gatsby essay prompts

20 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Hailed as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, The Great Gatsby is a story that explores love, betrayal, and the pursuit of the American dream in the 1920s.

If you have been asked to write an essay on this classic novel, you might be a little nervous trying to figure out what you should include. However, don’t worry! This guide will walk you through the process of writing an excellent Gatsby essay and provide 20 The Great Gatsby essay topic ideas.

Essay Writing Essentials

Before you can write an essay on The Great Gatsby, you need to understand the basics of essay writing. This includes developing a clear thesis, supporting your claims with evidence from the book, and crafting a solid conclusion.

Writing a Thesis

A thesis statement details the overall point or argument you intend to make in the essay. Therefore, a thesis statement must be clear, specific, and arguable. A thesis statement will be best placed at the end of your first paragraph or as a way to wrap up your introduction if it is multiple paragraphs.

Some examples of well-written thesis statements for a The Great Gatsby include:

“While The Great Gatsby appears to be a novel about love, in reality, it is a scathing critique of the American dream.”

“Though Jay Gatsby is wealthy and well-liked, he is ultimately a tragic figure because he cannot escape his past.”

“The relationships in The Great Gatsby are all ultimately doomed because the characters are not honest with each other or themselves.”

Developing Supporting Claims for the Body

To support your thesis statement, you will need to include evidence from the novel in the form of quotes and analysis. It is vital that you choose passages that directly relate to your thesis and that you explain how these quotes support your argument.

One way to find quotes that support your thesis is to look for passages that seem particularly significant or interesting to you. Then, once you have a few potential quotes in mind, try to come up with a sentence or two explaining how the quote supports your argument. This will help you determine if the quote is actually relevant to your essay or if you need to keep looking.

It can also be helpful to go back to your list of potential thesis statements and look for quotes that could support each one. This way, you can get a sense of which quotes will be most beneficial for your essay before writing.

Crafting a Strong Conclusion

Your conclusion should briefly summarize the main points of your essay and reiterate your thesis statement. You might also want to leave the reader with something to think about or a call to action if you feel strongly about the issue you have been discussing.

A strong conclusion might look something like this:

“Though Gatsby’s pursuit of the American dream is ultimately fruitless, his efforts are nonetheless admirable. His willingness to fight for what he wants, even in the face of overwhelming odds, is something that we can all learn from.”

Citing and Formatting Essays About Books

In addition to using evidence from the novel to support your claims, you will also need to cite any sources you use in your essay. This includes any quotes or paraphrases from The Great Gatsby and any outside sources you might have used.

Citing Sources

When citing a quote from The Great Gatsby, you will need to include the page number in parentheses after the quote. For example:

“Daisy’s voice was sad ‘I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'” (10).

If you are paraphrasing or summarizing a passage from The Great Gatsby, you will just need to include the page number in parentheses after the paraphrase. For example:

Gatsby’s wealth is often seen as a symbol of his success, but it is also clear that money cannot buy happiness. (21)

If you cite an outside source, you will need to include both the author’s name and the page number (or, for sources that don’t use page numbers, the section or chapter number) in parentheses after the quote. For example:

“The Great Gatsby is widely regarded as a masterpiece of American fiction” (Baldwin 3).

Formatting an Essay About a Book

When formatting your essay, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind. First, all mentions of the book’s title need to be italicized or underlined. Second, your essay should have one-inch margins on all sides.

Your essay should also have a title page that includes the title of your essay, your name, and the name of your class. If you are writing a longer essay (5 or more pages), you may need to also include a header on each page. It’s best to speak with your instructor to clarify any specific formatting requirements for the assignment.

Now that you know how to write an essay on The Great Gatsby, you can start brainstorming potential topics for your paper. If you are having trouble, consider using or adapting one of the following topics.

How does Gatsby’s wealth (or lack thereof) impact his relationships?
How does Gatsby’s pursuit of the American dream ultimately fail?
What role do women play in The Great Gatsby?
How are the parties that Gatsby throws symbolic of his own emptiness?
How does Fitzgerald use symbolism to comment on the state of the American dream?
What role does fate play in The Great Gatsby?
Is Gatsby a tragic hero? If so, why?
How is The Great Gatsby an example of the “Lost Generation”?
What role does the past play in The Great Gatsby?
How do the relationships between men and women change throughout the novel?
How is The Great Gatsby a commentary on the class divisions in American society?
What role does morality play in The Great Gatsby?
How do the characters in The Great Gatsby represent different aspects of the American dream?
What role does money play in The Great Gatsby?
Is Gatsby a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
How is Nick Carraway’s role as narrator important to the novel?
How does Fitzgerald use setting to comment on the characters and events in The Great Gatsby?
What role do secrets play in The Great Gatsby?
How is The Great Gatsby a commentary on the corruption of the American dream?
What theme(s) are explored in The Great Gatsby?

These topics should provide any student assigned an essay on The Great Gatsby with plenty to write about. If you need further help, consider using or adapting one of these topics for your own paper.

100 Example Essay Topics
130 Immigration Essay topics
130 Causal Analysis Essay Topics
125 Reflective Essay Topics
140 Definition Essay Topics

Undergraduate	Studying for 1st degree
Master	Studying for Master’s degree
PhD	Pursuing Doctoral degree

Testimonials

The Great Gatsby

By f. scott fitzgerald, the great gatsby essay questions.

Analyze Fitzgerald'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." How does Fitzgerald use religious imagery in this section of the novel?

What does the green light symbolize to Gatsby? To Nick?

How does Fitzgerald juxtapose the different regions of America? Does he write more positively about the East or the Midwest?

What is the distinction between East and West Egg? How does one bridge the gap between the two?

In what ways are Wilson and Gatsby similar? Disimilar? Who is Nick more sympathetic to?

How does Fitzgerald treat New York City? What is permissable in the urban space that is taboo on the Eggs?

Is Tom most responsible for Gatsby's death? Daisy? Myrtle? Gatsby himself? Give reasons why or why not each character is implicated in the murder.

GradeSaver will pay $15 for your literature essays

The Great Gatsby Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Great Gatsby is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

describe daisy and gatsby's new relationship

There are two points at which Daisy and Gatsby's relationship could be considered "new". First, it seems that their "new" relationship occurs as Tom has become enlightened about their affair. It seems as if they are happy...

Describe Daisy and Gatsby new relationship?

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-great-gatsby/q-and-a/describe-daisy-and-gatsbys-new-relationship-70077/

What are some quotes in chapter 1 of the great gatsby that show the theme of violence?

I don't recall any violence in in chapter 1.

Study Guide for The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is typically considered F. Scott Fitzgerald's greatest novel. The Great Gatsby study guide contains a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby Summary
The Great Gatsby Video
Character List

Essays for The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Foreshadowing Destiny
The Eulogy of a Dream
Materialism Portrayed By Cars in The Great Gatsby
Role of Narration in The Great Gatsby
A Great American Dream

Lesson Plan for The Great Gatsby

About the Author
Study Objectives
Common Core Standards
Introduction to The Great Gatsby
Relationship to Other Books
Bringing in Technology
Notes to the Teacher
Related Links
The Great Gatsby Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Great Gatsby

Introduction
Historical and biographical context
Plot summary
Major characters
Writing and production

100+ Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Table of Contents

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics: Dive Deep into Fitzgerald’s World

When F. Scott Fitzgerald penned “The Great Gatsby,” he probably didn’t foresee the cultural phenomenon it would become. It’s not just a story about the Roaring Twenties, but a timeless exploration of ambition, love, societal pressures, and the ever-elusive American Dream. As students and literature enthusiasts, analyzing this classic novel can lead to intriguing insights.

What is a Great Gatsby Essay?

A “Great Gatsby” essay is an analytical or argumentative piece that delves into the themes, characters, symbols, and narrative techniques in Fitzgerald’s novel. From the opulent parties at Gatsby’s mansion to the faded eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg on a billboard, the novel offers a plethora of subjects ripe for exploration.

Guide to Choosing a Great Gatsby Essay Topic

When it comes to picking the perfect topic for your “Great Gatsby” essay, think about what fascinates you the most about the novel. Is it a particular character’s arc, a recurring symbol, or a central theme? Consider:

Your Passion : Choose a topic that genuinely intrigues you. This will make your writing process more enjoyable.
Relevance : If your essay has specific guidelines, make sure your topic aligns with them.
Scope : Ensure your topic is neither too broad nor too narrow. It should allow for a deep dive without overwhelming.

Great Gatsby Essay Topics Lists

Character analysis.

The evolution of Jay Gatsby: From James Gatz to the Golden Boy
Daisy Buchanan: A symbol of the American Dream or its victim?
The duality of Tom Buchanan: Aristocratic charm and brutish behavior
Jordan Baker: The modern woman of the 1920s
The tragic trajectory of George and Myrtle Wilson

Themes Explored

The decay of the American Dream
The superficiality of the Jazz Age
The role of wealth and class
The portrayal of love and obsession
Morality and corruption in the Roaring Twenties

Symbols and Motifs

The green light: Hope, dreams, and unattainable desires
The Valley of Ashes: Decay, despair, and the downtrodden
Dr. T. J. Eckleburg’s eyes: The omnipresent moral judgment
Cars in the novel: Symbols of status, freedom, and impending doom
East vs. West: The inherent tension and their symbolic meanings

Narrative Techniques

The reliability of Nick Carraway as a narrator
Fitzgerald’s use of color symbolism
The role of setting in character development
The significance of the title: Who is the “Great” Gatsby?
The structure of the novel and its impact on the narrative

Character Insights

The metamorphosis of James Gatz to Jay Gatsby: A self-made illusion
The allure and tragedy of Daisy Buchanan
Tom Buchanan: The embodiment of 1920s excess and entitlement
The enigmatic charm of Jordan Baker
George Wilson: A product of societal neglect
Myrtle Wilson’s desperate grasp for a luxurious life
Meyer Wolfsheim and the underworld of the Jazz Age
The subtle influences of Catherine, Myrtle’s sister

Exploring Central Themes

The ephemeral nature of the American Dream
Love versus obsession: Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy
Moral decay in the heart of the Jazz Age
The consequences of unchecked ambition
Illusion vs. reality: The facades characters maintain
The societal clash: Old Money vs. New Money
The isolation and loneliness lurking beneath the parties

Symbols and Their Interpretations

The elusive green light and its manifold meanings
The Valley of Ashes: The grim face of industrialization
The haunting eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg
The significance of Gatsby’s lavish parties
The role of automobiles: Symbols of modernity and death
The shirts and materialism: Daisy’s emotional collapse

Narrative Techniques & Structure

Assessing Nick Carraway’s reliability as a narrator
Fitzgerald’s prose: A blend of poetic and prosaic
The non-linear timeline and its effects on suspense
The role of weather and its influence on the narrative mood
Foreshadowing in the novel: Predicting Gatsby’s downfall

Comparative Analyses

“The Great Gatsby” and the plays of Tennessee Williams: A study in Southern Gothic
Comparing Daisy Buchanan and Blanche DuBois
The Jazz Age in “The Great Gatsby” vs. “This Side of Paradise”
Comparing the tragedies of Jay Gatsby and Oedipus Rex
The portrayal of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby” vs. “Death of a Salesman”

Societal Implications

The role of women in “The Great Gatsby”: Traditionalism vs. Modernism
Racism and xenophobia: The dark undertones of the Jazz Age
The impact of Prohibition on the characters and plot
Jazz music and its influence on the Roaring Twenties ethos
The disillusionment of World War I veterans: Gatsby’s hidden scars

Miscellaneous Topics

The significance of the Midwest vs. the East Coast
The influence of Gatsby’s father and his cameo in the novel
Analyzing the epigraph: Why “Then wear the gold hat”?
The role of minor characters in building Gatsby’s world
The cultural legacy of “The Great Gatsby” in modern media

Unraveling Relationships

Gatsby and Nick: A friendship built on admiration and intrigue
The love triangle: Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom
The tragic love affair of George and Myrtle Wilson
Tom and Myrtle: Lust, power, and socioeconomic dynamics
The nuanced relationship between Nick and Jordan

Behind the Illusions

The significance of Gatsby’s Oxford photograph and medal
The root of Gatsby’s wealth: Ill-gotten gains and their implications
The role of gossip and rumors in shaping perceptions
The real reason behind Gatsby’s infatuation with Daisy
The illusion of East Egg’s sophistication and its moral bankruptcy

Contextual Analysis

The influence of the Lost Generation on Fitzgerald’s narrative
The impact of the stock market and economic dynamics on the story’s backdrop
Jazz, flappers, and the cultural shifts of the 1920s
The role of organized crime and its influence on the novel’s events
The societal implications of prohibition in the Roaring Twenties

Deeper Dive into Symbols

The significance of the color yellow in the novel
Gatsby’s mansion as a symbol of his ambitions and insecurities
The motif of water and barriers in Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship
The broken clock during Gatsby’s reunion with Daisy
The juxtaposition of fire and water in the novel’s climax

Literary Legacy

The influence of “The Great Gatsby” on modern American literature
Adapting “The Great Gatsby”: Comparing the novel to its film adaptations
“The Great Gatsby” in popular culture: References, homages, and parodies
The continued relevance of “The Great Gatsby” in the 21st century
How “The Great Gatsby” reflects the cyclical nature of societal excess and downfall

Call to Action

Feeling overwhelmed? Our essay writing service at writeondeadline.com is here to help! Whether you need assistance in topic selection, research, or the entire essay, our team of experts can craft the perfect piece tailored to your needs.

Useful References:

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald – Read the full novel for free on Project Gutenberg.
F. Scott Fitzgerald and the American Dream – A deep dive into the author’s perspective on the American Dream.
The Roaring Twenties and The Great Gatsby – Understand the historical context of the novel.

The Great Gatsby Essay TDA Writing Prompts, Grading Rubrics, & Prewriting Tasks

Description.

In this resource, students will conduct a literary analysis of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and write a TDA Essay using textual evidence to support their responses.

There are TWO writing options students can choose from for this Response to Literature/TDA essay.

Included in this product you will get one copy of the following each as PDFs (ready to print) as well as one copy of the following each as WORD Documents (as to be editable for teachers ).

Essay Prompts for two different topics on the novel The Great Gatsby
Two Prewriting Graphic Organizers for students to brainstorm ideas, thesis, examples, and textual evidence
TDA Essay Rubric broken down into categories: content, focus, organization, style, conventions, and format

149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Let’s travel to the roaring 1920s with our collection of The Great Gatsby essay prompts! F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, set amidst the luxury and decadence of the Jazz Age, thrills readers with its exploration of love, wealth, and the elusive pursuit of the American Dream. In the Great Gatsby essay topics below, you will find titles about the complex characters and their entwined destinies.

🪩 7 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

📝 best the great gatsby essay prompts, 🎓 interesting the great gatsby research paper topics, 👍 great gatsby essay & thesis ideas, 💡 simple the great gatsby essay topics, 📌 more the great gatsby essay prompts, ❓ the great gatsby essay titles – bonus.

