the beginning. Do we
really think Daisy is an innocent character?
Grey = associated with the valley of ashes, and George Wilson. Suggestion
of over-industrialisation and lifelessness.
Green = hope, the future. See ‘The Green Light’ below.
The Eyes of T J Eckleburg
In the Valley of Ashes there is a billboard for T J Eckleburg. This refers to
a closed down optician’s shop. There is a sense that he is watching over
the characters that pass through The Valley of Ashes. In Nick’s narration,
it is not immediately clear that he is referring to an advert, and George
Wilson mistakes his gaze for the eyes of God. Religion does not feature
heavily in the characters’ lives, and this relates to the context, as people
began to question organised religion. People were now more interested
in consumerism and advertising was a part of this. So, the advert of T J
Eckleburg symbolises consumerism and
The Green Light
The green light sits on the end of the Buchannan’s dock. Gatsby can see it
from his house, and looks out to it. It is symbolic of his quest to get Daisy
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– he is so close, yet so far (she doesn’t even know he’s there at the start
of the novel). The green light symbolises hope and the future, the idea
being that it is always just out of reach. Look at the concluding passage of
the novel for an excellent description of the symbolic power of the green
light.
Task
Write a PEER paragraph answering the following question:
Analyse the use of symbolism in ‘The Great Gatsby’. Explain how
it helps you to understand another aspect of the novel, such as
characterisation, theme, setting…
Write one paragraph for colour (choose one example), one for the eyes of
TJ Eckleburg and one on the green light.
Theme
Society and Class
Consider the presentation of an upper class lifestyle and the divisions
within it. Gatsby is nouveau riche (new money) whereas the Buchannans
are old money, and therefore more respectable. Consider where Nick is
placed in all of this – he is part of an established family, but has less
money than Gatsby and the Buchannans. Where does he fit in the
hierarchy? Then consider the Wilsons. How are they portrayed differently
to the upper class characters.
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The American Dream
The phrase ‘the American dream’ sums up the idea that Americans like to
think encapsulates the ethos of their nation: that anyone can succeed
with hard work and determination, regardless of background. However,
society’s views of what is ‘successful’ are pretty rigid – making money,
getting married, having a family and contributing further to the economy.
It leaves little room for individualism, and places pressure on individuals
to conform in order to be viewed as successful.
Memory and the Past
Gatsby invents his past for his new identity. He believes that he can
repeat the past so that he gets what he wants the second time around.
You could even potentially consider the fact that the story Nick is
narrating is 2 years in the past at the time of narration.
Task
Consider the other techniques in the play, and think about how they
relate to one or more themes. Take notes on the following:
- Major characters
- Minor characters
- Setting
- Key incidents
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The Critical Essay
Introduction - Title - Author - Form (that it’s a novel) - Refer back to task - Refer to techniques (3)
Summary - Keep it short – about three sentences detailing the
beginning/middle/end of the plot. PEER (x 6)
- Point: Introduce your argument and state what technique this paragraph will deal with.
- Evidence: Give specific evidence from the text to back up your point = QUOTATION
- Explanation: Explain how the evidence and point are related, explain how the evidence creates a specific effect, and evaluate the evidence.
- Refer to task: Use the words from the question to ensure that you have answered the question.
Conclusion - ‘In conclusion’/ ‘To conclude’ - Restate what you have been arguing for the duration of the
essay (use words from the question) - Rank the techniques you have discussed in order of
effectiveness, which has been most helpful to your analysis? - Evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques and this
discussion on the text as a whole.
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Past Paper Questions
Answer Part B – Prose Fiction
Answers to questions on Prose Fiction should refer to the text and to such relevant features as characterisation, setting, language, key incident(s), climax, turning point, plot, structure, narrative technique, theme, ideas, description . . .
1. Choose a novel or short story in which the method of narration is important. Outline briefly the writer’s method of narration and explain why you feel this method makes such a major contribution to your understanding of the text as a whole.
2. Choose a novel or short story in which there is a moment of significance for one of the characters. Explain briefly what the significant moment is and discuss, with reference to appropriate techniques, its significance to the text as a whole.
3. Choose a novel or short story which has a satisfying ending. Discuss to what extent the ending provides a successful conclusion to the text as a whole.
4. Choose a novel or short story in which there is a central
character to whom you react with mixed feelings. With reference to appropriate techniques, briefly explain why you react to the character in this way and discuss how this reaction adds to your understanding of the text as a whole.
5. Choose a novel or short story that deals with a theme of moral or social significance. With reference to appropriate techniques, explain how the writer develops this theme and discuss why its development adds to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
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6. Choose a novel or short story in which the choice of setting is central to your appreciation of the text. Briefly explain how the writer effectively creates setting and, with reference to appropriate techniques, discuss how the writer’s presentation of the setting is central to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
7. Choose a novel or short story in which there is a character
who experiences rejection or isolation. With reference to appropriate techniques, explain the rejection or isolation, and discuss how this aspect adds to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
8. Choose a novel or short story which has an effective opening or conclusion. With reference to appropriate techniques, explain why the opening or conclusion is effective and discuss how it adds to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
9. Choose a novel or short story which deals with the theme of love or loss or redemption. With reference to appropriate techniques, explain how the writer develops this theme, and discuss how it adds to your understanding of the text as a whole.
Useful Links
www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/ www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/
www.cliffnotes.com/literature/g/the-great-gatsby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9Au9OoN88
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0WZ8-0Z1Y
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/pk/msmackintosh