The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby: Book Review
Old and New Money in The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby Themes
How Money and Wealth Depicted in the Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby”
Benjamin Franklin vs. Jay Gatsby: Character Comparison
Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan: Character Comparison
Gender in The Great Gatsby & The Yellow Wallpaper The complexities of men and women in the texts were examined and evaluated on the basis of sexuality and relationship and the inferences would be supported by the text itself.
Examples of Racism in The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan’s racism reflects the ideas and situation in the country in the 1920s when the fight for white supremacy could still be observed.
Green Light in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby of F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for its symbolism which is very mysterious and intricate as a lot of details.
The Great Gatsby: Gatsby and the Decline of the American Dream This paper will research the decline of Gatsby’s American dream by summarizing the novel, defining the discussed notion, and providing several supporting examples from the story.
The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby: Comprare & Contrast ‘The Great Gatsby’ by S.Fitzgerald and ‘The Sun also Rises’ by E.Hemingway touched the themes of human challenges, racism and isolation under the impact of war events.
The Deception of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald’s magnum opus The Great Gatsby raises an important question about the legitimacy of the American Dream. The novel centers on Jay Gatsby, a millionaire who came from humble beginnings and spends his time trying to reunite with his former lover, Daisy. Gatsby’s warped perception of success makes him see…
Symbolism in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby there are several symbols but the most powerful appears to be the eyes that overlook the valley from a bill board.
The Great Gatsby as a Reflection of American Culture The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, was the forerunner of an entire literary dynasty of rich personalities with a mysterious past.
Love in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” The main characters of both modern and traditional works, “Pride and Prejudice” and “The Great Gatsby,” openly say that a human cannot hide her feelings.
Scott Fitzgerald “The Great Gatsby”: Literary Devices In the book Fitzgerald applies literary techniques such as dramatic irony, allegory, exposition, personification, and foreshadowing to accord the story a smart finishing.
“The Great Gatsby” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”: Examination of Material Wealth The paper examines Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” focusing on the theme of materialistic wealth and its impacts on human life.
Relationships in Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun vs. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” are two novels that explore the complexities of human relationships in different contexts.
Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” as a Deconstruction of the American Dream One way in which the movie deconstructs the idea of the American Dream is by showing that prosperity does not necessarily come in hand with virtue.
Analysis of The Great Gatsby (2013) This work highlights the possible readings of the film The Great Gatsby according to rhetoric, semiotics, the gaze, and queer theory.
Ethics in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald In The Great Gatsby, many of the characters have questionable ethics. The story, written by Scott Fitzgerald, reflects a society where moral decadence thrives
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald “The Great Gatsby” is a recognized classic of American literature with the characteristic idea of that era – a dream that transforms into a tragedy eventually.
Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age Perception in “The Great Gatsby” The purpose of this paper is to analyze the features used by Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby in terms of its contribution to the reader’s impression and the work’s status.
Imagery in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Fitzgerald The principle imagery of the novel lies in its locations. There are three key locations, which signify different social classes of the American society at the time.
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Beliefs and Values This paper uses “The Great Gatsby” book to describe the major events and experiences that influenced Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s beliefs and values.
The Great Gatsby: How Money and Class Create and Destroy Relationships Money and class always played a huge role in the life of any society. Since ancient times, people have been marrying for money: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Nick Carraway in “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald In contrast to other characters in The Great Gatsby, Nick goes through a number of changes from the beginning to the end of the novel.
The Film “The Great Gatsby” and the American Dream The film “The Great Gatsby” is just one example, which leaves hope for people that the American Dream in any of its interpretations is attainable for the majority today.
Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” Book Review The central thesis of the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is that American society in the Roaring Twenties is disillusionment and moral decay.
“The Great Gatsby”: What Makes Daisy So Attractive?
Nick and His Experiences of Materialism in “The Great Gatsby”
The Confrontational Relationship Between Tom and Gatsby in F Scott Fitzgerald’s, “The Great Gatsby”
How Women Are Portrayed in “The Great Gatsby”
What Techniques Does Fitzgerald Use to Convey the Main Themes in “The Great Gatsby”
Contrasting Western Morals and Eastern Corruption in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
“Love Conquers All: Analyzing Romance and Relationships Within “The Great Gatsby”
“The Great Gatsby”: Morals and American Idealism
Fitzgerald’s Personal Background Paralleled With the Character in “The Great Gatsby”
What Makes One Great? “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
How the Lost Generation Is Represented in “The Great Gatsby”
The Careless Gaiety and Moral Decadence of the Rich in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
Jay Gatsby´S American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
The American Dream Turned Nightmare in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Greed, Lust and the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ambition and Its Negative Effects: “The Great Gatsby” and Macbeth
The Deconstruction Post Modern Criticism of “The Great Gatsby”
Morals and American Idealism in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Gatsby’s Unrealistic American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
American Culture During “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The East Egg and the Corruption of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Superficial Love and Realistic Love in “The Great Gatsby” by F Scott Fitz
Owl Eyes in “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald This paper discusses and examines the significance of the minor character Owl Eyes in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby”.
Infidelity in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” The Great Gatsby is the story of materialism, its pursuit, symbolism on those who possess it at different stages of life, and how the majority may decline morally in its lure.
The Great Gatsby: Illusions in Human Existence The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is often analyzed from the point of view of opposing dreams and reality, the spiritual and material world.
The Role of Love and Women in Great Gatsby and the Sun Also Rises Love is inextricably linked to women in both Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” and Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” so much so that a serious discussion of one cannot be complete without the other.
American Dream in Fitzgeralds’s “The Great Gatsby” Among the many concepts explored in Fitzgeralds’s The Great Gatsby, American Dream is one of the most notable ones.
Money & Wealth in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby, Jay wants to win back the only girl he ever felt he loved. It’s hard to blame Gatsby for attempting to win Daisy by impressing her with his material wealth.
Masculinity in The Great Gatsby and The Breakfast Club The paper demonstrates how the American culture depicts masculinity as reflected in media (movies) and American literature in the course readings.
The Great Gatsby: American Dream Concept The movie, The Great Gatsby, satirizes American Dream by showing that it is an illusion that cannot be attained: wealth is not always a product of hard work.
Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby The novel Great Gatsby depicts the unique vision of the American dream and its impact on the life of a person during the 1920s.
In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay The settings of both stories help us understand the canvasses upon which the authors paint their pictures and contextualizes the actions of stories’ characters.
Money and Wealth in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” The paper discusses what money means for Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway and how this theme is essential for developing topics like the American dream and love.
The Novel “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald This paper attempts to trace the peculiarities of the protagonist of the novel “The Great Gatsby” and argues that Fitzgerald has transferred some of his own peculiarities to him.
Failure of American Dream: “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald Review Despite the seeming glamor and wealth, the character of Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald is deeply and inherently tragic.
Jay Gatsby by F. S. Fitzgerald and the American Dream The American Dream means the individual’s striving for success, material well-being, and other kinds of achievement, implying an ascent to recognition, wealth, and fame
The American Dream Discussion Based on the Film “The Great Gatsby” In “The Great Gatsby”, Franklin’s assertion the American Dream is available to all people is incorrect – Gatsby achieved wealth by fraud, but it didn’t fulfill his American dream.
The American Dream: Jay Gatsby’s Illegal Wealth The American Dream is a happy way of living believed in the US that anyone has a chance for success and can also rise to a higher social or economic position by working hard.
Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” Book and Movie Comparison “The Great Gatsby” can be called a faithful interpretation, however, it still has some personal analysis of the director.
“The Great Gatsby”: The American Dream Is Not Feasible for All “The Great Gatsby” declares that the American Dream is not feasible for all because neither virtuous character nor hard work leads to prosperity, and hope remains unrewarded.
“The Great Gatsby” Is the Best Fitzgerald’s Novel “The Great Gatsby” is practically the most successful book of Francis Scott Fitzgerald as it has been translated into many languages.
“The Great Gatsby” by F.S. Fitzgerald Hero Review Nick Carraway by “The Great Gatsby” by F.S. Fitzgerald is the novel’s narrator and protagonist who undergoes considerable personal change.
The Great Gatsby: A Book Review and Summary The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is highly evaluated among literary critics and perceived to be one of the most prominent novels ever written.
Pursuit of Daisy Buchanan in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” “The Great Gatsby” is a novel by F. S. Fitzgerald. The purpose of this essay is to examine whether Gatsby should have sought Daisy and the reasons why this pursuit was justified.
The Great Gatsby: Chapters’ Review Chapter 1: Nick Carraway decides to move from Minnesota to New York. He starts his story by mentioning that his father told him not to judge others.
Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”: Gatsby’s Impossible Dream In The Great Gatsby, the story concerns a mysterious character named Jay Gatsby. He is exceptionally wealthy, hosting parties at his manor attended by many people.
Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway: Character Analysis This paper compares and contrasts two characters from “The Great Gatsby”, which are Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, who represent the novel’s protagonist and narrator respectively
The Great Gatsby: Analysis The main character Jay Gatsby returns after the overpast of World War I. As we see, he is a respectable veteran being newly wealthy. He settles in “West Egg”.
Society in The Great Gatsby The novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a bitter satire to the American dream, which according to the ideas of the majority implies the heap of the happiness.
Jazz Age in “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzerald The topic of changes in the American society in 1920s, in the book “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzerald, and the change of the concept of the American Dream.
“The Great Gatsby” a Novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald The novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set up in the 1920’s, an era during which new liberties were being discovered in fashion.
Difference Between Illusion and Reality in “The Great Gatsby”
“The Great Gatsby” Through the Lens of Feminist Criticism
How Money Widens the Gap of Loneliness in “The Great Gatsby”
What Part Does Social Class Play in “The Great Gatsby”?
Broken Dreams and Fallen Themes: The Corruption of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
Dreams the Main Theme in “The Great Gatsby”
Connection Between Saint Hedwig of Silesia and “The Great Gatsby”
Imagination and Its Effects on the World of “The Great Gatsby”
Love Lust and Obsession in “The Great Gatsby”
Beauty and Foolishness: The Role of Pammy Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby”
Discover the Hidden Reality in “The Great Gatsby”
Equating Money and Prosperity to the Power of Love in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
What Going From West to East Meant for the Characters in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
America and the Decay of Morality: “The Great Gatsby” and “The Sun Also Rises”
How Does the Author Use Theme, Setting, and Character to Instil in the Reader a Desire to Read on “The Great Gatsby”?
Why Has “The Great Gatsby” Been Hailed as the Ultimate Testament to the Glamorous Side of the Jazz Era?
“The Great Gatsby” Displaying the Corruption of the American
“The Great Gatsby”: Fitzgerald Tying Is Life to the Book
Pure Happiness and Self-Satisfaction in the Pursuit of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Great Gatsby”: Evidence of Insecurity and Ambiguity That Question Nick Carraway’s Heterosexuality
Ambition and the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
Existentialism, Jungian Analysis, and Marxist Criticism in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Great Gatsby”, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Grapes
Man’s Dreams for Elite Social Class in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
Similarities Between “The Great Gatsby” and Julius Caesar
Lying and Its Consequences in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Emotion Over Reason: Frankenstein and “The Great Gatsby”
Dreaming Can Bring Misery in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitgerald
The Thin Line Between Dreams and Reality in “The Great Gatsby”
Beneath the Surface Glitter, ‘“The Great Gatsby”’ Is a Profoundly Pessimistic Novel
“The Great Gatsby”: Wealth Allows People to Be Careless and Dangerous
Women’s Intentions Towards Men in “The Great Gatsby” by Francis Scott Fitzgerald
Breathing Dreams Like Air in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
East and West Egg in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Overview How Fitzgerald Presents Marriage as a Dysfunctional
Affairs, Wealth, and Murder in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
American Dream and Materialism in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
How Does Great Gatsby’s Morality Apply to Modern Society?
Achieving Hopes and Dreams in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Idealized Love Hope and Mortality in “The Great Gatsby”
Death and the Relief of “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Analysis and Literary Interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
Greed for Success and Wealth in “The Great Gatsby”
How Is the American Dream Corrupted in “The Great Gatsby”?
What Characters in “The Great Gatsby” Represent the American Dream?
How Did the Author Elicit Sympathy for the Character of Great Gatsby?
What Are the Major Themes in “The Great Gatsby”?
Does Money Buy Happiness in “The Great Gatsby”?
Who Is the Most Tragic Character in “The Great Gatsby”?
How Is Illusion Mistaken for Reality in “The Great Gatsby”?
Is “The Great Gatsby” Movie Accurate to the Book?
Does Money Cause Problems in “The Great Gatsby”?
How Is Happiness Portrayed in “The Great Gatsby”?
What Is the Main Message of “The Great Gatsby”?
Should “The Great Gatsby” Still Be Read in Schools?
How Does Money Affect the Characters in “The Great Gatsby”?
What Makes Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” a Timeless Classic?
How Is Violence Shown in “The Great Gatsby”?
Does the Novel “The Great Gatsby” Relate to Modern-Day Society?
How Has Fitzgerald Presented the Character of Daisy in “The Great Gatsby”?
What Does Great Gatsby Say About Society?
How Does “The Great Gatsby” Show That Money Can’t Buy Love?
Why Does “The Great Gatsby” Criticize Society?
How Is Social Class Presented in “The Great Gatsby”?
What’s the Difference Between “The Great Gatsby” Movie and Book?
How Does Fitzgerald Portray Class at the Start of “The Great Gatsby”?
What Is Fitzgerald Ultimately Trying to Say About Money and Materialism in “The Great Gatsby”?
Why Is Gatsby Known as Great?

Cite this post

Chicago (N-B)
Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2021, November 12). 149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/the-great-gatsby-essay-topics/

"149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics." StudyCorgi , 12 Nov. 2021, studycorgi.com/ideas/the-great-gatsby-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . (2021) '149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics'. 12 November.

1. StudyCorgi . "149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics." November 12, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/the-great-gatsby-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics." November 12, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/the-great-gatsby-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics." November 12, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/the-great-gatsby-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on The Great Gatsby were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on June 24, 2024 .

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, most important themes in great gatsby, analyzed.

Book Guides

Need to write about a theme for a Great Gatsby assignment or just curious about what exactly a theme is? Not sure where to start? Learn here what a theme is, what the main themes in The Great Gatsby are, and what the best tips for writing about themes for your English/Language Arts class essays are.

We will also link to our specific articles on each theme so you can learn even more in-depth about themes central to Gatsby .

What Is a Theme? Why Should You Care?

First things first: what exactly is a theme? In literature, a theme is a central topic a book deals with. This central topic is revealed through plot events, the actions and dialogue of the characters, and even the narrator's tone. Themes can be very broad, like love, money, or death, or more specific, like people versus technology, racial discrimination, or the American Dream.

In short, a book's theme can usually answer the question, "what's the point of this book?". They're the "so what?" of literary analysis. Also, note that books can definitely have more than one major theme —in Gatsby we identify seven!

Knowing a book's major theme(s) is crucial to writing essays, since many assignments want you to connect your argument to a book's theme. For example, you might be asked to write an essay about a prompt like this: "How does the life of Jay Gatsby exemplify (or deconstruct) the idea of the American Dream?" This prompt has you connect specific details in Jay Gatsby's life to the larger theme of the American Dream. This is why many teachers love theme essays: because they encourage you to connect small details to big ideas!

Furthermore, the AP English Literature test always has an essay question that has you analyze some aspect of a book and then "compare it to the theme of the work as a whole." (If you want specific examples you can access the last 15 years of AP English Literature free response questions here , using your College Board account.) So this skill won't just help you in your English classes, it will also help you pass the AP English Literature test if you're taking it!

So keep reading to learn about the major themes in Gatsby and how they are revealed in the book, and also to get links to our in-depth articles about each theme.

Overview of Key Themes in The Great Gatsby

Before we introduce our seven main themes, we'll briefly describe how the story and characters suggest the major Great Gatsby themes. Remember that the story is set in the 1920s, a period when America's economy was booming, and takes place in New York: specifically the wealthy Long Island towns of West Egg and East Egg, as well as Manhattan and Queens.

As you should know from the book ( check out our summary if you're still hazy on the details!), The Great Gatsby tells the story of James Gatz , a poor farm boy who manages to reinvent himself as the fabulously rich Jay Gatsby, only to be killed after an attempt to win over his old love Daisy Buchanan . Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan , and they're both from old money, causing them to look down Gatsby's newly rich crowd (and for Tom to look down at Gatsby himself).

Meanwhile, Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson , the wife of mechanic George Wilson . Through the Wilsons, we see the struggles of the working class in dismal Queens , NY. As if they didn't already have it hard enough, Myrtle is killed in a hit-and-run accident (caused by Daisy Buchanan), and George, who's manipulated by Tom to believe that Jay Gatsby was both his wife's lover and her murderer, ends up shooting Gatsby and then himself.

The whole story is told by Nick Carraway , a second cousin of Daisy's and classmate of Tom's who moves in next to Gatsby's mansion and eventually befriends Jay -- and then comes to deeply admire him, despite or perhaps because of Jay's fervent desire to repeat his past with Daisy. The tragic chain of events at the novel's climax, along with the fact that both the Buchanans can easily retreat from the damage they caused, causes Nick to become disillusioned with life in New York and retreat back to his hometown in the Midwest.

Aside from having a very unhappy ending, the novel might just ruin swimming pools for you as well.

The fact that the major characters come from three distinct class backgrounds (working class, newly rich, and old money) suggests that class is a major theme. But the rampant materialism and the sheer amount of money spent by Gatsby himself is a huge issue and its own theme. Related to money and class, the fact that both Gatsby and the Wilsons strive to improve their positions in American society, only to end up dead, also suggests that the American Dream -- and specifically its hollowness -- is a key theme in the book as well.

But there are other themes at play here, too. Every major character is involved in at least one romantic relationship , revealing that they are all driven by love, sex, and desire -- a major theme. Also, the rampant bad behavior (crime, cheating, and finally murder) and lack of real justice makes ethics and morality a key theme. Death also looms large over the novel's plot, alongside the threat of failure.

And finally, a strong undercurrent to all of these themes is identity itself: can James Gatz really become Jay Gatsby, or was he doomed from the start? Can someone who is not from old money ever blend in with that crowd? Could Gatsby really aspire to repeat his past with Daisy, or is that past self gone forever?

In short, just by looking at the novel's plot, characters, and ending, we can already get a strong sense of Gatsby's major themes. Let's now look at each of those themes one by one (and be sure to check out the links to our full theme breakdowns!).

The 7 Major Great Gatsby Themes

Money and Materialism : Everyone in the novel is money-obsessed, whether they were born with money (Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick to a lesser extent), whether they made a fortune (Gatsby), or whether they're eager for more (Myrtle and George). So why are the characters so materialistic? How does their materialism affect their choices? Get a guide to each of the characters' material motivations and how they shape the novel.

Society and Class: Building on the money and materialism theme, the novel draws clear distinctions between the kind of money you have: old money (inherited) or new money (earned). And there is also a clear difference between the lifestyles of the wealthy, who live on Long Island and commute freely to Manhattan, and the working class people stuck in between, mired in Queens. By the end of the novel, our main characters who are not old money (Gatsby, Myrtle, and George) are all dead, while the inherited-money club is still alive. What does this say about class in Gatsby? Why is their society so rigidly classist? Learn more about the various social classes in Gatsby and how they affect the novel's outcome.

The American Dream : The American Dream is the idea anyone can make it in America (e.g. gain fame, fortune, and success) through enough hard work and determination. So is Jay Gatsby an example of the dream? Or does his involvement in crime suggest the Dream isn't actually real? And where does this leave the Wilsons, who are also eager to improve their lot in life but don't make it out of the novel alive? Finally, do the closing pages of the novel endorse the American Dream or write it off as a fantasy? Learn what the American Dream is and how the novel sometimes believes in it, and sometimes sees it as a reckless fantasy.

Love, Desire, and Relationships : All of the major characters are driven by love, desire, or both, but only Tom and Daisy's marriage lasts out of the novel's five major relationships and affairs. So is love an inherently unstable force? Or do the characters just experience it in the wrong way? Get an in-depth guide to each of Gatsby's major relationships.

Death and Failure: Nick narrates Gatsby two years after the events in question, and since he's obviously aware of the tragedy awaiting not only Gatsby but Myrtle and George as well, the novel has a sad, reflective, even mournful tone. Is the novel saying that ambition is inherently dangerous (especially in a classist society like 1920s America), or is it more concerned with the danger of Gatsby's intense desire to reclaim the past? Explore those questions here.

Morality and Ethics: The novel is full of bad behavior: lying, cheating, physical abuse, crime, and finally murder. Yet none of the characters ever answer to the law, and God is only mentioned as an exclamation, or briefly projected onto an advertisement . Does the novel push for the need to fix this lack of morality, or does it accept it as the normal state of affairs in the "wild, wild East"?

The Mutability of Identity: Mutability just means "subject to change," so this theme is about how changeable (or not!) personal identity is. Do people really change? Or are our past selves always with us? And how would this shape our desire to reclaim parts of our past? Gatsby wants to have it both ways: to change himself from James Gatz into the sophisticated, wealthy Jay Gatsby, but also to preserve his past with Daisy. Does he fail because it's impossible to change? Because it's impossible to repeat the past? Or both?

How to Write About The Great Gatsby Themes

So now that you know about the major themes of The Great Gatsby , how can you go about writing about them? First up: look closely at your prompt.

Sometimes an essay prompt will come right out and ask you to write about a theme , for example "is The American Dream in Gatsby alive or dead?" or "Write about the relationships in Gatsby. What is the novel saying about the nature of love and desire?" For those essays, you will obviously be writing about one of the novel's major themes. But even though those prompts have big-picture questions, make sure to find small supporting details to help make your argument.

For example, if you're discussing the American Dream and arguing it's dead in the novel, don't just make that claim and be done with it. Instead, you can explore Gatsby's past as James Gatz, George Wilson's exhausted complacency, and Myrtle's treatment at the hands of Tom as examples of how the American Dream is treated in the novel. Obviously those examples are far from exhaustive, but hopefully you get the idea: find smaller details to support the larger argument.

On the other hand, many essay prompts about Gatsby will look like a question about something specific, like a character or symbol:

Explore Tom and Daisy as people who 'retreat into their money.'
What does the green light at the end of Daisy's dock represent? How does its meaning change throughout the novel?
Show how Fitzgerald uses clothing (and the changing of costumes) to tell the reader more about the characters and/or express theme(s).

These prompts are actually a chance for you to take that detailed analysis and connect it to one of the larger themes—in other words, even though the prompt doesn't state it explicitly, you should still be connecting those more focused topics to one of the big-picture themes.

For example, if you talk about Tom and Daisy Buchanan, you will definitely end up talking about society and class. If you talk about the green light, you will end up talking about dreams and goals, specifically the American Dream. And if you discuss clothing to talk about the characters, you will definitely touch on money and materialism, as well as society and class (like how Gatsby's pink suit makes him stand out as new money to Tom Buchanan, or how Myrtle adopts a different dress to play at being wealthy and sophisticated).

In short, for these more specific prompts, you start from the ground (small details and observations) and build up to discussing the larger themes, even if the prompt doesn't say to do so explicitly!

What's Next?

Now you're an expert on themes, but what about symbols? If you need to write about the important symbols in The Great Gatsby, check out our symbols overview for a complete guide.

Want a full analysis of Jay Gatsby and his backstory? Not sure how his story connects with the American Dream? Get the details here .

Want to go back to square one? Get started with Chapter 1 of our Great Gatsby plot summary.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

'The Great Gatsby' Study Questions

Points for Discussing F. Scott Fitzgerald's Famous Jazz Age Novel

Study Guides
Authors & Texts
Top Picks Lists
Best Sellers
Plays & Drama
Shakespeare
Short Stories
Children's Books
M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento
B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento

" The Great Gatsby " is American author F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous novel. The story, a symbolic portrayal of the decline of the American Dream, is an accurate depiction of the Jazz Age that cemented Fitzgerald as a fixture in literary history. Fitzgerald is a master storyteller who layers his novels with themes and symbolism.

Study Questions

Here are some questions around which to build a lively discussion for your next book club meeting:

What is important about the title of "The Great Gatsby?"
Which adaptations of the novel have you seen? What did you think of them?
What are the conflicts in "The Great Gatsby"? What types of conflicts—physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional—figure in this novel? Are they resolved?
Why is Gatsby unable to put the past behind him? Why does he demand that Daisy renounce her former love for her husband?
What choice would you have made in Daisy's situation?
What role does Daisy play in Gatsby's downfall?
How is alcohol used in the novel?
Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from the perspective of Nick, a friend of Gatsby?
How does Fitzgerald reveal character in "The Great Gatsby?"
How is class depicted in the novel? What point is the author trying to make?
What are some themes and symbols in "The Great Gatsby?"
What does the green light represent?
Why does the author call our attention to the billboard advertising Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, an optometrist? What is the meaning of the vacant eyes that watch the characters?
Is Gatsby consistent in his actions? Why did he change his name? Do you ever find him fake or contrived? Is he a fully developed character?
Do you consider Gatsby to be a "self-made man"? Is he a good portrayal of achieving the American Dream?
Do you find the characters likable? Would you want to meet them?
Did the novel end the way you expected?
How essential is the setting? Could the story have taken place anywhere else or at any other time?
What do you think the lavish parties at Gatsby's mansion were meant to represent? What is the author trying to say about American culture?
What is the role of women in "The Great Gatsby?" Is love relevant? Are relationships meaningful?
What do you think about Daisy's assessment that women must be pretty but unintelligent if they want to be happy? What in her life led her to this conclusion?
Why is "The Great Gatsby" controversial ? Why has it been banned/challenged?
How does religion figure into the novel? How would the novel be different if religion or spirituality played a more prominent role in the text?
How does "The Great Gatsby" relate to current society? How well did it represent the Jazz Age (society and literature) at the time it was published? Is the novel still relevant?
Would you recommend "The Great Gatsby" to a friend?
'The Great Gatsby' Overview
What is the role of women in 'The Great Gatsby'?
The Great Gatsby and the Lost Generation
Why Was "The Great Gatsby" Banned?
'The Great Gatsby' Quotes Explained
'The Great Gatsby' Characters: Descriptions and Significance
Critical Overview of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
'The Great Gatsby' Themes
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Inspiration for 'The Great Gatsby'
What Movie Adaptations Were Made of 'The Great Gatsby'?
The Lost Generation and the Writers Who Described Their World
'The Great Gatsby' Plot Summary
The Life of Zelda Fitzgerald, the Other Fitzgerald Writer
'Invisible Man' Questions for Study and Discussion
'Things Fall Apart' Discussion Questions and Study Guide
Biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Writer of the Jazz Age

VCE Study Tips

English Language

Private Tutoring

Only one more step to getting your FREE text response mini-guide!

Simply fill in the form below, and the download will start straight away

English & EAL

The Great Gatsby

October 23, 2020

Want insider tips? Sign up here!

Go ahead and tilt your mobile the right way (portrait). the kool kids don't use landscape....

The Great Gatsby is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Introduction

Call it the greatest American novel or ultimate story of unrequited romance— The Great Gatsby is undoubtedly a stunning snapshot of one of the most American decades that America has ever seen. The 1920s saw significant economic growth after WWI, and what’s more American than material excess, wealth, and prosperity? The stock market was going off, businesses were booming, and people were having a great time.

Well, not everybody—and on the flipside, what’s more American than socio-economic inequality or the ever-quixotic American Dream?

In this blog, we’ll go through the novel in this context, examine some of its key themes, and also have a think about the critiques it raises about American society. We’ll also go through an essay prompt that ties some of these things together.

Life in the Roaring Twenties

This snapshot from the 2013 film adaptation actually tells us a lot about the 1920s. On the one hand, social and cultural norms were shifting—men no longer sported beards, and women were dressing more androgynously and provocatively. On the other hand, the modern, American economy was emerging—people began buying costly consumer goods (like cars, appliances, telephones etc.) using credit rather than cash. This meant that average American families were able to get these things for the first time, while more prosperous families were able to live in extreme excess.

In Fitzgerald’s novel, the Buchanans are one such family. Tom and his wife Daisy have belonged to the 1% for generations, and the 1920s saw them cement their wealth and status. At the same time, the booming economy meant that others (like the narrator Nick) were relocating to cities in pursuit of wealth, and (like Gatsby) making significant financial inroads themselves.

The Great Gatsby traces how the differences between these characters can be destructive even if they’re all wealthy. Add a drop of Gatsby’s unrequited love for Daisy, and you have a story that ultimately examines how far people go for romance, and what money simply can’t buy.

The answer to that isn’t so obvious though. Yes, money can’t buy love, but it also can’t buy a lot of other things associated with the lifestyle and the values of established wealth. We’ll get into some of this now.

Wealth and class

Fitzgerald explores tensions between three socio-economic classes—the establishment, the ‘nouveau riche’ and the working class.

Tom and Daisy belong to the ‘old money’ establishment, where wealth is generational and inherited . This means they were born into already wealthy families, which affects their upbringing and ultimately defines them, from the way they speak (Tom’s “paternal contempt” and Daisy’s voice, “full of money”) to their major life decisions (including marriage, symbolised through the “string of pearls” he buys for her—which, fun fact, is estimated to be worth millions of dollars today). It also affects their values, as we’ll see in the following section. For now, consider this image of their home (and those ponies on the left, which they also own), described as follows:

mage result for tom and daisy buchanan house

“The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for [400 metres], jumping over sun-dials and brick walls and burning gardens—finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run.”

Nick Carraway also comes from a similar (though not as extravagant) background—his family had been rich by Midwestern standards for “three generations” before he came to New York.

Conversely, Gatsby belongs to the ‘ nouveau riche ’, or new money. Unlike the Buchanans, Gatsby was born into a poor family, only coming to wealth in the 1920s boom. Specifically, he inherited money from Dan Cody after running away from home at 17.

Although they are all rich, there are significant cultural differences between old and new money. Old money have their own culture of feigned politeness which Gatsby doesn’t quite get. When Tom and the Sloanes invite Nick and Gatsby to supper in chapter six, Gatsby naively accepts, to which Tom would respond behind his back, “Doesn’t he know [Mrs. Sloane] doesn’t want him?” Even though Gatsby is financially their equal, his newfound wealth can’t buy his way into their (nasty, horrible) lifestyle.

Finally, this is contrasted with the working class, particularly George and Myrtle Wilson who we meet in chapter two. They live in a grey “valley of ashes”, the detritus of a prosperous society whose wealth is limited to the 1%. Fitzgerald even calls it a “solemn dumping ground”, suggesting that life is precarious and difficult here. Consider what separates George—“blond, spiritless… and faintly handsome”—from Tom (hint: $$).

Myrtle is described differently, however—she is a “faintly stout” woman with “perceptible vitality”. This may be less of a description of her and more of a commentary on Tom’s sexuality, and what attracts him to her such that he cheats on Daisy with her. Still, Myrtle’s relative poverty is evident in her expressions of desire throughout their meeting—“I want to get one of those dogs,” she says, and Tom just hands her the money.

Ultimately, looking at the novel through the lens of class, we see a society where upward social mobility and making a living for yourself is possible, just not for everybody. Even when you get rich, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll suddenly, seamlessly integrate into the lives of old money.

Morality and values

Added to this story of social stratification is a moral dimension, where Fitzgerald can be a little more critical.

Firstly, old money is portrayed as shallow . Daisy’s marriage to Tom and the Sloanes’ insincerity are elements of this, but another good example is Gatsby’s party guests. Many aren’t actually invited—they invite themselves, and “they came and went without having met Gatsby at all.” Their vacuous relationship to Gatsby is exposed when he dies, and they completely abandon him. Klipspringer, “the boarder”, basically lived in Gatsby’s house, and even then he still wouldn’t come to the funeral, only calling up to get a “pair of shoes” back.

The rich are also depicted as cruel and inconsiderate, insulated from repercussions by their wealth. Nick’s description of Tom’s “cruel body” is repeatedly realised, as he breaks Myrtle’s nose in chapter two and condescends Gatsby with “magnanimous scorn” in chapter seven. After Myrtle dies, Nick spots the Buchanans “conspiring” and describes them as “smash[ing] up things and creatures and then retreat[ing] back into their money or their vast carelessness”—he sees them as fundamentally selfish.

Gatsby is portrayed more sympathetically though, which may come from his humble upbringing and his desire to be liked. This is probably the key question of the novel—is he a hero, or a villain? The moral of the story, or a warning? Consumed by love, or corrupted by wealth?

I’m going to leave most of those for the next section, but I’ll finish here with one last snippet: Lucille, a guest at his parties, tears her dress and Gatsby immediately sends her a “new evening gown”. Weird flex, but at least he’s being selfless…

That said, a major part of Gatsby’s character is his dishonesty, which complicates his moral identity.

For starters, he fabricates a new identity and deals in shady business just to reignite his five-year-old romance with Daisy. We see this through the emergence of Meyer Wolfsheim, with whom he has unclear business “gonnegtions”, and the resultant wealth he now enjoys.

In chapter three, Owl Eyes describes Gatsby as a “regular Belasco”, comparing him to a film director who was well-known for the realism of his sets. This is a really lucid analysis of Gatsby, who is in many ways just like a film director constructing a whole fantasy world.

It’s also unclear if he loves Daisy for who she is, or just the idea of Daisy and the wealth she represents. Indeed, he doesn’t seem to treat her as a person, but more like something that he can pursue (like wealth). This is a good read, so I won’t really get into it here—just consider how much things have changed since Gatsby first met Daisy (like her marriage and her children), and how Gatsby ignores the way her life has changed in favour of his still, stationary memory of who she used to be.

Love, desire and hope

All of this makes it tricky to distil what the novel’s message actually is.

Is it that Gatsby is a good person, especially cast against the corrupt old money?

This analysis isn’t wrong, and it actually works well with a lot of textual evidence. Where Nick resents the Buchanans, he feels sympathy for Gatsby. He explicitly says, “they’re a rotten crowd…you’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.” Maybe love was an honourable goal compared to money, which ostensibly makes you “cruel” and “careless”.

I wouldn’t say he was cruel, but this reading is complicated by how he can be careless, choosing not to care about Daisy’s agency, and letting his desires overtake these considerations.

Is it that Gatsby and his desire for Daisy were corrupted by wealth despite his good intentions?

There’s also evidence to suggest wealth corrupts—Nick describes it as “foul dust” that “preyed” on Gatsby, eroding his good character and leaving behind someone who resembles the vacuous elite. Although love might’ve been an honourable goal, it got diluted by money.

Gatsby’s paradigm for understanding the world becomes driven by materialism, and he objectifies Daisy. He starts trying to buy something that he originally didn’t need to buy—Daisy’s love. She certainly didn’t fall in love with this man who owned a mansion and a closet full of “beautiful shirts.” Thus, Gatsby is a sympathetic product of a system that was always stacked against him (a poor boy from North Dakota). Capitalism, right?

Is it that capitalist America provides nothing for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore little reason for people to feel hope?

Past the basics: structural economic tension and the doomed American Dream

Now we want to start thinking beyond the characters (e.g. if Gatsby is a good person or not) and also factor in their social, historical, political and economic context (e.g. if he was doomed to begin with by a society driven by money). This subheading does sound a bit much, but we’ll break it down here.

A key part of this novel is the American Dream, the idea that America is a land of freedom and equal opportunity, that anyone can ‘make it’ if they truly try. Value is placed on upward social mobility (moving up from a working-class background) and economic prosperity (making $$), which defined much of the Roaring 20s…

…for some.

For many others, there was significant tension between these lofty values and their lived reality of life on the ground. As much as society around them was prospering, they just couldn’t get a piece of the pie, and this is what makes it structural—as hard as George Wilson might work, he just can’t get himself out of the Valley of Ashes and into wealth. Indeed, you can’t achieve the Dream without cheating (as Gatsby did).

So, there’s this tension, this irreconcilable gap between economic goals and actual means. Through this lens, the tragedy of The Great Gatsby multiplies. It’s no longer just about someone who can’t buy love with money—it’s about how nobody’s dreams are really attainable. Not everyone can get money, and money can only get you so far. Everyone is stuck, and the American Dream is basically just a myth.

Thus, the novel could be interpreted as a takedown of capitalist America, which convinced people like Gatsby that the answer to everything was money, and he bolted after the “green light” allure of cold, hard cash only to find out that it wasn’t enough, that it wasn’t the answer in the end. (.

Consider what kind of message that sends to people like the Wilsons—if money can’t actually buy happiness, what good is it really to chase it? And remember that Gatsby had to cheat to get rich in the first place.

Is [the novel’s message] that capitalist America provides nothing for people to pursue except for wealth, and therefore little reason for people to feel hope?

You tell me.

Prompt: what does Fitzgerald suggest about social stratification in the 1920s?

Whenever you get a new essay topic, you can use LSG’s THINK and EXECUTE strategy , a technique to help you write better VCE essays. If you’re unfamiliar with this strategy, then check it out in How To Write A Killer Text Response .

Let’s try applying this to a prompt. I’ll italicise the key points that have been brought up throughout this post.

Firstly, social stratification clearly divided society along economic lines . This could be paragraph one, exploring how class separated the Buchanans and Wilsons of the world, and how their lifestyles were so completely different even though they all lived in the prosperity of the Roaring 20s . George Wilson was “worn-out” from work, but he still couldn’t generate upward social mobility for his family, stuck in the Valley of Ashes. Conversely, Tom Buchanan is born into a rich family with his beach-facing mansion and polo ponies . Colour is an important symbol here—the Valley is grey, while East Egg is filled with colour (a green light here, a “blue coupe” there…).

The next paragraph might look at the cultural dimension , exploring how you just can’t buy a way of life. This might involve analysing Gatsby’s wealth as deluding him into thinking he can “repeat the past” by buying into the life(style) of old money . This is where Fitzgerald disillusions us about the American Dream —he presents a reality where it isn’t possible for anyone to ‘make it’, where the Buchanans still treat you with scorn even if you’re just as wealthy. Gatsby’s dishonesty is ultimately a shallow one—try as he might, he just cannot fit in and win Daisy back.

Finally, we should consider the moral dimension —even though the wealthier socioeconomic classes enjoyed more lavish, luxurious lifestyles, Fitzgerald also argued that they were the most morally bankrupt. Money corrupted the wealthy to the point where they simply did not care about the lives of the poor, as seen in the Buchanans’ response to Myrtle’s death. Even Gatsby had to compromise his integrity and deal in shady business in order to get rich—he isn’t perfect either. Social stratification may look ostentatious and shiny on the outside, but the rich are actually portrayed as shallow and corrupt.

A good essay on this novel will typically combine some of these dimensions and build a multilayered analysis. Stratification, love, wealth, morality—all of these big ideas can be broken down in terms of social, economic, cultural circumstances, so make sure to consider all angles when you write.

Have a go at these prompts!

1. Nick is biased in his assessment of Gatsby—both of them are no better than the corrupt, wealthy Buchanans. Do you agree?

2. In The Great Gatsby , money is a stronger motivating factor than love. Do you agree?

3. Daisy Buchanan is more innocent than guilty—explore this statement with reference to at least 2 other characters.

4. What does Fitzgerald say about happiness in The Great Gatsby ?

5. Is money the true antagonist of The Great Gatsby ?

6. The women of The Great Gatsby are all victims of a patriarchal society. To what extent do you agree? (Hint: are they all equally victimised?)

Challenge: According to Fitzgerald, what really lays underneath the façade of the Roaring 20s? Make reference to at least 2 symbols in The Great Gatsby . (Hint: façade = “an outward appearance that conceals a less pleasant reality” – think about things like colours, clothes, buildings etc.)

The Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response

How To Write A Killer Text Response Study Guide

How to embed quotes in your essay like a boss

How to turn your Text Response essays from average to A+

5 Tips for a mic drop worthy essay conclusion

The Importance of the Introduction

Get our FREE VCE English Text Response mini-guide

Now quite sure how to nail your text response essays? Then download our free mini-guide, where we break down the art of writing the perfect text-response essay into three comprehensive steps. Click below to get your own copy today!

Struggling to answer the essay topic?

Has your teacher ever told you:

"You're not answering the prompt"

"You're going off topic"

Then you're not alone! If you struggle to understand and stay on topic, learn how to answer the prompt every time with our How To Write A Killer Text Response study guide.

We’ve explored historical context, themes, essay planning and essay topics over on our Like a House on Fire by Cate Kennedy blog post. If you need a quick refresher or you’re new to studying this text, I highly recommend checking it out!

1. Dissecting the prompt

2. Essay Topic and Body Paragraphs Breakdown

3. Resources

Like A House On Fire is currently studied in VCE English under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Dissecting the Prompt

Dissecting a collection of short stories can be very challenging due to the many characters involved, and the different themes. But what most students don’t realise is that almost all the stories in the anthology have common and overlapping themes. And that’s what you need to focus on when you’re building your essay. I’m going to go through one essay topic to demonstrate how you’re expected to dissect and plan the essay. This is how I planned my essays ate the beginning of the year when I was still struggling with writing an essay on short stories and wanted everything to be clear to me before I start writing so that I know exactly what I will be covering.

Although many of the characters in like a house on fire are dealing with physical and emotional pain, it is their resilience that will be remembered by the reader. Do you agree?

So first of all, you need to highlight all the important aspects of this question.

Although many of the characters in like a house on fire are dealing with physical and emotional pain , it is their resilience that will be remembered by the reader. Do you agree?

Now that we have highlighted the important parts that the question is inviting us to discuss, we know that we need to mention characters who are dealing with physical and emotional trauma yet rise above their tribulations, leaving the readers hopeful and optimistic. In doing so, you’ve pretty much discussed everything the prompt wants you to, but you can always go one step further and have a rebuttal paragraph. What I mean by that is: find a character who is faced with physical or emotional trauma yet gives up and becomes trapped in his/her imperfect reality. That way you show the assessor your knowledge of the text because you show them that even though Kennedy focuses on the resilience of her characters, she also sheds light on the reality that some people don’t have the strength to recover from such traumas.

Detailed Plan

What I personally do after dissecting my prompt is have a plan of what I’m going to be covering in each paragraph. The aim for a high scoring essay is to cover 5-6 short stories, if you chose to cover only 3-4 then from my experience the maximum you can score is an 8/10.

I’m going to split my essay into three sections each covering a certain aspect of my prompt.

First paragraph

Which characters struggled with physical trauma yet rose above it?

1. In ‘Flexion’, Kennedy explores the pain and anguish Frank feels as he fights his injury, determined not to let it destroy him through her use of linguistic imagery whereby the slimily of Frank ‘[clawing] himself up onto the machinery’ as he is ‘growling like an animal’ depicts the sheer resolve that he exhibits as he tries to overcome the physical pain and handicap that threaten his independence. Thus, his resilience becomes admired by the readers who realise that despite almost dying, he chooses to alter his imperfect circumstances.

2. In the eponymous story ‘Like a House on Fire’, the unnamed protagonist suffers from a herniated disc that hinders his ability to carry out his role as a husband and a father yet he chooses to alter his imperfect reality by working his ‘teeth gritted way up the stairs’ not once but twice, in hope of finding a solution to the stagnation taking place in his own marriage.

Second paragraph

Which characters struggled with emotional trauma yet rose above it?

1. In ‘Waiting’, the protagonist is waiting in a cold clinic whereby she will be told that she has suffered yet another miscarriage. Despite the harrowing pain she feels and the feeling of something ‘ebbing away’ leaving her once again without a ‘viable’ child, she chooses to move forward and declares that she is ‘not a martyr, just someone who sees what need to be done and does it’.

2. Michelle in ‘Five-Dollar Family’, has to adjust all her dreams of Des becoming the perfect father and boyfriend when she realises, he’ll be going to jail. Thus, Michelle’s epiphany that ‘she is got everything this baby needs now’ and no longer sees any value in Des allow for self-growth and ultimately the ability to cope with single parenting.

Third paragraph

Which characters are unable to show resilience and become prisoners of their imperfect circumstances?

1. In ‘Sleepers’, Ray becomes a sleeper in his own life in the aftermath of his break up. Unlike many of the short stories in the collection, Sleepers is one that does not end with the optimism of a new start but rather ends with Ray being trapped again in his life waiting ‘to take what was coming to him’ thus signifying the damage his loneliness has cost him; whereby his life has become a series of lethargic and meaningless events.

After planning which stories, we want to discuss in the essay, we can now begin the writing process. So essentially the most important part of writing your essay is planning it and making sure you understand properly what you need to answer in your essay.

Later in the year when you are doing EAL/English practice papers, it is quite unrealistic for you to create such a detailed plan considering the time restrictions. So, I will run you through how I planned my essay in an actual exam situation.

So just like we did with the detailed plan, we highlight the important parts of the question that will need to be discussed in the essay.

Then you need to think of the stories that represent physical pain yet the characters rise above their tribulations:

2. Like a House on Fire

Then you need to think of the stories that represent emotional pain:

2. Five-Dollar Family

Then you need to think of the rebuttal story whereby the characters suffer but do not exhibit resilience:

1. Sleepers

So essentially in the short plan you just outline the stories that you would like to mention and split them up according to which aspect of the prompt they will be answering rather than actually writing dot points on each one. So your plan becomes less detailed but rather just an outline so you stay on track and do not ramble.

If you found this essay breakdown helpful, then you might want to check out our Like a House on Fire Study Guide which includes 5 A+ sample essays with EVERY essay annotated and broken down on HOW and WHY these essays achieved A+ so you reach your English goals!

By the way, to download a PDF version of this guide for printing or offline use, click here !

Download a PDF version of this blog for printing or offline use

VCE Text Response Study Guide

Like a House on Fire by Cate Kennedy

Like a House on Fire Essay Topic Breakdown

Close analysis of 'Cake' from Like a House on Fire

'Cake' from Like a House on Fire YouTube Video

The Ultimate guide to VCE Text Response

5 Tips for a mic drop worthy essay conclusion ‍

Finding out that your school has selected to study a Shakespeare play as your section A text can be a pretty daunting prospect. If I’m honest, I wasn’t all too thrilled upon discovering this either...it seemed as though I now not only had to worry about analysing my text, but also understanding what Shakespeare was saying through all of his old-fashioned words.

However, let’s not fret - in this post, I’ll share with you some Measure for Measure specific advice and tactics, alongside excerpts of an essay of mine as a reference.

Before you start reading, How To Approach Shakespeare: A Guide To Studying Shakespeare is a must read for any student studying Shakespeare.

Historical Context

Having a basic understanding of the historical context of the play is an integral part of developing your understanding of Measure for Measure (and is explored further in Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare ). For example, for prompts that open with “What does Shakespeare suggest about…?” or “How does Measure for Measure reflect Shakespeare’s ideas about…?” it can be really helpful to understand Shakespeare’s own position in society and how that influenced his writing.

There’s no need to memorise certain parts of Shakespeare’s history - as that would serve no purpose - just try to gauge an understanding of what life was like in his time. Through understanding Shakespeare’s position in society, we are able to infer his stances on various characters/ideologies in the play.

Measure for Measure is often regarded as an anti-Puritan satire. Although Shakespeare’s religion has been a subject of much debate and research, with many theories about his faith being brought forward, many believe that he was a secret Catholic. He is believed to be a ‘ secret’ Catholic, as he lived during the rise of the Puritans - those who wished to reform the Church of England and create more of a focus on Protestant teachings, as opposed to Catholic teachings. It was often difficult for Catholics to practice their faith at this time.
Angelo and Isabella - particularly Angelo, are believed to embody puritanism, as shown through their excessive piety. By revealing Angelo to be “yet a devil,” though “angel on the outward side,” Shakespeare critiques Puritans, perhaps branding them as hypocritical or even unhuman; those “not born of man and woman.” Thus, we can assume that Shakespeare would take a similar stance to most of us - that Angelo wasn’t the greatest guy and that his excessive, unnatural and puritanical nature was more of a flaw than a virtue.

Tips for Moving Past the Generic Examples/Evidence Found in the Play

It’s important to try and stand out with your examples in your body paragraphs. If you’re writing the same, simple ideas as everyone else, it will be hard for VCAA assessors to reward you for that. Your ideas are the most important part of your essay because they show how well you’ve understood and analysed the text - which is what they are asking from you, it’s called an ‘analytical interpretation of a text,’ not ‘how many big words can you write in this essay.’ You can stand out in Measure for Measure by:

1. Taking Note of Stage Directions and Structure of Speech

Many students tend to simply focus on the dialogue in the play, but stage directions can tell you so much about what Shakespeare was really trying to illustrate in his characters.

For example, in his monologue, I would often reference how Angelo is alone on stage, appearing at his most uninhibited, with his self-interrogation revealing his internal struggle over his newfound lust for Isabella. I would also reference how Shakespeare’s choice of syntax and structure of speech reveal Angelo’s moral turmoil as he repetitively asks himself “what’s this?” indicating his confusion and disgust for his feelings which “unshapes” him.
Isabella is shown to “[kneel]” by Mariana at the conclusion of the play, in order to ask for Angelo’s forgiveness. This detail is one that is easily missed, but it is an important one, as it is an obvious reference to Christianity, and symbolises Isabella’s return to her “gentle and fair” and “saint” like nature.

2. Drawing Connections Between Characters - Analyse Their Similarities and Differences.

Drawing these connections can be a useful way to incorporate other characters not necessarily mentioned in your prompt. For example, in my own English exam last year, I chose the prompt “ ...Power corrupts both Angelo and the Duke. Do you agree? ” and tried to pair Angelo and Isabella, in order to incorporate another character into my essay (so that my entire essay wasn’t just about two characters).

A favourite pair of mine to analyse together was Angelo and Isabella. Although at first glance they seem quite different, when you read into the text a little deeper you can find many similarities. For example, while Angelo lives alone in his garden, “succumbed by brick,” requiring “two keys” to enter, “nun,” Isabella, wishes to join the nuns of Saint Clare where she “must not speak with men” or “show [her] face.” Shakespeare’s depiction of the two, stresses their seclusion, piety and restriction from the “vice” plaguing Vienna. What’s important about this point is that you can alter your wording of it to fit various points that you may make. For example, you could use this example to prove to your assessor how Isabella’s alignment with Angelo signals Shakespeare’s condemnation of her excessive puritanical nature (as I did in my body paragraph below) or, you could use these same points to argue how Angelo was once indeed a virtuous man who was similar to the “saint” Isabella, and that it was the power that corrupted him (as you could argue in the 2019 prompt).
Another great pair is the Duke and Angelo. Although they certainly are different in many ways, an interesting argument that I used frequently, was that they both were selfish characters who abused their power as men and as leaders in a patriarchal society. It is obvious where Angelo did this - through his cruel bribery of Isabella to “lay down the treasures of [her] body,” however the Duke’s behaviour is more subtle. The Duke’s proposal to Isabella at the conclusion of the play, as he asks her to “give [him her] hand,” in marriage, coincides with the revelation that Claudio is indeed alive. It appears that the Duke has orchestrated the timing of his proposal to most forcefully secure Isabella and in this sense, his abuse of power can be likened to Angelo’s “devilish” bribery. This is as, through Shakespeare’s depiction of Isabella, it is evident that she has little interest in marriage; she simply wishes to join a convent where she “must not speak with men,” as she lives a life of “strict restraint.” The Duke is aware of this, yet he demands Isabella to “be [his]”- wishing to take her from her true desire and Shakespeare is able to elucidate Isabella’s distaste through her response to this: silence. By contrasting Isabella’s once powerful voice - her “speechless dialect” that can “move men” - with her silence in response to the Duke’s proposal, Shakespeare is able to convey the depth of the Duke’s selfishness and thus his similarity to Angelo.

We've got a character list for you in Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare (just scroll down to the Character section).

What’s important to realise about these bits of evidence is that you can use them in so many different prompts, provided that you tailor your wording to best answer the topic. For example, you could try fitting at least one of the above examples in these prompts:

‘Give me your hand and say you will be mine…’ The characters in ‘ Measure for Measure’ are more interested in taking than giving. Discuss.
‘More than our brother is our chastity.' Explore how Shakespeare presents Isabella's attitude to chastity throughout Measure for Measure .
‘I have seen corruption boil …' To what extent does Shakespeare explore corruption in Measure for Measure , and by what means?
‘Measure or Measure presents a society in which women are denied power.’ Discuss.

How To Kick Start Your Essay with a Smashing Introduction

There’s no set way on how to write an introduction. Lots of people write them in many different ways and these can all do well! This is the best part about English - you don’t have to be writing like the person sitting next to you in order to get a good mark. I personally preferred writing short and sweet introductions, just because they were quick to write and easy to understand.

For example, for the prompt...

“...women are frail too.”

To what extent does ‘Measure for Measure’ examine the flaws of Isabella?

...my topic sentences were...

Isabella is depicted as a moral, virtuous and pious woman, but it is this aspect of her nature that paradoxically aligns her with the “tyrannous” Angelo.
Shakespeare explores the hypocrisy and corruption of Isabella as a flaw, as she deviates from her initially “gentle and fair” nature.
Despite exploring Isabella’s flaws to a large degree, Shakespeare does indeed present her redemption at the denouement of the play.

...and my introduction was:

William Shakespeare’s play, ‘Measure for Measure’ depicts a seventeenth century Viennese society in which disease, misconduct and licentiousness are rife. It is upon a backdrop of such ordeals that Shakespeare presents the character of Isabella, who is initially depicted as of stark contrast to the libertine populate of Vienna. To a considerable extent, ‘Measure for Measure’ does indeed examine the flaws of the “gentle and fair” Isabella, but Shakespeare suggests that perhaps she is not “saint” nor “devil,” rather that she is a human with her own flaws and with her own redeeming qualities.

Instead of rewording my topic sentences, I touched on them more vaguely, because I knew that I wouldn’t get any ‘extra’ points for repeating them twice, essentially. However, if you feel more confident in touching on your topic sentences more specifically - go ahead!! There are so many different ways to write an introduction! Do what works for you!

Body Paragraphs

This body paragraph included my pairing between Angelo and Isabella. My advice would be to continue to incorporate the language used in the prompt. In this paragraph, you can see me use the word “flaw” quite a bit, just in order to ensure that I’m actually answering the prompt , not a prompt that I have studied before.

Isabella is depicted as a moral, virtuous and pious woman, but it is this aspect of her nature that paradoxically aligns her with the “tyrannous” Angelo. Where Angelo is “of ample grace and honour,” Isabella is “gentle and fair.” Where Angelo believes in “stricture and firm abstinence,” Isabella too believes that “most desire should meet the full blow of justice.” This similarity is enhanced by their seclusion from the lecherous society in which they reside. Angelo lives alone in his garden, “succumbed by brick,” requiring “two keys” to enter, whilst Isabella desires the life of a nun where she “must not speak with men” or “show [her] face.” This depiction of both Angelo and Isabella stresses their seclusion, piety and restriction from the “vice” that the libertine populate is drunk from. However, Shakespeare’s revelation that Angelo is “yet a devil” though “angel on the outward side,” is perhaps Shakespeare’s commentary on absolute stricture being yet a facade, a flaw even. Shakespeare presents Isabella’s chastity and piety as synonymous with her identity, which ultimately leaves her unable to differentiate between the two, as she states that she would “throw down [her] life,” for Claudio, yet maintains that “more than our brother is our chastity.” Though virtuous in a sense, she is cruel in another. Although at first glance, Shakespeare’s depiction of Isabella’s excessive puritanical nature appears to be her virtue, by aligning her with the “devil” that is Angelo, it appears that this is indeed her flaw.

Conclude Your Essay by Dazzling Your Assessor!

My main tip for a conclusion is to finish it off with a confident commentary of the entire piece and what you think that the author was trying to convey through their words (in relation to the topic). For example, in pretty much all of my essays, I would conclude with a sentence that referenced the entire play - for example, how it appeared to be such a polarising play, with largely exaggerated, polarising characters/settings (eg. Angelo and the Duke, or the brothels that stood tall next to the monastery):

Ultimately, Shakespeare’s play ‘Measure for Measure,’ depicts Isabella as a multifaceted character. She is not simply one thing - not simply good nor bad - her character’s depiction continues to oscillate between the polar ends of the spectrum. Although yes, she does have flaws, so too does she have redeeming qualities. Though at times deceitful and hypocritical, she too is forgiving and gentle. Thus, as Shakespeare’s play, ‘Measure for Measure,’ does centre on polarising characters in a polarising setting, perhaps through his exploration of Isabella’s flaws alongside her virtues, he suggests that both the good and the bad inhabit us.

Measure for Measure is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Not gonna lie, this novel is a bit of a tricky one to introduce. World War II, arguably one of the darkest events of human history, has been the basis of so much writing across so many genres; authors, academics, novelists have all devoted themselves to understanding the tragedies, and make sense of how we managed to do this to one another. Many reflect on the experiences of children and families whose lives were torn apart by the war.

In some ways, Doerr is another author who has attempted this. His novel alludes to the merciless anonymity of death in war, juxtaposes individualism with collective national mindlessness, and seeks out innocence amidst the brutality of war.

What makes this novel difficult to introduce is the way in which Doerr has done this; through the eyes of two children on opposite sides of the war, he explores how both of them struggle with identity, morality and hope, each in their own way. Their storylines converge in the bombing of Saint-Malo, demonstrating that war can be indiscriminate in its victims—that is, it does not care if its victims are children or adults, innocent or guilty, French or German. However, their interaction also speaks to the humanity that lies in all of us, no matter how deeply buried.

A very quick history lesson

Fast Five Facts about World War II:

Lasting 1939-1945, the war was fought between the Axis powers (Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (basically everyone else, but mainly England, France, and later the US). Whilst it was Germany who started the war, the intervention of the US at the end of five long years of fighting ultimately helped the Allies win.
Various forms of technology were first used, or found new uses, during the war. Aircraft carriers and various planes (fighters, bombers etc.) became more important than ever, while Hitler’s use of tanks allowed him to take over much of Europe very quickly.
Other forms of new technology included one of the world’s first electronic computers that was used to codebreak (stop reading now and watch The Imitation Game if you haven’t already! Totally counts as studying, right?), as well as radio and radar, used to communicate and also to detect enemies in the field.
World War II is also referred to as the Holocaust, the name given to Hitler’s attempted genocide of the Jewish people. 6 million Jews died in the war, and as many as 15 million others died in total.
Germany’s initial conquest of Europe was swift and brutal. Within a month, Poland had already surrendered and within a year, so had France. However, there were also resistance groups all over these countries which sought to undermine the Nazi regime in a number of ways, both big and small.

My best attempt to give a general plot overview of this very long book

Disclaimer: this is a very, very broad overview of the novel and it is absolutely not a substitute for actually reading it (please actually read it).

Chronologically, we start in 1934, five years before the war. Marie-Laure is a French girl who lives with her father Daniel Leblanc, working at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. As she starts to go blind, Daniel teaches her Braille, and makes her wooden models of their neighbourhood to help her navigate. Six years later, the Nazis invade France, and they flee the capital to find Daniel’s uncle Etienne, who lives in the seaside town of Saint-Malo; Daniel was also tasked with safeguarding a precious gem, the Sea of Flames, from the Nazis.

In Saint-Malo, Daniel also builds Marie-Laure a model of the town, hiding the gem inside. Meanwhile, she befriends Etienne, who suffers from agoraphobia as a result of the trauma from the First World War. He is charming and very knowledgeable about science, having made a series of scientific radio broadcasts with his brother Henri (who died in WWI). She also befriends his cook, Madame Manec, who participates in the resistance movement right up until she falls ill and dies.

Her father is also arrested (and would ultimately die in prison), and the loss of their loved ones prompts both Etienne and Marie-Laure to begin fighting back. Marie-Laure is also given a key to a grotto by the seaside which is full of molluscs, her favourite kind of animal.

On the other side of the war, Werner is, in 1934, an 8 year-old German boy growing up in an orphanage with his sister Jutta in the small mining town of Zollverein. They discover a radio, which allows them to listen to a broadcast from miles away (it was Henri and Etienne’s), and Werner learns French to try and understand it. One day, he repairs the radio of a Nazi official, who recruits him to the Hitler Youth on account of his ingenuity (and his very blonde hair and very blue eyes, considered to be desirable traits by the regime). Jutta grows increasingly distant from Werner during this time, as she questions the morality of the Nazis.

Werner is trained to be a soldier along with a cohort of other boys, and additionally learns to use radio to locate enemy soldiers. He befriends Frederick, an innocent kid who was only there because his parents were rich—Frederick would eventually fall victim to the brutality of the instructors, and Werner tries to quit out of solidarity. Unfortunately, he is sent into the army to apply his training to actual warfare. He fights with Frank Volkheimer, a slightly ambiguous character who a tough and cruel soldier, but also displays a capacity to be kind and gentle (including a fondness for classical music). The war eventually takes them to Saint-Malo.

Also around 1943 or so, a Nazi sergeant, Reinhold von Rumpel, begins to track down the Sea of Flames. He would have been successful ultimately had it not been for Werner, who stops him in order to save Marie Laure.

As America begins to turn the war around, Werner is arrested and dies after stepping on a German landmine; Marie-Laure and Etienne move back to Paris. Marie-Laure eventually becomes a scientist specialising in the study of molluscs and has an extensive family of her own by 2014. Phew.

What kind of questions does Doerr raise through this plot? To some degree, the single central question of the novel is one of humanity, and this manifests in a few different ways.

Firstly, to what extent are we in control of our own choices? Do we truly have free will to behave morally ? The Nazi regime throws a spanner in the works here, as it makes incredibly inhumane demands on its people. Perhaps they fear punishment and have no choice—Werner, for instance, does go along with everything. At the same time, his own sister manages to demonstrate critical thinking and moral reasoning well beyond her years, and it makes you wonder if there was potential for Werner to be better in this regard. There’s also the question of whether or not he redeemed himself in the end.

That being said, Werner is far from the only character who struggles with this—consider the perfumer, Claude Levitte, who becomes a Nazi informer, or even ordinary French citizens who simply accept the German takeover. Do they actually have free will to resist, or is it even moral for them to do so?

Hannah Arendt famously coined the phrase “the banality of evil,” referring to how broader movements of inhumanity (such as the Holocaust) can be compartmentalised until individual actions feel perfectly banal, commonplace and ordinary. This is what allowed people to do evil things without actually feeling or even being inherently evil—they were just taking orders, after all. Consider the role of free will in this context.

This brings us to the broader ‘theme’ of war in general: in particular, what kinds of acts are suddenly justifiable in war? Etienne and Madame Manec, for instance, even disagree on the morality of resistance, which can frequently involve murder. Etienne’s pacifist stance is a result of the scale of deaths in the previous world war. At the same time, the climactic event of the novel is an allied bombing of Saint-Malo, a French town, just because it had become a German outpost. Risking lives both French and German, this also highlights the ‘necessity’ of some inhumane actions in times of war.

On a more optimistic note, a human quality that Doerr explores is our natural curiosity towards science . This is abundant in the childhoods of both protagonists, as Werner demonstrates dexterity with the radio at a very young age, and Marie-Laure a keen interest in marine biology. In particular, her blindness pushes her into avenues of science which she can experience without literal sight, such as the tactile sensations of mollusc shells. The title may hint at this—for all the light she cannot see, she seeks enlightenment through knowledge, which in turn gives her hope, optimism and purpose.

At the same time, the human desire to better understand the world can also be used inhumanely—Werner used radio to learn through Etienne and Henri’s broadcasts, but he would later in life also use it to help his compatriots murder enemy soldiers. This alludes to the banality of evil again; by focusing on his very technical role and his unique understanding of the science behind radios, he is able to blind himself to the bigger picture of the evils he is abetting. Science is something that is so innately human, yet can also be used inhumanely as well.

For these reasons, I’d suggest humanity is at the heart of the novel. There is a certain cruel randomness to death in war, but just because so many did perish doesn’t mean that there aren’t human stories worth searching for in the destruction. This is the lens that Doerr brings to the WWII narrative.

Some symbols

To some degree, a lot of these symbols relate to humanity, which I’ve argued is the crux of the novel. I’ll keep this brief so as to not be too repetitive.

One major symbol is the radio , with its potential for good as well as for evil. On one hand, it is undoubtedly used for evil purposes, but it also acts as a source of hope, purpose, conviction and connection in the worst of times. It is what ultimately drives Werner to save Marie-Laure.

Along the same vein, whelks are also a major symbol, particularly for Marie-Laure. While an object of her fascination, they also represent strength for her, as they remain fixed onto rocks and withstand the beaks of birds who try to attack them. In fact, she takes “the Whelk” as a code-name for herself while aiding the resistance movement. It’s also noteworthy that, given the atrocities of war, maybe animals are the only innocent beings left. As Saint-Malo is destroyed and the Sea of Flames discarded, it is the seaside ecosystem that manages to live on, undisturbed. In this sense, the diamond can be seen as a manifestation of human greed, harmless once removed from human society.

Finally, it’s also worth considering the wooden models that Daniel builds for Marie-Laure. They represent his immense love for her, and more broadly the importance of family, but the models also attempt to shrink entire cities into a predictable, easily navigable system. As we’ve seen, this is what causes people to lose sight of the forest for the trees—to hone in on details and lose track of the bigger picture around them. The models are an oversimplification of life, and an illusion of certainty, in a time when life was complicated and not at all certain for anyone.

Identity, morality and hope—these things pretty much shape what it means to be human. Throughout All the Light We Cannot See though, characters sometimes struggle with all three of them at the same time.

And yet they always manage to find something within themselves, some source of strength, some sense of right and wrong, some humanity in trying times. Doerr explores this capacity amply in this novel, and in this sense his novel is not just another story about WWII—it’s a story about the things that connect us, always.

Essay prompt breakdown

Transcription

Through the prompt that we’ll be looking at today, the main message I wanted to highlight was to always try and look for layers of meaning. This could mean really being across all of the symbols, motifs and poetic elements of a text, and it’s especially important for a novel as literary as this one.

You might not have been particularly happy to find out you’re going to have to study All The Light We Cannot See— it is probably the longest text on the entire text list—but it’s also a really beautiful, well-written book that deservedly took out the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2015.

In this novel, Anthony Doerr tells the World War 2 story through a unique lens, or rather a unique combination of lenses, as he sets a 16-year-old French girl and a 17-year-old German boy on an unlikely path of convergence. Through the dangers and difficulties that they face, Doerr’s novel is one of growth and self-assuredness in a time when this seemed virtually impossible.

The essay topic we’ll be looking at today is:

All The Light We Cannot See is a literal title for the novel, in that it exposes the darkness, evil and cruelty of which humans are demonstrably capable. Is this an accurate interpretation?

As usual, let’s define some keywords.

I want to leave ‘darkness’ for a little later, but let’s start with ‘evil and cruelty.’ By themselves, they generally just mean immorality or inhumanity, but also keep in mind how they come across in characters’ actions, since those will be the focus of our analysis. The word ‘demonstrably’ highlights this, since it means that any ‘evil’ you discuss needs to be demonstrated or proven.

With ‘darkness’, that’s a bit more of a tricky term because it can mean any number of things. Here, it might be taken to mean bad intentions, corruption or anything like that, because it fits with ‘evil and cruelty’. However, this is where the ‘interpretation’ aspect of the prompt comes in—an interpretation being a way of explaining meaning, how do you explain the meaning of ‘darkness’ in relation to the title? Darkness in this sense could be any number of things.

Now, how should we plan for this topic? Let’s first consider if there’s any room to challenge, since the prompt seems to only focus on the more negative, pessimistic side of the book. I’d argue that with darkness, there is also some light in the form of kindness, charity and hope.

This all sounds pretty profound, but I’m just trying to link it back to the book’s title! I mean, that’s what the topic is asking about, right?

Let’s break this down into paragraphs.

For our first paragraph, a good starting point might be analysing the literal forms of darkness in the novel, and seeing what other interpretations we can get from those. A character that comes to mind is Marie-Laure, the French girl who cannot see any ‘light’ due to her blindness. The title could be seen as an allusion to her character and by extension, the hopelessness that blindness might cause in the midst of a war. We could compare Marie-Laure’s situation with that of Werner, who faces the industrialization of his childhood town, watching it become more and more enveloped in ‘darkness’ and as such, hopelessness.

For our next paragraph, we might drill down to deeper levels of interpreting darkness, because it’s often used as a metaphor for inhumanity. It isn’t difficult to find inhumanity in the novel. There’s plenty of it peppered throughout Werner’s storyline, particularly at Schulpforta, where the Hitler Youth were ‘trained’, (to put it lightly). He and his peers are routinely drilled to “drive the weakness from the corps” in humiliating exercises led by cruel instructors. They are also sometimes driven to cruelty towards one another, and Frederick, Werner’s bunkmate, is relentlessly bullied for his perceived weakness.

So by now, it’s clear that the novel demonstrates the human capacity for experiencing ‘darkness’ as well as inflicting it upon others. But, across these two layers of meaning, could there perhaps be some room to challenge these interpretations? This is something we should look at for our final paragraph.

Here, I would probably argue that just as Doerr explores various forms of darkness, there is also enough ‘light’ which allows some characters to overcome or escape from the darkness. These manifestations of light also require you to think about the different symbolic layers of the novel. On one level for example, looking at light literally, there’s the message on Werner’s radio that teaches us that, even though the brain is sealed in darkness, “the world it constructs…is full of light.” A deeper level of meaning to this may refer to the sense of scientific wonder and discovery which sometimes brings light to Werner, and also Frederick, his bunkmate at Schulpforta, when their lives there are at their most dark.

Consider how, just as darkness has levels of interpretation and symbolism in this book, so does light and hope and joy, rather than just evil and cruelty.

And that’s it! Always delving deeper for meaning helps you to really make use of the symbols, imagery and motifs in a text, and I hope this novel in particular illustrates that idea.

EXECUTE is the writing component that ticks off the English criteria so that your teacher is wowed by your essay and wished it was longer. So, what are these criteria points? Each school may express these points differently, however at the end of the day, teachers and examiners are all looking for the same thing:

An understanding of social, cultural or religious background in the text and how that shapes the themes, ideas, and characters. Without a clear understanding of the context of your text, you cannot fully comprehend the views and values of the author, nor the overall meaning of a text.

For example, Austen was hunched over her small writing desk in the village of Chawton during England’s Georgian era as she wrote Persuasion. You are more likely reading it in a cozy bed, listening to Taylor Swift and half considering what you’re going to watch on Netflix later. Remember, your current social and cultural context can have a great influence on how you read a text, so it’s always important to imagine the author’s own context – whether this be very similar, or very different from the context of their text. It’s as easy as a Google search!

✔️Views and values

An understanding of the author's message and purpose.

Writers use literature to criticise or endorse social conditions, expressing their own opinions and viewpoints of the world they live in. It is important to remember that each piece of literature is a deliberate construction. Every decision a writer makes reflects their views and values about their culture, morality, politics, gender, class, history or religion. This is implicit within the style and content of the text, rather than in overt statements. This means that the writer’s views and values are always open to interpretation, and possibly even controversial. This is what you (as an astute English student) must do – interpret the relationship between your text and the ideas it explores and examines, endorses or challenges in the writer’s society.

✔️Different interpretations by different readers

An understanding of how different readers and develop different interpretations, and how this changes an author's message.

Like our example using Austen vs. you as a modern reader above, the way you interpret an idea or view a character can change based on your unique views and values.

✔️Metalanguage

An understanding of how author's constructs their text through specific choices in words.

For example, the use of the word 'bright' vs. 'dull' to describe a landscape is intended to effect the way you perceive particular ideas or characters in a text.

A high-graded English essay will cover all of these points without fail. If you're unfamiliar with any of these, you are missing out on ways to differentiate yourself from other students. At the end of the day, there are only so many themes and characters to discuss, so you need to find unique angles to discuss these themes and characters. This will help your essay move from generic to original (yeah boy!).

If you're interested, How To Write a Killer Text Response ebook shows you the inner workings of my brain 💭- what I think when I see an essay topic, how I tackle it, and how I turn these thoughts into a high-scoring essay. The ebook includes:

‍ - 50-pages teaching you how to respond to ANY essay topic

- Examples from 15+ popular VCE English texts

- Know exactly what to THINK about so you can formulate the best possible essay response

- Plus a bonus 20-pages of high vs low scoring essays , fully annotated (what works and what doesn't) so you know exactly what you need to do

Click here to access the FULL version now!

Sunset Boulevard is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Sunset Boulevard is perhaps the most famous film about film . A darkly funny yet disturbing noir, it follows washed-up screenwriter Joe Gillis being pulled into the murky world of even-more-washed-up former silent film star Norma Desmond, disingenuously helping with her screenplay. Critical commentary on the film industry is obviously included here, but Billy Wilder’s 1950 film digs deeper to explore the blurred line between fantasy and reality, as well as power, authenticity and self-delusion. Crucially, these themes are often shown in the film’s construction , via the cinematic techniques implemented by Wilder in each scene. This blog will explore the most important examples of these cinematic techniques. Remember, VCE examiners are on the lookout for students who can offer a close reading of the text they are discussing, giving specific examples of how its creator has constructed it to support their arguments. Just look at the difference between an essay that says:

' Through the final shot of the film, Wilder shows Norma completely succumbing to her fantasy.’

Compared to one that argues:

‍ ‘Through his utilisation of an increasingly glossy and distorted filter in the ominous final shot, Wilder depicts Norma being completely overtaken by her romanticised fantasy of ‘Old Hollywood’.

So read below to learn how to use the most effective and crucial cinematic techniques within Sunset Boulevard. ‍

Camera Techniques: Shot Types & Angles

Camera techniques are arguably the primary way that a director will intentionally direct the eye of the audience, directly framing how they view a film. The two most basic ways in which the camera is used for this are through the distance between the subject (what the scene is about) and the camera, or the ‘shot type’ and the ‘camera angle’ at which the subject is being filmed. Four key examples of these from Sunset Boulevard are explored below.

Key Examples of Shot Types

Our first look at Norma Desmond is within the wide shot above, just as Joe Gillis has entered her dishevelled mansion early in the film. As a rule, the introductory shot of a character is always worth closely analysing, as the director typically establishes their characteristics and place within the film’s wider world.

Shown above, this distant first look at Norma establishes her distance, both physical and mental, from the world around her. Removing herself from an industry that has long since moved on from her, she is severely out of touch with the reality of the world outside her home. Crucially, as this same shot is from Joe’s perspective, Wilder also foreshadows the more specific character ‘distance’ that will emerge between the two. Here, the audience sees the space Joe will similarly leave between himself and Norma, disingenuously humouring her poor-quality scripts and romantic advances and, therefore, always keeping her ‘at a distance’.

Another shot conveying crucial information about character relationships is shown when Joe officially ‘loses’ Betty towards the end of the film, refusing to give up his ‘long-term contract’ with Norma. Here, Wilder consciously frames the scene’s subject (Betty) at a distance with a medium shot. Supported by her refusal to make eye contact with Joe and her literal statement that she ‘can't look at [him]’ we again see physical distance between the camera and the subject translating to emotional distance between two characters. The impact of them no longer ‘seeing eye to eye’ is additionally heightened by the clear chemistry they previously demonstrated across the film.

Key Examples of Camera Angles

Just like the introductory shot of a character is worth digging into, the opening shot of a film is also incredibly important to unpack. Sunset Boulevard’ s seemingly straightforward opening shot simply includes the film’s title, by showing the real-life Hollywood street. However, notice that we are not seeing a ‘Sunset Boulevard’ street sign (the more obvious choice), but instead a dirty and stained curbside. Further, Wilder shoots this curb from a high angle . Therefore, the film’s opening shot establishes maybe the most central aim of Wilder’s film; offering a critical look at the superficiality and flawed nature of Hollywood. As such, we are literally looking down on the film industry in the first moment of the film, represented by this dirty and unflattering visual symbol of Hollywood. This, therefore, is setting the stage for the satire and critical commentary that will follow.

Wilder’s careful use of camera angles is further shown at the end of the film after Betty abandons Joe at the gate of Norma’s mansion. Crucially, this all happened due to the desperate exertion of power by Norma, who called Betty and revealed the details of her relationship with Joe. As such, Wilder shoots Norma at a low angle, as Joe looks up at her haughty gaze. The level of power that Norma has exerted over Joe may seem minimal within the moment, but when we consider what happens next, this shot becomes much more important. On the brink of descending completely into madness and taking Joe’s life, Wilder uses this shot to establish that Joe should be looking up in fear at Norma, and his dismissive and pitiful opinion of her will soon lead to his death.

Mise-en-scène

Mise-en-scène is perhaps the most deceptively simple cinematic technique. It involves analysing what appears within a frame and where it has been placed by the director. This includes elements such as the actor’s costumes, the props and the design of the set. Often, mise-en-scène is used to reinforce something we are being told about a character already through the film’s dialogue and acting.

Key Example of Mise-en-scène 1

We can see a key example of characterisation through mise-en-scène early in the film, where the audience’s introduction to Joe Gillis visually communicates his unconcerned and detached attitude, as well as his tendency to settle for something convenient despite its inauthenticity. His being dressed in a bathrobe with the blazing sun outside (and his debt collectors clearly up and doing their jobs) speaks to his slovenliness and uninvested approach to life. The set design within this scene further characterises Joe, with the script directly describing the ‘reproductions of characterless paintings’ that cover his walls. Here, the set arguably provides a visual metaphor for the profit-driven ‘Bases Loaded’ script he is writing at that very moment, later described by Betty as having come ‘from hunger.’

Key Example of Mise-en-scène 2

Equally, our introduction to the home of Norma Desmond helps establish the key elements of her character. The house is, as Joe describes, ‘crowded with Norma Desmonds’, in the form of countless framed photos of her from her silent film era. These self-portraits constantly looking out onto Norma symbolise the deluded fantasy world she has placed herself in. They both show how this world is based around her still being a youthful and famous actress, and that this delusion is maintained through Norma only communicating inwardly, refusing to face the reality of the outside world.

As ‘symbolises’ is a verb that is very commonly misused, it’s necessary here to provide a very simplified definition:

A symbol is something that contains levels of meaning not present at first glance or literal translation.

In film, the most obvious symbols are often physical objects that reappear within the story, working to symbolise concepts that develop the text’s key themes.

The Dead Chimp & The Organ

One of the more seemingly inexplicable parts of Wilder's film actually contains one of its most important symbols, with Norma’s pet monkey playing a key foreshadowing role from beyond the grave. The chimp, a pet owned and trained by Norma to amuse her, leaves a vacant role that Joe will gradually fill after having unknowingly interrupted its funeral. From this point in the film, Joe is manipulated, or ‘trained’, by Norma to entertain and provide companionship to her. Naturally, Joe also ends up dead within the bounds of Norma’s estate, with this symbol, therefore, foreshadowing the full trajectory of his character. All of this is directly alluded to through Joe’s description of the ‘mixed-up dream’ he has the night of the funeral, imagining ‘an organ [player]’ and the ‘chimp…dancing for pennies’ that he will soon become.

This naturally brings us to the organ itself, which serves as a physical reminder of the unflattering parts of the new role Joe must play. Included after Joe wakes from his ‘mixed-up dream’, the shot above frames Max’s organ-playing hands as massive and overpowering, as the much-smaller Joe storms in demanding to know why his ‘clothes and things’ were moved to Norma’s house without his say-so. Crucially, Norma then reveals that she ordered this action and that Joe's apartment debts are ‘all taken care of’, hand-waving his attempt at grasping back some control and dignity by proposing it be ‘deduct[ed]...from [his] salary’. This scene reveals the symbolic role the organ plays within Sunset Boulevard, reminding Joe of the shameful and powerless role of the ‘pet monkey’ that he now fills, as well as what he will be ‘dancing’ for.

Finally, we come to allusions, one of the techniques that Sunset Boulevard is most famous for. Allusions refer to anytime something from outside the world of the text is referenced, including other texts and real-world people, places, events, etc. Biblical and mythological allusions are commonly found in fiction, but references to something closer to our world can often bring a degree of realism to certain texts, working to strengthen their social commentary.

Cinematic Allusions

Being a film about film, Sunset Boulevard naturally contains many allusions to other films. However, Wilder does not shy away from adding an extra level of realism to his references to the film industry. Central to this is the use of the real (and still functional) Paramount Pictures studio to which Joe attempts to sell his clichéd baseball script. Notably, this is the studio that actually released Sunset Boulevard , all of which adds a self-deprecating edge to the satire of the film industry these scenes contain. The scene where the cigar-chomping Paramount executive, Mr Sheldrake, cynically suggests that changing Joe’s film concept to a ‘girls' softball team’ might ‘put in a few numbers’, packs an extra punch due to the use of the real film studio, therefore, showing the effect of this allusion in strengthening the film’s satire.

Allusions to specific films are additionally used for humorous purposes and character development. For instance, take Joe’s dry observation that the extravagance of the funeral for Norma’s pet means that he ‘must have been a very important chimp’, perhaps the ‘great-grandson of King Kong’. Here, Joe’s sardonic and witty character is revealed to the audience. Additionally, these kinds of references further place the film firmly in the world of real Hollywood , again working to strengthen the satire it offers of this industry.

Literary Allusions

Similarly, allusions to the world of literature flesh out both the characters and the world of Sunset Boulevard . The most stand-out example of this is the allusion to Charles Dickens’ classic novel Great Expectations . Here, Joe muses that the ‘unhappy look’ of Norma’s house reminds him of ‘Miss Havisham’ from this text. This is a character, who, after being abandoned by her fiance, refuses to change her clothing and lives secluded in a ‘rotting wedding dress’. Havisham directly parallels Norma, being a tragic figure immovably stuck in the past, with Norma's excessive placement of young self-portraits being reminiscent of Havishman’s insistence on keeping her house’s clocks at the exact time she received her letter of marital rejection. Therefore, this comparison to the Dickens character, who engages in a more exaggerated version of Norma’s behaviour, seeks to highlight just how detached Norma is from reality through her attempts to live in the past, implying that what she is doing is just as deluded as refusing to remove a rotting wedding dress. Further, the eventual fate of Miss Havisham within Great Expectations, with her wedding dress catching fire and leaving her as an invalid, foreshadows Norma’s similar descent to invalidity through her madness. For more on Sunset Boulevard , check out our blog: How To Incorporate Sunset Boulevard's Cinematic Features Into Your VCE Essay

Written by Milo Burgner

Updated 24/12/2020

Ransom is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 - Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Plot, Analysis, Important Passages and Quotes

1. Characters

Priam is an elderly king of Troy. As a child, his sister Hesione saved him from slavery, and had his named changed from Podarces to Priam, the name meaning ‘the ransomed one’ or ‘the price paid'. After the death of his son Hector, Priam envisions himself in plain clothing, riding a plain cart to Achilles who is effectively holding Hector ransom. His vision is the catalyst for the novel’s events, for his journey is one of learning and self-development. Though the royal family is doubtful of his plan to save Hector, Priam is resolute and insists that he needs to try his best to confront Achilles as a father, rather than as king. After many decades as king of Troy, Priam is determined to reinvent how he will be remembered; as a king who performed an extraordinary act of heroism in order to save his beloved son.

Achilles is known as the greatest warrior of the Greeks. The death of Patroclus, his closest companion and hinted lover, drives Achilles to insanity. Hector murdered Patroclus and, as a result, Achilles takes revenge by killing Hector. He then drags Hector’s dead body along the walls of Troy for the next 11 days. Achilles loses his sense of humanity as he is possessed by his rage, hatred and grief.

Somax is representative of the ‘common man’ in Ransom . He is chosen to escort Priam to Achilles. His simple and plain presence is contrasted with Priam’s royal status. He often engages in useless chatter and performs daily activities in a way that is foreign to the king. Although Somax is far from royalty, his great deal of affection for his daughter-in-law and granddaughter teaches Priam about love, family and life.

Beauty is Somax’s favourite mule. She accompanies Priam and Somax on their journey to the Greek camp where Achilles resides.

Somax’s other mule who carries the cart to Achilles’ camp.

Hecuba is Priam’s beloved wife and mother of Hector. She is initially uncertain of Priam’s vision to save Hector. However, after hearing Priam’s sentimental reasons, she shows support and urges him to first share his plan with their family and the kingdom’s council before he departs.

Hector is Priam’s son and also the leader of the Trojan army. He is kind, brave and noble without any cruel intentions, unlike his rival Achilles. During a battle between the Trojans and the Greeks, Hector kills Patroclus. This results in Achilles challenging Hector to a battle, resulting in Hector’s death and Achilles’ triumph.

Neoptolemus

Neoptolemus is Achilles’ son. Although he is mentioned throughout Ransom , he makes his first appearance at the end of the novel where he savagely slaughters an old and defenseless Priam in an effort to avenge his father’s death. ‍

By the way, to download a PDF version of this blog for printing or offline use, click here !

‍ 2. Themes

Ransom explores who we are and what it means to have an identity. As the leader of Troy for many decades, Priam has always viewed himself as a king. It appears as though Priam has been unhappy with his identity for quite some time, is physically weak, and feels as though he cannot protect his kingdom as efficiently as he used to. However, the death of Hector is a catalyst for Priam as he realises that he needs to become a ‘father’ rather than the ‘king’ he had become so accustomed to. His search for Hector is also a search for himself, to reinvent who he is and how he wishes others to remember him.

Meanwhile, Somax is designated as the king’s herald, with the name Idaeus. He secretly notes his unhappiness with this name appointment, since he is ‘Somax, not Idaeus'. The name ‘Somax’ is associated with many significant events in his life including his marriage and family, yet the new unfamiliar name strips him of this identity. Somax’s confidence and pride in his identity is starkly contrasted with Priam’s pursuit for an identity transformation.

Malouf demonstrates that it is never too late to change one’s ways. Priam’s determination to change how he is remembered – from just another king leading a regal life to a hero who went to extraordinary lengths to regain his child – demonstrates that change is within our grasp. Even though his beautiful wife Hecuba and the rest of his family have reservations about his desire to confront Achilles, Priam is resolved in taking a ‘chance', rather than achieving nothing by remaining within the walls of his home. Unexpectedly, this one idea propels Priam into a multitude of other changes. His journey with Somax teaches Priam a far greater deal than he had anticipated, for he learns to appreciate the value of the human connection and other daily simplicities in life.

Although Achilles is driven by hatred and anger after Patroclus’ death, as with Priam, he manages to change his ways. He is touched by Priam’s pleas and consequently accepts the ransom and returns Hector’s body. He is able to reach this state of peace by releasing his immoral intentions and even offers to hold a ritual for Hector’s body in the Greek walls that very night. This transformation, from a human who responds to grief with vengeance to someone who releases and forgives, demonstrates the benefits we can gain from amending our ways.

Revenge, Guilt and Peace

Revenge is portrayed as a never-ending vicious cycle until both parties reach a negotiation or peace. After Patroclus’ death, Achilles hunts down Hector in order to avenge his best friend’s early death. Although he is successful in murdering Hector, Achilles does not follow the custom of leaving the body for the grieving family to bury. Instead, Achilles feels the need to mutilate the body day after day without any sense of remorse or regret. His additional need to inflict harm on Hector’s body indicates that revenge will not bring closure. His sense of loss is shown as he reflects feeling empty inside, to the point where he no longer feels like himself, but someone else altogether.

Although Achilles and Priam ultimately find peace within themselves, many years later Achilles’ son Neoptolemus murders Priam, bounded by the same hatred and pain depicted by Achilles. Neoptolemus’ subsequent guilt and regret is carried with him throughout the rest of his life, demonstrating that again, revenge is not the answer to any problem.

Chance and Fate

The role of the gods is heavily woven into the events that unfold in Ransom. Priam only begins his transition and journey after envisioning the goddess Iris, who suggests that he take a ‘chance’ and try to save Hector from Achilles’ camp. During his journey, a jovial young man who joins the travellers is revealed as Hermes, a god who has come to safely guide the elderly men to Achilles. The power of the gods in controlling human fate is illustrated during the scene where Hermes saves the travellers from being swept away by a stream.

Nevertheless, it can also be argued that it is the characters’ decisions that lead them to their fate. Although the gods may have instilled in Priam the idea that he should rescue Hector, it is the king’s determination which is a main driving force for the journey. Even when confronted with doubt and hesitancy from his family, it is Priam who pushes onwards to fulfil his vision. Whether his actions were already predestined or of his own agency is up to you to decide.

Nature Versus Man

Man’s presence on earth is shown to have little significance in comparison to the power of nature. While the events in Ransom teach the characters many valuable lessons, ultimately these meaningful moments in the humans’ lives disappear as one reaches their fate – death. Time moves on beyond our lives as we are forgotten over decades and centuries while nature prevails. Priam’s desire to be remembered by others highlights how little significance a life possesses unless one behaves extraordinarily. Malouf demonstrates that in the end, life just is – we are granted by nature to have a brief existence, yet in the end, nature and time will move forward without us.

Commoners Versus Royalty

Although royalty is portrayed to be blessed with power and authority, it is ironically the commoners in Ransom who appear to have the ‘richest’ (and more fulfilling) lives. For the first time, Priam is exposed to the different interests and values of the common man and is intrigued by the simplicities of life. It is Somax, a mere old man from the marketplace, who teaches Priam more about life than he had imagined possible.

Jove’s Eagle

Jove’s eagle is a representation of a bird renowned for its keen sight. The presence of Jove’s eagle during Priam and Somax’s departure hints that the gods will safely guide their journey as the bird behaves as a lookout. Furthermore, the symbol of the eagle’s powerful vision is contrasted with Priam’s ‘blindness’ at the beginning of the journey since he is yet to experience the outside world. It is during the journey that he learns about himself and others, and thus, improves his ‘sight.’ Coincidently, Jove’s eagle is no longer mentioned when Priam is endowed with his new insight.

The royal cart is ‘a fine new one, the marks of the adze still visible on its timbers. The twelve-spoked wheels are elaborately carved and painted, a wickerwork canopy covers the tray'. On all occasions, the king had used this elegant cart to alert others that royalty was present. The use of this cart demonstrates how Priam has been encapsulated in his own royal sphere since everything is meticulously chosen and designed specifically for the king. Nevertheless, his demand for a ‘common work cart’ depicts his determination for a simple approach to Achilles, as a father to another father. This simplicity highlights Priam’s desire to become just another man and father, anonymous in the plain cart with the hopes of retrieving Hector.

Priam as a Child

At the beginning of the journey, Priam is characterised with childish traits. When Somax urges Priam to dabble his feet in the stream, words such as ‘obedient toddler', ‘three uncertain steps', and ‘happy smile’ reflect the actions of a young child trying new experiences. This childish nature is contrasted with Priam’s old and frail age, which demonstrates that although he has lived a life in royalty, his lack of exposure to ‘real life’ has left him crippled of the simplest experiences such as the cooling effect of feet in water and eating delicious homemade cookies.

The cakes Somax brings along during the journey highlight Priam’s lack of knowledge of even the simplest things. For Somax, the little griddlecakes are a regular and delectable snack, yet Priam 'ha[s] never seen them before'. Priam’s unfamiliarity with the cakes represents his isolation from the ‘real world’ since he has been deprived from things that even commoners view as ordinary.

Futhermore, Somax’s lengthy chatter about his daughter-in-law cooking the cakes with the ‘batter bubbling and setting and turning a golden brown’ prompts Priam to think about the activities in his kingdom that occur behind closed doors. He had previously never noticed that there was so much preparation and work that went into the food that appeared at his table, let alone the ingredients and thickness of a batter. These matters had been of little concern to Priam, yet he realises that even the ‘common and low…activities and facts of life, had an appeal'.

Hector’s Body

Although Achilles drags Hector’s body across the walls of Troy for eleven days, each morning he would return to find Hector’s body healed of any wounds, and absent of any physical damage to his body. This is a cruel reminder of the god’s ability to ‘toy around’ with the Ancient Greeks’ lives. Hector’s body also symbolises how revenge is not the answer to any conflict, since dealing with a tragic loss through revenge does not gain anything but more pain and suffering.

Although Priam initially believes he understands the distress of losing a son, Somax’s experience of losing his son is driven with emotions that Priam had never previously experienced. When sharing the story of his son’s death, Somax sniffles, an ‘odd habit’ according to Priam. The use of ‘odd habit’ to describe Somax’s sadness demonstrates how Priam has never truly felt the loss of his son, but only the loss of a royal relationship between king and prince.

Later on, Somax once again ‘snuffles’ and ‘rubs his nose’ at the thought of the ending to their journey. Similarly, Priam makes ‘small sounds', presumably crying as well. The transformation of Priam from someone who failed to empathise with Somax’s tears at the beginning of the journey to a man filled with emotions demonstrates that Priam undergoes both a physical and metaphysical journey where he undergoes self-development and appreciation of the world around him.

4. Plot, Analysis, Important Passages and Quotes

Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Greeks, stands next to the sea while reminiscing about the past. After his mother’s death he had ‘entered the rough world of men’ (p. 6) where wars and battles prevail. Every morning, he feels the need to ‘tramp to shore’ (p. 10) since he is haunted by the death of his ‘soulmate and companion’ Patroclus, and his raging hatred towards Hector, killer of Patroclus and thus, the ‘implacable enemy'.

When Achilles was a child, his cousin Patroclus came to live with the young Achilles since the former had killed the son of a high official of the royal court due to a ‘quarrel over a game of knucklebones’ (p. 11). In need of asylum, Patroclus came to live with Achilles’ family. As the years passed, the pair grew closer to the extent where Achilles believes that ‘he had mated with Patroclus’ (p. 15).

When the tide of the battle was against the Greeks, Patroclus disguises himself in Achilles’ armour in order to instill fear in the Trojans and cause them to return to the safety of their walls, thus providing temporary relief for the Greeks. In his last act for his closest friend, Patroclus is killed in battle*. The death of Patroclus left Achilles with an overwhelming sense of loss and also burning animosity. Achilles whispers that he will join Patroclus soon, but firstly, he has to avenge Patroclus’ killer, Hector.

Hector, the son of Trojan king Priam and leader of the Trojan army, wore Achilles' armour as a sign of triumph and disrespect for the Greeks. In a dramatic battle between Hector and himself, Achilles was successful in killing his enemy. Achilles’ Myrmidons then stripped Hector of his armour and ‘without pity…plunged their swords into Hector’s unprotected flesh’ (p. 24). For Achilles however, this was not enough. Still fuelled by his pain, Achilles ties Hector’s body to a chariot and drags it ‘up and down under the walls of Troy’ (p. 26) as the dead warrior’s royal family devastatingly watches on. Achilles feels like a ‘dead man…feeling nothing’ (p. 26), unable to seal the void left by his beloved friend.

The next day, Achilles is furious to find Hector’s body ‘smoothly sealed and the torn flesh made whole again'. His men cannot bear to look at him as he drives the chariot with Hector’s body along the walls of the Trojans once again. Afterwards he quickly falls asleep, into ‘oblivion’ (p. 35) as he struggles with the shame and guilt of his actions. He is ‘waiting for a break…something new and unimaginable’ in his life.

The Human Side

Along with the conflict between Greece and Troy, Ransom also delves into the consequences of those affected by the war. As the greatest warrior of all Greeks, Achilles has lived his life as a fighter. Nevertheless, his pathway in life has led him to believe that ‘such a life is death to the warrior spirit’ (p. 7). While warriors are known for sacrificing their lives in the battlefield, Achilles does not literally refer to warriors confronting death each time they fight for their team. In fact, ‘death to the warrior spirit’ means to metaphorically lose what it means to ‘live’ when one experiences bloodshed in each war. Growing up surrounded by ‘the rough world of men’ (p. 6), Achilles develops traits of aggression, cruelty and vengefulness in order to become an implacable man of war. As a consequence, Achilles only knows how to deal with Patroclus’ death with a fighter’s mindset. Instead of grieving openly, ‘he never permit[s] himself to betray to others what he [feels]’ (p. 5), thus detaching himself from the natural human process of grieving. In order to deal with his friend’s tragic ending, Achilles' ‘soul chang[es] colour’ as drags Hector’s body for eleven days without any sense of regret or remorse, and thus, is referred to as ‘death to his human spirit’ since he was no longer ‘a living man’ (p. 27). He faces Patroclus’ death with the same warrior traits of aggression, cruelty and vengefulness, depriving himself of any ability to humanely mourn his close friend’s death.

Furthermore, Achilles grieves for his mother in the opening passages of Ransom . During this time of loss, his mother symbolises Achilles’ need to be nurtured. The imagery of the sea surface as a ‘belly’ and ‘a membrane stretched to a fine transparency’ (p. 3) represents his mother’s pregnancy where he ‘had hung curled in a dream of pre-existence’ for ‘nine changes of the moon’ – or in other words, nine months of pregnancy. Achilles is characterised as a foetus, for his position is ‘chin down, shoulders hunched’ as though he is inside a womb. Although Achilles is a fighter, he hides the fact that he wishes to be ‘rocked and comforted’ by his mother, thus demonstrating that even beneath the surface of a cold-hearted warrior, the current of human emotions can cripple a man’s confident veneer.

If you'd like to read more of my analysis, feel free to access a sample of our ebook A Killer Text Guide: Ransom . In this ebook, I cover Plot, Analysis, Important Passages and Quotes so you can prepare for your SAC and exam. I've also included 5 Sample A+ English essays on Ransom , complete with annotations so you know exactly what you need to do in your next essay to achieve an A+.

All the best for your studies in Ransom!

The Erratics is usually studied in the Australian curriculum as a Text Response. For a detailed guide on Text Response, check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Within the intimate Albertan landscape of her memoir, The Erratics , author Vicki Laveau-Harvie guides her readers through the inhospitable terrain that marked her family environment. Laveau-Harvie’s memoir is complex, showcasing the complicated dynamics that arise within her dysfunctional family. Understanding the ideas and values that underpin these family tensions is crucial to scoring well in The Erratics , which is why this blog will break down the key themes and quotes to help you analyse the memoir.

Family & Trauma

Truth & perspective, choice & agency.

Family lies at the heart of The Erratics . Both sisters spent their childhoods navigating the hostile familial setting fostered by their mother’s turbulent behaviour, resulting in a profound trauma that manifests itself in their present lives. The ways in which they manage this trauma, whilst reestablishing a connection with their family, is a core aspect of Laveau-Harvie’s memoir.

‍ ‘We’ve been disowned and disinherited…When something bad happens to them, we’ll know soon enough and we’ll deal with it together. I don’t realise at the time, but when I say that, I imply care. I imply there may be something to salvage. I misspeak. But I’m flying there anyhow. So is my sister. Blood calls to blood. What can I tell you?’ (p. 17)

From the outset, Laveau-Harvie asserts the underlying tension of her memoir. Having established her mother to be as ‘mad as a meat-axe’ in the first chapter, the reader may find Laveau-Harvie’s decision to return to Canada bizarre, to say the least. However, for Vicki the choice makes sense, having promised her sister that she will return to support her when ‘something bad happens’.

Laveau-Harvie suggests that people cannot completely separate themselves from their blood relations, and that most importantly, a moral obligation to one’s family and self-preservation are not mutually exclusive. Rather, she suggests that there exists a ‘precarious balance’ between these commitments and that one’s family cannot be ignored in times of need, because, ultimately, ‘blood calls to blood’.

‍ ‘...everybody knows a family Christmas will always go badly, that even the most extremely lowered family expectations will not be met. Magazines publish the same articles…year after year, on why we harbour these wildly unrealistic expectations of family unity.’ (p. 54)

Laveau-Harvie challenges the ‘wildly unrealistic expectations’ of familial culture depicted in countless generations of Canadian magazines. She uses the imagery of a ‘family Christmas…go[ing] badly’ to dismantle the idea of a traditionally wholesome festive season, suggesting that such compassion is inaccessible in the presence of her mother’s ‘mercurial’ personality.

Additionally, Laveau-Harvie’s insistence that ‘everybody knows a family Christmas will always go badly’ is immediately juxtaposed by the gracious dinner she shares with her friends. Laveau-Harvie appreciates how they ‘light up their properties in such joyous fashion’ relative to the ‘Hotel California’ her parents reside in. Thus, Laveau-Harvie invites her readers to reflect upon the value she places on this fulfilment of familial duty; how all it takes is an act of selfless humanity to restore (to some extent) the vision that ‘family unity’ is not ‘unrealistic’, but rather, completely possible.

‍ '...the giant Douglas fir…It has prospered, cutting off the view of the Rockies…even though it should have never flourished…The tree is full of tiny birds, red-breasted nuthatches who live in it year-round…' (p. 42)

Laveau-Harvie uses the Douglas fir as a symbol of survival, emblematic of the extraordinary circumstances under which she was able to 'flourish'. Laveau-Harvie recounts her numerous travels throughout the memoir – Canada, Australia and Hong Kong – her decision to 'opt for geography' acting as a means of self-preservation, placing distance between herself and her family (in particular, her mother). It is made clear from the prologue that the Okotoks Erratic foothills, also called the Rockies, are a motif for the indomitable presence of the mother ( see here for more on setting in The Erratics ) from which Laveau-Harvie escapes.

Hence when the Douglas fir is described to have '[cut] off the view of the Rockies' it conveys Laveau-Harvie’s success in physically removing herself from the hostile family setting she was trapped in. However, note that Laveau-Harvie’s geographical location does not relieve her of her trauma – she openly explains how she 'walk[s] like an invalid through life'. Regardless of this, Laveau-Harvie 'prosper[s]…even though [she] should have never flourished', parenting kind and compassionate children ('tiny birds') of her own despite the immeasurable anguish she endured during her own childhood. Thus, Laveau-Harvie demonstrates the capacity to break a vicious cycle of trauma created by her mother, instead using her own 'principle of pre-emptive karma' to limit passing on her grief.

A reflection of a specific six-year period of her life, Laveau-Harvie uses her memoir to explore the multifaceted nature of truth, how a shared experience can give rise to varying perspectives and responses. An intimate piece of storytelling in its own right, The Erratics is a platform from which Laveau-Harvie urges the reader to discover their own truth, whilst cherishing a balanced view of reality

‍ 'This is not untrue. My sister feels differently. She has her truth and I have mine but she isn’t the one doing the talking right now.' (p. 12)

Consistently throughout The Erratics , Laveau-Harvie emphasises the differences between the sisters, and the varying extents to which their past trauma has affected and damaged them. She suggests that despite a shared upbringing, with the same malignant presence of their mother, one’s perspective is unique to the individual. It also raises discussion about the truth the reader is presented in the memoir. As the author, Laveau-Harvie guides her readership through events as they pertain to her memory - the subjectivity of her memoir is something Laveau-Harvie openly admits to her readers.

Regardless, there are clear distinctions between how the sisters respond to their trauma. The sister struggles to 'negate a past that haunts her', feeling 'the blows of the past continuously in her present'. Conversely, Laveau-Harvie’s past 'is not merely faded…it’s not there', with many of her memories repressed to help her survive her anguish. Thus, Laveau-Harvie affirms how one’s response to trauma is dependent on the individual, how one’s truth is often adapted to their needs in order to survive.

‍ 'The aurora borealis are fading. Well, he says, show’s over. Gotta see a man about a dog. You should move on too. You’ll have more scope now, for the good stuff. He waves his arm. Wider view, he says. Farther reach. But only for the good stuff.' (p. 217)

Bookending her memoir with the geological construction and spiritual origins of the Okotoks Erratic foothills, Laveau-Harvie ultimately uses her memoir as a reflective process that helps her find 'closure' towards her mother’s legacy. Initially conveying her mother’s menace through the 'danger' of the Rockies, Laveau-Harvie’s connection with the Albertan landscape helps her see hope within the 'landscape of uncommon beauty'. Her mother’s life 'tainted' by mental illness, Laveau-Harvie comes to an understanding that her behaviour, much like the harshness of the Canadian winter, was 'nothing personal'. Thus, upon her mother’s death, Laveau-Harvie crafts an intimate interaction between her mother and Napi the Trickster, closing her memoir with the hopeful wish that her mother now lives a life with 'wider view…farther reach…but only for the good stuff'. Hence, in a final act of forgiveness, Laveau-Harvie honours the life of her mother, whose potential was tarnished by mental illness.

‍ 'My sister says her suburb is working-class; she also tells me that she considers herself working-class…I try to make her see that we have sprung desperately from a violently aspirational upper-middle-class background, and that I see that as part of the greater malaise we live with.' (p. 186)

Laveau-Harvie continues to emphasise the differences between her and her sister, with one focus being how their values have developed in response to their trauma. There is a clear difference between the sisters when they discuss their definitions of ‘working-class’; the sister argues that she and her suburb are working-class, defined by 'having a job'. Contrastingly, Laveau-Harvie 'tr[ies] to make her see that [they] have sprung…from a violently aspirational upper-middle-class background', and expresses some concern towards her societal status being 'part of the greater malaise [they] live with'.

The sister chooses to identify as 'working-class', thereby highlighting how her parent’s obsession with the accumulation of material wealth has influenced her perception of class and privilege. Amassing an 'impressive wall of properties', the sister parallels her father’s 'pride…at the sight of watching his wife spend big'. On the other hand, Laveau-Harvie openly acknowledges her family’s privilege but instead perceives it as a 'malaise' and chooses to separate herself from any degree of avarice. Thus, the reader is invited to reflect upon the differences between the sisters’ perspectives, how the sister may still be in thrall to her parent’s values, whereas Laveau-Harvie’s sense of self is inextricably linked to the natural landscape over material possessions.

Many characters that feature in Laveau-Harvie’s memoir are elderly, and experience a unique set of challenges that only comes with the ageing process. The mother and the father, for example, both endure deteriorating health conditions that compromise their independence and autonomy. As such, Laveau-Harvie offers an interesting insight into what it’s like to observe and deal with ageing parents who struggle to accept the limits of their age.

‍ 'My father is looking far away, back in a moment when life was excitement and danger and possibilities…’ (p. 91)

Laveau-Harvie’s father often finds himself reminiscing over his past, reflecting on war-time memories or the wealth he accumulated from his work in the oil industry. Although, Laveau-Harvie does suggest to her readers that these stories become more exaggerated each time they are told, highlighting the difficulty the father has in coping with his ageing body. Laveau-Harvie illustrates how the ageing process inevitably incurs a loss of independence and autonomy, and uses the characterisation of her father to emphasise the challenge of reconciling with this isolating experience.

By 'looking far away, back in a moment when life was excitement and danger and possibilities', Vicki’s father uses his memories to retain the feeling that 'he’s twenty and bullet-proof'. Reminiscing over his act of heroism during the war, the father commends himself for the 'precise calculations' that enabled him and his copilot to perform a 'remarkable manoeuvre'. Thus Laveau-Harvue uses this hyperbolic description of her father’s story to reveal how elderly people must often depend upon their past memories to maintain a sense of autonomy in the present.

Laveau-Harvie suggests that elderly individuals such as her father must 'confront the real' in accepting that the ageing process will physically hinder their independence, leaving them to feel rejected by their own bodies. Hence, Laveau-Harvie exposes her readers to how the ageing process can be an inherently challenging experience for elderly individuals to accept.

‍ 'It happens, they say. With older people They come to, and a whole married life of disappointment and bitterness slips out, like an organ escaping an incision, like a balloon filled with acid. It bursts on impact, burning holes in their spouses’ clothing and leaving little round scars on their flesh that never heal completely.' (p. 19)

There are many marriages and long-term relationships mentioned throughout the memoir: the mother and the father, the aunt and the uncle and the sister and her partner. Even Laveau-Harvie herself is divorced from 'the father of [her] children'. Laveau-Harvie acknowledges the difficulty in maintaining these types of relationships; how they are often marked by histories that invariably include events that are never resolved or forgiven. Laveau-Harvie explores this notion through her use of metaphor, likening the 'bitterness' of unresolved conflict to 'a balloon filled with acid…burst[ing] on impact'. Here, she asserts the importance of forgiveness in a long-term relationship, affirming its capacity to maintain and restore compassion, love and empathy.

Moreover, Laveau-Harvie suggests that in the absence of forgiveness, marital conflicts are left to foster 'disappointment and bitterness' that is released when people enter elderly life. Laveau-Harvie conveys how the 'burning holes' in a long-term relationship can compromise its stability, leaving 'little round scars…that never heal completely' - thereby reinforcing the feelings of isolation and despondency endured by The Erratic ’s elderly characters. Thus, Laveau-Harvie reinforces the value of forgiveness, how a willingness to empathise with a partner, especially early in a relationship, can minimise the 'bitterness' experienced when one ages.

‍ 'We’re like the king and the queen, my uncle says, every time we see any of them, whenever they visit. Like the king and the queen. They smile at the fullness of their life: love and problems, success and loss, pride and a hefty measure of grief. A well-worn life fully lived, perspectives widening with each new baby, blossoming like one of those paper flower buds that unfold into unexpected beauty when you plunge them into water. ' (p. 86)

With Laveau-Harvie’s parents at the forefront of the memoir, it seemingly appears that she depicts only a grim image of old age. Whilst she does offer these insights, Laveau-Harvie also portrays the emotionally rich and satisfying life lived by her ageing aunt and uncle. 'Smil[ing] at the fullness of their life', the aunt and the uncle 'peer endearingly' over their extended family. Their 'perspectives widening with each new baby', Laveau-Harvie also uses the virtuous imagery of her aunt and uncle to emphasise the value of an emotionally rich elderly life.

Metaphorically referred to as 'the king and the queen', Laveau-Harvie uses the connotations of royalty imbued in this metaphor to emphasise the richness of a life spent in a nurturing family environment, where widening perspectives help ageing individuals find a 'fullness' in their life despite the 'hefty measure of grief' endured. Thus, Laveau-Harvie juxtaposes her aunt and uncle’s willingness to engage with family against her parent’s 'disown[ment] and disinherit[ment]' of their daughters.

Throughout their lives, the sisters have suffered immeasurable trauma at the hands of their parent’s decisions. Yet, despite this, the two daughters demonstrate that they possess a strength of character capable of making the most difficult of decisions. Laveau-Harvie explores the significance of employing one’s agency in reconnecting with, and restoring, familial relationships.

‍ 'It means always try to do the decent thing, the rational thing, the selfless thing, the boring thing, because then you won’t have to beat yourself up with guilt until your early stress-induced death…Do nothing you know you will live to regret.' (p. 80)

'Tattoo[ed]' 'on the corner of [her] soul', the philosophy to live without regret is permanently engrained as part of Laveau-Harvie’s character, a testament to the integrity she holds that allows her to make the difficult decision to return to Canada and reconcile with her trauma. Laveau-Harvie fully understands the challenges, and even dangers, she would be facing upon her return. Despite having been disinherited two decades prior, and entirely aware of her mother’s volatility, Laveau-Harvie ultimately chooses to use her agency and confront, reconcile and heal from her past.

Interestingly, Laveau-Harvie’s sister also exhibits similar behaviour. When her mother is hospitalised, the sister also returns to Alberta; she takes upon herself several responsibilities involving the cleaning and organising of her parent’s house (which ultimately risks her life as she triggers an angioedema attack). This therefore invites the reader to reflect upon the sister’s willingness to do 'the selfless thing[s]' necessary to help her family; and perhaps suggests that to live with no regrets is a philosophy shared by two sisters 'petrified by grief'.

‍ 'I reminded her that Dad went along with my mother in disinheriting us, removing any right we had to help him in his old age; that, most hurtfully of all, he believed everything she told him about us, even though he now holds other views. It is as a result of his own inability to act that he now barely has a connection with us and has none whatsoever with his grandchildren.' (p. 187)

When the reader is first introduced to the father, they are met with the imagery of a frail old man suffering from a starvation diet enforced by his cruel and narcissistic wife. However, as the memoir progresses, Laveau-Harvie limits the reader’s sympathy towards her father, who she instead affirms is a victim of his own design. Laveau-Harvie holds her father accountable for the passiveness that perpetuated the mother’s unpredictable behaviour. Illustrating how her father 'went along with [the] mother in disinheriting' herself and her sister, Laveau-Harvie challenges the extent to which her father’s intervention could have mitigated the devastating 'swathe of misery' cast by the mother. Therefore, Laveau-Harvie asserts the power of one’s voice, suggesting that had her father employed his agency then perhaps the extent of his daughters’ trauma could have been minimised.

‍ 'There are the dangers and difficulties you summon up the courage to deal with physically, every day, in the lab or the forest, and then there are the blows that fall from the air, unseen, unpredictable, but nonetheless brutal and crippling. Confronting the real makes you a person of substance; fending off the invisible light that always blindsides you makes you Chicken Little, hoping to absorb a little warmth from the lights on the tree.' (p. 65)

'Confronting the real', Laveau-Harvie demonstrates that to begin the healing process and reconcile with the past, one must make the difficult choice to 'summon up the courage to deal with…the blow that fall from the air'. Upon her return to Canada, Laveau-Harvie faces the 'unseen' and 'unpredictable' challenges her mother has imposed. She deals with the web of lies spun by her mother, the bureaucracy of the hospital workers and her starved father’s declining health. However, despite the overwhelming trauma of her past and the challenge of being reunited with her parents, Laveau-Harvie ultimately chooses to use her agency and 'confront the real', enduring the 'brutal and crippling' blows along the way.

Want to dive deeper into this text? Check out our blog post on Understanding the Symbolic Nature of Setting in The Erratics.

If you, like me, grew up Asian in Australia, you might think you already know a thing or two about, well, growing up Asian in Australia. Our stories can be pretty similar—just have a scroll through the ‘subtle asian traits’ Facebook group, or have a conversation with literally any Asian Australian about their parents.

At the same time, it’s also important to recognise that everyone’s experiences are diverse, especially given how broad an identity ‘Asian’ can be. Also important is to recognise how broad and intersectional identity can be in general—intersectional meaning that race isn’t the only thing that defines any one of us. Things like gender, socio-economic status, ability, sexual orientation and religion can also be really central, for example. Each of these things can impact the way we navigate the world.

Covering a broad range of these stories is Alice Pung’s anthology, Growing Up Asian In Australia . Some of the contributors in this volume include Sunil Badami , Matt Huynh , Bon-Wai Chou , Diana Nguyen , Michelle and Benjamin Law, and Shaun Tan , and already this cross-section is fairly diverse in nature. You can also click on their names to find out a bit more about each of their work. I think this is worth a few minutes, just to get acquainted with the sheer range of Asian-Australian creatives who are represented in this book, and to locate their work within the themes they write about—in other words, having a think about the ways that cultural heritage, or experiences with family, or economic hardship permeate their work, both in the anthology and in their lives outside it.

The anthology is (perhaps quite helpfully) divided into sections which revolve around key themes, which is also going to inform the structure of this guide. I’ll be using this guide to go through an exercise that I found really helpful when learning the text, which involves:

taking two stories per section and drawing up some dot-point similarities and differences
translating two of those points into paragraphs, a bit like a ‘mini-essay’

We’ll go through some an example of what this might look like, and why it’s a helpful exercise to try.

Before we start diving into Growing Up Asian in Australia , I'd highly recommend checking out LSG's Ultimate Guide to VCE Text Response .

Strine (Badami & Tseng)

Strine is what’s called a syncope , a shortened way of pronouncing Australian (a bit like ‘Straya’)—it refers to Australian English as it’s spoken by locals. This section of the book is all about language , and about the difficulties of juggling two languages growing up, and Badami and Tseng’s stories are great examples of this.

1. Similarity: connections to one’s mother tongue fade over time. Tseng recounts how, one by one, she and her sisters stopped learning Chinese as they progressed through their Australian education. Badami on the other hand compromises his name which stood out as too Indian when he “just wanted to fit in.”

2. Similarity: for ‘third-culture kids’, losing knowledge of their language also strains their relationship with their forebears. Badami’s mother is shocked to hear the anglicisation of his name despite the significance it carrie for her (“she spat my unreal new name out like something bitter and stringy”), and Tseng describes the experience of communicating with her father in “Chinglish” so that they can both understand each other.

3. Difference: language can be an internalised, personal experience, or a highly exposed and interpersonal one. While Tseng feels her loss of her language as a “sense of shame, a vague unease”, Badami is almost bullied into changing his name, “Sunil? Like banana peel?”

The Clan (Law & Chau)

This section delves into the complex ties that hold migrant families together. Chau’s poems are starkly different to Law’s story, so it’ll be interesting to compare how these different narrative forms work to explore those ideas.

1. Similarity : it can take at least one generation for migrant families to dig their roots into their new home. While Law’s parents are proud tourists at Queensland theme parks, he and his siblings “groan” at their comportment. Chau’s poem ‘The Firstborn’ traces his ancestry forward until he arrived, “an ABC” and his son “by amniotic sea”, both of them born into Australia.

2 . Similarity: family dynamics are still traditional and therefore gendered. Law notes how his mother’s health suffered when divorcing his father, and Chau notes that the women members of his family were “cast off” the family tree “as if they were never born.

3. Difference: family history and heritage can vary in importance. Chau’s family traces back “twenty-eight generations” of history, whereas Law’s family very much lives in the present, the only tie to older generations being his “Ma-Ma”, or grandma.

4. Difference: families show their love in different ways. Whether it’s dedicating a poem to his son about his life as one of “ten thousand rivers” of Chinese diaspora into the Australian sea, or taking the kids to theme parks on weekends, all sorts of affection can hold families together.

Putting it together

So I’ve tried to choose two sections (and four stories) that are all a bit different to try and mix it up and get some rich comparative discussion out of these. You might be studying this text alone, but even as one text, remember that there’s a lot of diverse experiences being represented in it, so discussing how stories connect, compare and contrast is just as important as discussing the content of individual stories themselves.

If we do a mini-essay, we might as well go about it properly and pick some sort of contention. Without a fixed prompt though, it might be easier to start with those dot points and pick which ones we want to write out and string together. Let’s pick two—connections to mother tongue fading over time (Strine similarity 1) and digging roots into Australia over time (The Clan similarity 1). A contention covering these points might look like:

While second generation migrants may struggle with loss of culture, they also constitute a unique and significant part of the diaspora.

Many migrants lose connections to their heritage over time, and these connections are often in the form of language. Particularly for Asian migrants, there is not as strong a need to preserve their mother tongue in the English-speaking Australia, and as such their knowledge of those languages can be easily lost. Ivy Tseng, for instance, recalls how she was never able to “grasp the significance” of learning Chinese as a child, and eventually she and her sisters would prioritise “study” and other academic pursuits over learning Chinese. Because tertiary study and education as an institution generally carry a lot of weight in migrant cultures, there is often a compromise made at the expense of heritage and language. These compromises can come from other factors as well, particularly the group dynamics of being in white-dominated Australia. Bullying is a frequent culprit, and Badami for example is indeed peer-pressured into resenting—and ultimately anglicising—his name, “Sunil? Like banana peel?” More generally speaking, a sense of shame for one’s difference is a common part of the migrant experience—Law experiences it as well at theme parks, where he and his siblings attempt to “set [them]selves apart” from the faux-pas of their parents. Not always an intentional goal, but a general willingness to compromise connections to heritage underscores many Asian Australian migrant stories, particularly of second-generation migrants.

However, the extent to which migrants feel socially integrated in society shifts generationally and over time as well. Second generation migrants are thus unique in that they have the closest connection to their heritage while also initiating this process of integration. Law and his siblings exemplify this, with their “Australian accents” and “proper grammar and syntax.” While some loss of their native Cantonese takes place, they are also the first in their family to sound Australian, one step closer to being Australian. They constitute part of the distinct, third culture of “ABC”—Australian-born Chinese—to which Chau alludes in his poem, ‘The Firstborn’. Distinct from first-generation migrants, ABCs are a product of diaspora and spend their formative years immersed in the Australian way of life. Chau’s poem goes on to highlight how sizeable this demographic now is—“the sea is awash with the unfathomable Chinese sons.” Thus, we can see how ABCs, or second generation Asian migrants, represent a unique and significant social group exemplified by great compromise, but also great change.

Why is this useful?/How can I apply this?

I like this exercise because it gets you thinking creatively about the key implications of the stories. Within a section or theme, you want to identify similarities in how both stories contribute to our understanding of that theme . You also want to identify differences to explore how stories can be unique and nuanced , which will provide your essay with more depth when you ultimately need it. Then, putting it all together helps you synthesise new connections between themes .

For an analytical study of this text, you’d flesh out those ideas until they become paragraphs, introducing relevant evidence and mixing it up with explanatory sentences as you go. Explanatory sentences keep you analysing rather than story-telling, and they usually don’t have any quotes—an example from above might be “because tertiary study and education as an institution generally carry a lot of weight in migrant cultures, there is often a compromise made at the expense of heritage and language.”

For a creative study, you’d take away those ideas and look at how else you might explore them in other stories. Feel free to challenge yourself for this; I remember falling back on more personal writing when studying this creatively, but don’t neglect other genres or forms! If second generation migrants are in fact more on their way to belonging, write a speculative story about how an apocalypse tests those connections to white Australians. I dunno, but don’t be afraid to really push the boundaries here and test the implications you draw from the stories.

Give it a go

Try it for some of these:

UnAustralian? (Loewald & Law) and Leaving Home (Diana Nguyen & Paul Nguyen)
Battlers (Dac & Law/Huynh) and Mates (Phommavanh & Ahmed)
The Folks (Lazaroo & Tran) and Homecoming (Beeby & Larkin)

Growing Up Asian in Australia Essay Prompt Breakdown

Video Transcription

The essay topic we’ll be looking at today is short and sweet;

To belong is to sacrifice. Discuss.

The key terms are evidently “to belong” and “to sacrifice”, so these are the words and definitions that we’ll have to interrogate.

Belonging is a feeling of being accepted by someone or being a member of something, so we’d have to ask who is doing the accepting, and what are the writers seeking to be members of. On the other hand, sacrifice is loss, it’s giving something up—it’s implied that seeking belonging means you may have to navigate compromises to what you have, how you live, or maybe, who you are. Have a think about what sacrifices are made by whom, and why.

With that in mind, let’s brainstorm a contention . We usually want to avoid going fully agree or fully disagree to create a bit more ‘grit’ for the essay—and in this case, the prompt is pretty deterministic or absolute; it’s saying that belonging is all about sacrifice.

I’d probably argue that belonging is sometimes about sacrifice, and for migrant children they often give up some of their culture or heritage for Western lifestyle or values. That being said, belonging in these cases is probably more about synthesis than sacrifice—it’s about being able to negotiate and bring heritage into increasingly Australian ways of life.

The brainstorming section of writing a killer essay is where my THINK and EXECUTE strategy comes in. If you haven’t heard of it before, essentially, it’s a method of essay writing that emphasises the importance of really thinking about all aspects of a prompt and exploring all the different avenues you can go down. To be able to EXECUTE a well-reasoned, coherent and articulate essay that contains enough nitty-gritty analysis, you have to do enough THINKing to get some meat on the essay’s skeleton, so to speak. To learn more, check out my top selling eBook, How To Write A Killer Text Response .

In paragraphs , we could start by looking at some of the sacrifices people make in order to belong . The poem, ’Be Good, Little Migrants’ has a more of a cynical take on this, suggesting that migrant groups are expected to sacrifice economic mobility and even personal dignity in order to gain favour with locals: “give us your faithful service”, “display your gratitude but don’t be heard, don’t be seen.”

Economic sacrifices are seen across many stories, from the working class “decent enough income” in ‘Family Life’ to the failing business in ‘ABC Supermarket’. Other forms of sacrifice might be less material—for example Benjamin Law’s sacrifice of his Mariah Carey cassettes in an attempt to fit in at school from the story ‘Towards Manhood’. This example is interesting because it isn’t a cultural sacrifice, but a gendered one—it’s a good reminder that identity is always multi-layered.

For migrant children though, the sacrifices usually revolve around their race and culture . Diana Nguyen for example notes language as a key sacrifice: she quits Vietnamese school because she didn’t feel like she belonged with the grade ones in her class, and her ultimate “lack of interest in learning [Vietnamese] created a lasting barrier” between her mother and her. In Sunil Badami’s story, ‘Sticks and Stones and Such-Like’, the sacrifice is his name, as he Anglicises it to Neil. When his mother finds out, “she spat my unreal new name out like something bitter and stringy, too difficult to swallow.” The common denominator here is that Asians growing up in Australia often have to navigate sacrificing some of their heritage in order to belong in western society.

However, the challenges faced by the Asian diaspora growing up abroad are more complex and more nuanced than just sacrifice. More often than not, they’re required to synthesise a ‘third culture’ identity that balances their heritage with western values and lifestyles.

Diana Nguyen goes on to discuss her career trajectory in becoming a “working actor” in Melbourne’s entertainment industry, carving out a path for herself in spite of her parents’ disapproval, and going on to represent a new generation of Asian Australians in the media. The story ‘Wei-Lei and Me’ also points to this shifting demographic in Australia, as Gouvernel and her best friend stave off a racist primary school bully only to see their home change for the better as they grew up, with new restaurants from their home cuisines opening up. At the same time, they “had become what [they] thought [they] could never be: Australian,” describing a way of life in Canberra that is unmistakably Australian.

So, belonging isn’t necessarily all about sacrifice—it doesn’t mean you can’t pursue your passions or become ‘Australian’. Sure, sometimes sacrifice is necessary, but ‘third culture kids’ synthesise conflicting identities in order to belong.

Having arrived at the contention, let’s just have another think about the takeaway message - being able to bring other themes into an essay topic that only really raises one theme. To answer this topic fully, a good essay wouldn’t just discuss belonging and sacrifice, but it would also bring in discussion about family, friends, careers and cultures, just to name a few. Hopefully this is something you can translate into your own future work!

Growing Up Asian In Australia is an anthology with a lot to unpack, but there are plenty of unique stories with plenty of interesting links to be made. However you’re learning this text, being able to draw conclusions from stories and extrapolate them into your writing is a really important skill.

As you go, ask yourself about the implications: ‘so what?’ and ‘why?’. These sorts of questions will help you get richer insights and write about the anthology in a more interesting way.

To elaborate further on the example using Macbeth and Animal Farm:

Avoid simply drawing connections between the texts which are immediately obvious. It is clear that both Napoleon and Macbeth are powerful leaders. The questions below start to delve into a more insightful comparison between the two men (comparative words are bolded ):

Macbeth and Animal Farm: common theme = power

How do they achieve power?

In Animal Farm , Napoleon is sly about his intentions and slowly secures his power with clever manipulation and propaganda. However , Shakespeare’s Macbeth adopts very different methods as he uses violence and abuse to secure his power.

How do they maintain power?

Both Napoleon and Macbeth are tyrants who go to great length to protect their power. They believe in killing or chasing away anyone who undermines their power.

What is the effect of power on the two characters?

While Macbeth concentrates on Macbeth’s growing guilty conscience and his gradual deterioration to insanity, Animal Farm offers no insight into Napoleon’s stream of consciousness. Instead , George Orwell focuses on the pain and suffering of the animals under Napoleon’s reign. This highlights Shakespeare’s desire to focus on the inner conflict of a man, whereas Orwell depicted the repercussions of a totalitarian regime on those under its ruling.

For one of most popular posts on Comparative (also known as Reading and Comparing), check out our Ultimate Guide to VCE Comparative.

Get exclusive weekly advice from Lisa, only available via email.

Power-up your learning with free essay topics, downloadable word banks, and updates on the latest VCE strategies.

latest articles

Check out our latest thought leadership on enterprise innovation., walkthrough of a full scoring vce oral presentation.

How To Incorporate Sunset Boulevard's Cinematic Features Into Your VCE Essay

VCE Creative Writing: How To Structure Your Story

Keep in touch

Have questions? Get in touch with us here - we usually reply in 24 business hours.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to answer any emails here requesting personal help with your study or homework here!

Copyright © Lisa's Study Guides. All Rights Reserved. The VCAA does not endorse and is not affiliated with Lisa's Study Guides or vcestudyguides.com. The VCAA provides the only official, up to date versions of VCAA publications and information about courses including the VCE. VCE® is a registered trademark of the VCAA.

03 9028 5603 Call us: Monday to Friday between 3pm - 6pm or leave us a message and we'll call you back! Address: Level 2 Little Collins St Melbourne 3000 VIC

The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers

Inspired by real-time events and full of refined symbolism, The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald leaves many questions unanswered. On this page, you’ll find a list of the answers to the most pressing questions about the novel. To read the full versions of the answers, just click on the links.

❓ The Great Gatsby Q&A

How did jordan describe daisy’s background.

Jordan Baker finally decides to reveal her friend’s background. She tells Nick that Daisy and Gatsby have always loved each other. They met during the war, and it was love from the first sight. But Daisy married Tom Buchanan when Gatsby had to join the army. Just before the wedding, she realized that this decision was a mistake. Daisy’s heart belonged to Gatsby.

What does Old Money vs. New Money mean in the Great Gatsby?

Old money stands out because their wealth comes from old family connections. New money refers to those people who make their fortune with no help. Back then, “old money” were considered elite (Daisy’s world). And “new money” was seen as less educated and elegant (Gatsby’s world).

Why did Gatsby fail to achieve the American Dream?

The appearance of a happy life was just a lie that covered the deep grief inside. Gatsby didn’t achieve the American dream because he chased the praise of others. His material possession didn’t bring him happiness. The only thing Gatsby dreamed about is for Daisy to accept his love.

What does “Her voice is full of money” mean?

The metaphor used by Gatsby to describe Daisy’s voice goes back to the main character’s life story. In his youth, Gatsby was relatively poor, so becoming wealthy was his primary goal. Jay compares Daisy with money since he needs to win her back. It’s the only thing that can make him feel complete after coming back from war.

What role does the book “The Rise of the Colored Empires” play in The Great Gatsby?

The book “The Rise of the Colored Empires” is mentioned in the first chapter of The Great Gatsby. The main antagonist, Tom Buchanan, comments on it. This scene is essential for understanding his character and life principles. The book also refers to a real-life piece of literature. It promotes the ideas of racism in society.

How did Gatsby get rich?

Though Gatsby is a fictional character, it’s hard to believe someone in the ’20s could afford such a lavish life. Some people speculate that he was a drug dealer, and some say that he was a tax cheater. But others say that he was selling cognac until he became rich and powerful.

What was Jay Gatsby’s real name & background?

Jay Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz. He was the son of a poor farmer from North Dakota. Gatsby (or Gatz, to be exact) did not come from San Francisco, as he claimed. He attended St Olaf’s College, which was not a lie. However, he dropped out two years later and decided to make a name for himself.

What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself and his past?

Gatsby provides Nick and the readers with the story of his extraordinary life. The man’s past is filled with a luxurious experience and incredible feats, many of which seem improbable. He admits that he was born into wealth, attended a prestigious university, and traveled the world. Nick is doubtful about these stories’ truth, but cannot argue with the proof Gatsby provides.

Who killed Gatsby and how did that happen?

George Wilson killed Gatsby with a gun in Gatsby’s house and then shot himself dead. Wilson was devastated by his wife’s death, who died in a car accident. Assuming that the driver was Gatsby himself, Wilson decided to kill him. But such a tragic ending is just a simple misunderstanding.

What does The Great Gatsby’s ending mean?

By leaving his readers with an empty feeling, Fitzgerald communicates several messages. First of all, he shows Gatsby’s disappointment with the American dream. Second, it shows Fitzgerald’s reflection over the Interbellum. Finally, the author invites his readers to discuss the personal perception of their past and future.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Explain the quote

Jordan Baker uses the change of seasons as a metaphor for new beginnings in life. She tries to cheer up Daisy, who is depressed and tired of life. This quote is indicative of Jordan’s personality. Unlike Daisy, she is pragmatic and doesn’t rely on others to enjoy her success in life.

“So we beat on, boats against the current…” Explain the quote

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” The most famous among The Great Gatsby quotes is the novel’s final sentence, restating its central theme. It reflects Jay Gatsby’s inability to let go of the past. His efforts to bring it back are barely worth it.

How does the Narrator describe Gatsby?

In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby appears as a man with a newly found fortune. He is extravagant, like his parties, but he is also incredibly lonely. Many people around refer to him as a gorgeous person. In fact, he is immature and has no knowledge of the world he became a part of.

What does Nick mean by the last line of The Great Gatsby?

The last line of The Great Gatsby is often referred to as the main character’s constant desire to reclaim the past. It is shown in Gatsby’s desire to win Daisy’s love back and his unwillingness to give up are.

What were the rumors about Gatsby?

Jay Gatsby has made a name for himself among wealthy socialites. In the book, he throws lavish parties every other weekend. However, Gatsby remains mysterious to his party guests. They believe he might be a German spy, a bootlegger, and a war hero. Moreover, some believe he is a relative of the Kaiser. He is rumored to have killed people as well!

In chapter 7, why does Gatsby stop giving parties?

The reason Gatsby stops giving parties is that he wants to spend more time with Daisy. The initial goal of Gatsby’s social gatherings was to attract his love interest’s attention. Besides, he had to do without being suspicious. So, the purpose of the events disappears once Daisy accepts his affection. Therefore, he holds back from parties in favor of in-person communication.

“Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course, you can!” Explain the quote

“You can’t repeat the past,” says Nick Carraway to Jay Gatsby. This quote belongs in Chapter 6 of Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, “The Great Gatsby.” To which Gatsby replies, “Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course, you can!” This conversation gives a hint about Gatsby’s intention to return Daisy Buchanan, his past love.

How does Nick describe Gatsby’s car?

Nick is a first-person narrator in the novel. He describes Gatsby’s car to have a creamy color, bright and extravagant with multiple windshields. It appears to be as pompous as its owner.

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy.” Explain the quote

Nick calls Tom and Daisy careless because their lifestyle is free of any problems. Sure, they have challenging situations, but they leave all the unsatisfying stuff behind and move on. Nick has different life values and sees Tom and Daisy as spoiled children. He does not like the characters’ careless attitude, but knowing them so well helps him maintain a good relationship.

What does “Owl Eyes” reveal about Gatsby’s books?

Fitzgerald’s books are rich in symbolism that fills the characters with deep symbolic meanings. Owl Eyes shows wisdom, which makes him different from the rest of Gatsby’s guests. Unlike others, he knows how to distinguish the real from the fake. He is astonished that in a world of false, the only real thing is books.

Where is Nick Carraway from?

The novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway, is a young man born in Minnesota. Yale-educated and World War I ex-military, Nick comes to New York City to learn about the bond business.

Who attended Gatsby’s funeral?

“Life and death were much different for Gatsby, only a few genuinely cared for him.” There were only a few people who attended Gatsby’s funeral. Nick was there along with Gatsby’s father (Henry Gatz), Owl Eyes, the minister, and a few of the house servants.

Why does Nick feel responsible for getting people to the funeral of Gatsby?

The Great Gatsby appears to be the tragic story of a person who possessed everything, yet had nothing. Jay Gatsby is an extravagant rich man who very quickly earned a fortune doing some illegal business. Many people are truly amazed by him. But he is still a lost child who has no idea how to live in the world and be himself.

How did F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby reflect the culture of the 1920s?

Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby perfectly reflected the culture of the 1920s. Fitzgerald did it by showing the characters’ absence of regard for morals. The story shows the societal decadence due to the overall prosperity. In historical context, it was brought by the industrial revolution.

How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of The Great Gatsby?

The first thing that Nick tells about himself is that he refrains from passing judgment on others. Nick’s background and tolerant personality make people confide in him, giving more credence to his narration.

In which point of view is The Great Gatsby written?

The Great Gatsby is written from the first-person perspective. Nick Carraway narrates the events of the novel in first-person, but he is not a reliable narrator.

What does Gatsby want from Daisy in chapter 6?

In chapter 6, Gatsby reveals that he wants to reunite with Daisy. He wishes to forget the fact that she was with Tom for the last five years. He is willing to pretend that these years never existed, and their relationship was continuous and wholesome.

What was Gatsby’s reaction to Daisy’s child?

Gatsby was surprised by the fact that Daisy has a child as he saw her as a daydream rather than a woman. The main character was deeply in love with a dream girl who barely had flesh. So, she could not possibly be associated with such earthly aspects as childbearing.

Which excerpt from The Great Gatsby is the best example of foreshadowing?

Foreshadowing is a powerful literary device that Fitzgerald used to keep the reader intrigued! At the end of chapter 1, Nick sees Gatsby standing at the shore, trembling. He was stretching out his arms and into the distance towards a green light. But eventually, Gatsby disappears into the “unquiet darkness.” That moment predicts his inability to attain his greatest desires and his eventual demise in death.

Why did Daisy marry Tom in The Great Gatsby?

In The Great Gatsby, there are several love stories that are intertwined. Gatsby loves Daisy, she loves both Gatsby and her husband, her husband Tom loves Myrtle, but she is married to George. But the most exciting love triangle is between Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom. It is just strange that Daisy chose a man who never loved her.

When and why did Gatsby change his name?

Jay Gatsby was born James Gatz and changed his name when he was seventeen. He did it to tailor it to his new lifestyle and reflect his wish to obtain wealth and status.

What is the true relationship between Daisy and Tom in The Great Gatsby?

Daisy and Tom Buchanan are a perfect match for each other. But it’s not due to personal traits of character, shared ambitions, or sincere, romantic feelings. They deserve each other since both spouses are obsessed with wealth and luxury.

Why does Daisy cry about the shirts in chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby?

Daisy cries because she has never seen such beautiful shirts, and their appearance makes her emotional. The scene solidifies her character and her treatment of Gatsby. She is vain and self-serving, only concerned with material goods.

What is Gatsby’s real history?

The protagonist’s real story is way different from what he tells people. Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz, and he was born in a poor farmers’ family in North Dakota. After failing to complete his education, he decided to start a new life. Gatsby invents an alternative story about himself to become a different man he dreamed of being.

How does The Great Gatsby reflect the Jazz Age?

The Great Gatsby shows the Jazz Age by depicting Gatsby’s luxurious parties. Accompanied by live jazz orchestras, they were typical for that period. Fitzgerald reflects on the material values and the struggle to get a higher social class in the book.

“It takes two to make an accident…” What is the significance of this quote?

It appears to be a popular idiomatic expression, but with a much deeper meaning. The quote has a symbolic meaning of carelessness towards life from Jordan and other residents in East Egg. Besides, it is a foreshadowing element of the climax of the novel.

How does Nick know Daisy and Tom in The Great Gatsby?

Nick shares the social circle with Daisy and Tom, who he knows from his youth. He remembers Tom from his time at Yale, and Daisy is his cousin, who he visited after the war.

How does Nick describe Tom Buchanan in chapter 1?

Nick, the book’s narrator, provides the audience with an uncharitable description of Tom Buchanan. The man is a wealthy acquaintance of his. He is noted to be arrogant, broad, and muscular, with an imposing build.

How does Myrtle behave as the party progresses in chapter 2?

During the party, Myrtle’s attitude changes with her surroundings and her clothes. Myrtle shows a lot of liveliness and vitality in the beginning. But she becomes more artificial and reserved after putting on a different dress.

How do we know that Myrtle Wilson is not an intellectual?

Myrtle Wilson does not have a central role in the narrative of The Great Gatsby. However, she is still an essential part of the novel. It is evident that Myrtle is lively and eccentric, unlike Daisy. However, the readers can sense that she is not much of an intellectual. It becomes clear through Nick’s description of Myrtle’s appearance and interests.

How did Gatsby measure the success of his party in chapter 6?

Gatsby’s mansion parties became one of the reasons for his high status and reputation in New York. Hundreds of people enjoying drinks and gossip till early morning. And these events served one principal purpose. The host wanted to draw Daisy’s attention. In chapter 6, Daisy finally attends one of Gatsby’s parties. And its success is measured by the extent to which she likes it.

What are the main differences between The Great Gatsby book and movie?

There are several ways in which the movie by Baz Luhrmann differs from the classic novel. The story portrayed in the film departs from the original text in different scenes. For instance, they are at the very beginning and during the apartment party. Nevertheless, the movie production team did a great job of depicting the classic story.

What is the main conflict in The Great Gatsby?

The primary conflict in Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is between Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. Gatsby wants to rekindle his relationship with Daisy, who is now married to Tom.

What is the climax of The Great Gatsby?

The climax of “The Great Gatsby” is Chapter 7, where Tom confronts Gatsby and talks about his illegal business. At the same moment, the love triangle decides to rule out the situation between each other.

Why Is Gatsby great?

Jay Gatsby is considered to be “great” in the paradoxical context. He is “great” because of his dreams, wealth, status in society, festivities, and personality. However, it is contradictory because all this greatness cannot provide him with the only thing he needs – love.

Why does Jordan want to leave the group from East Egg?

Jordan, having spent most of her life in the East Egg, at some point got tired from the company she was spending time with. East Egg was the part of Long Island where old money was living. So the surroundings there were quite monotonous, leaving Jordan no choice but to crave new emotions. Furthermore, Jordan was always followed by a young man who was showing too much affection to her.

Who killed Myrtle in The Great Gatsby?

Daisy is the person who causes the death of Myrtle Wilson. However, this truth stays unrevealed. Daisy drives the car, which belongs to Gatsby, at this tragic moment. And he is determined to protect her and takes the blame upon himself.

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone…” What is the significance of this quote?

The author of The Great Gatsby introduces the narrator with this phrase. Nick is a modest and courteous person. It evokes sympathy for Nick among readers. Besides, this quote highlights social issues. One of them is that wealth provides prospects. “All the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” refers to his middle-class background.

What is the cause of the problem between Jordan and Nick?

The actual cause of the issue between Jordan Baker and Nick is simple to understand. That’s why: Nick is disappointed in Jordan’s emotional reaction. For Jordan, it only matters how Nick treated her. And this is despite Myrtle’s recent death. He realizes she and the people of her social circle are egoistic and quite ruthless.

What is Gatsby doing when Nick first sees him?

The first time Nick sees Gatsby when going back home from a party at the Buchanan house. He notices Gatsby mysteriously standing on the lawn with his hands stretched forward. It seems like he was watching the stars, but then it becomes clear that he glazes at the green light. Nick is thinking about whether he should introduce himself to the new neighbor.

What is Daisy’s opinion of Gatsby’s party in chapter 6?

When Daisy goes to Gatsby’s party, she seems miserable, which does not correlate with Jay’s expectations. She feels bad not because she dislikes the party, but because she enjoys it more than her own life.

What did Dan Cody do for Gatsby? What did Gatsby learn from him?

Dan Cody was Gatsby’s mentor, who educated him on the world of business and finance. The young man changed his name because of Cody and was able to start his journey toward a prosperous life. Cody gave Gatsby education and financial support, which helped him achieve his aspirations.

“They’re a rotten crowd” – what does this quote mean?

In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Nick tells his only compliment to Gatsby. He states that Gatsby is worth more than the whole upper-class at the time. This quote means that he is a better person than most people, superficial and vain. It is even though Gatsby’s happy life is illusional.

What role does social class in The Great Gatsby play?

The social class in The Great Gatsby, the outstanding novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is an integral part of the book. Upper-class people are expected to act with dignity, grace, and decency. Still, this view is deceitful. The corruption and dishonesty of the rich are reflected through the eyes of the main character.

“I was within and without” – what does this quote mean?

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” The quote implies the repulsiveness and allurement of Tom Buchanan guests’ lifestyle. Nick does not entirely approve of their extravagance and excessive fashion.

“I hope she’ll be a fool” – what does this quote mean?

Daisy’s statement shows how protective she is of her daughter’s innocence. She hopes that if she is foolish enough, she will not be as hurt by life as more introspective people.

How is Gatsby different from his guests?

Gatsby is strikingly different from the guests who attend his weekly parties for several reasons. The critical aspects of his personality that make him stand out are honesty and introverted nature. These curious traits show how distant Gatsby is from the guests.

How does Nick meet Gatsby for the first time?

Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby might have known each other from several possible encounters. Their first proper meeting happens during one of Gatsby’s parties, to which Nick was invited. They strike up a conversation that leads to them establishing a close friendship. But Nick does not realize who he is talking to at first.

In chapter 8, did Gatsby go to Oxford?

Yes, Gatsby went to Oxford even though he wanted to go back to Daisy. However, he was sent there because of a clerical error.

Describe the meeting between Gatsby and Daisy in chapter 5. What was it like?

In Chapter 5, Nick sets up the meeting between Gatsby and Daisy. And the ex-partners behave in a highly stiff and stressful way. It is evident that both experience some discomfort and nervousness. After Nick’s arrival, Gatsby is filled with joy, and Daisy tears up from happiness.

Why was young Gatsby drawn to Daisy?

Young Gatsby loved the image he created for himself with a great passion. He did not know the real Daisy but dreamed of a beautiful high-class girl. She lives with no worries, and money can help fulfill any of her whims.

🎓 References

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Free Ebook
The world’s most misunderstood novel – BBC Culture
Our Favorite ‘Gatsby’ References in Popular Culture
What The Great Gatsby Reveals About The Jazz Age | JSTOR
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to LinkedIn
Share to email

Study Guide Menu

Short Summary
Summary (Chapter 1)
Summary (Chapter 2)
Summary (Chapter 3)
Summary (Chapter 4)
Summary (Chapter 5)
Summary (Chapter 6)
Summary (Chapter 7)
Summary (Chapter 8)
Summary (Chapter 9)
Symbolism & Style
Quotes Explained
Essay Topics & Examples
Questions & Answers
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Biography
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, May 28). The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/questions/

"The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers." IvyPanda , 28 May 2024, ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/questions/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers'. 28 May.

IvyPanda . 2024. "The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers." May 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/questions/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers." May 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/questions/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers." May 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/questions/.

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Great Gatsby — The Great Gatsby Study Questions

The Great Gatsby Study Questions

Categories: The Great Gatsby

About this sample

Words: 680 |

Published: Mar 19, 2024

Words: 680 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

I. introduction, a. the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald is a timeless classic that delves into the complexities of love, wealth, and society during the roaring twenties. set against the backdrop of the glitz and glamour of the jazz age, the novel follows the enigmatic jay gatsby as he pursues the elusive daisy buchanan, ultimately leading to themes of ambition, disillusionment, and the pursuit of the american dream., b. studying the great gatsby is essential for readers to gain a deeper understanding of the societal norms and values of the 1920s, as well as to explore the universal themes that resonate with audiences across generations. by analyzing the symbolism and themes within the novel, readers can uncover layers of meaning and insight into the characters and their motivations., c. thesis statement: this essay will explore various study questions related to the great gatsby, including an analysis of symbolism and themes such as the green light, the american dream, and the valley of ashes. additionally, it will delve into character analysis, focusing on the complex personalities of jay gatsby, daisy buchanan, and the role of nick carraway as the narrator., ii. symbolism and themes, a. the green light symbol in the great gatsby represents gatsby's hopes and dreams, as well as his unattainable desire for the past. by examining the significance of the green light, readers can gain insight into gatsby's character and his pursuit of a dream that ultimately proves to be fleeting., b. the american dream theme in the great gatsby explores the idea of success, wealth, and social status in the context of 1920s america. through the characters' aspirations and struggles to achieve their version of the american dream, fitzgerald critiques the shallow materialism and moral decay of the era., c. the symbolism of the valley of ashes in the great gatsby serves as a stark contrast to the opulence of east and west egg, representing the desolation and decay that lurks beneath the surface of the american dream. by analyzing the valley of ashes, readers can uncover the novel's commentary on the harsh realities of class disparity and social inequality., v. love and relationships, a. gatsby's obsession with daisy is a central theme in the great gatsby, driving much of the plot and character development. his unrelenting pursuit of daisy, who represents his idealized vision of love and success, ultimately leads to his downfall., b. the love triangle between gatsby, daisy, and tom buchanan highlights the complexities of relationships in a society governed by wealth and social status. while gatsby sees daisy as his ticket to a better life, she remains torn between her feelings for him and her loyalty to her husband, tom., c. the theme of unrequited love is prevalent throughout the novel, as characters grapple with unattainable desires and unfulfilled dreams. from gatsby's longing for daisy to myrtle wilson's infatuation with tom, the novel explores the destructive power of unrequited love and the ways in which it shapes the characters' choices and actions., vi. conclusion, a. in conclusion, the great gatsby offers a nuanced portrayal of love, wealth, and society during the roaring twenties, shedding light on the complexities of human relationships and the pursuit of the american dream. by analyzing the symbolism, themes, and character dynamics within the novel, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the societal norms and values of the era, as well as explore universal themes that resonate with audiences today., b. the study questions raised by the great gatsby invite readers to reflect on the nature of ambition, disillusionment, and the pursuit of happiness in a society marked by excess and decay. through the lens of fitzgerald's masterpiece, readers are challenged to reconsider their own values and beliefs, and to ponder the enduring power of love, wealth, and the american dream..

C. Ultimately, The Great Gatsby remains a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its rich symbolism, complex characters, and profound themes. As we delve into the world of Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Nick Carraway, we are reminded of the enduring allure of the Jazz Age and the enduring truths that lie at the heart of this literary masterpiece.

C. Ultimately, The Great Gatsby remains a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its rich symbolism, complex characters , and profound themes. As we delve into the world of Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Nick Carraway, we are reminded of the enduring allure of the Jazz Age and the enduring truths that lie at the heart of this literary masterpiece.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4 pages / 1956 words

6.5 pages / 2921 words

1 pages / 500 words

3.5 pages / 1498 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald one of the main themes of the book and subject that is discussed immensely are dreams. From reading the novel we learn about the corruption of dreams and the effect it has. We learn [...]

In the 1920s people were blind to see that life isn’t all about parting and spending money. By using wealth they seek to be seen. Sometimes people are so ignorant they ignore what’s right in front of them. The character’s [...]

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. 'The Great Gatsby.' Scribner, 1925.

The author provides a vivid portrayal of life in America during the 1920s, with a particular focus on the relationships between different social classes. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, represents the rags-to-riches story of an [...]

In Stephanie Ericsson’s essay “The Ways We Lie, ” she articulates the roles and consequences that lies play in American culture. Ericsson’s assertive tone provides insight into the harmful effects of different lies, while also [...]

F. Scott Fitzgerald is more strongly associated with the 1920’s than any other writer. He is generally considered the voice of his generation, but his insight into human behavior means that he is never out of print, for his [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

📕 Studying HQ

Topics for the great gatsby argumentative essay, dr. wilson mn.

August 1, 2022
Essay Topics and Ideas , Nursing

When it comes to writing an argumentative essay , there are a lot of topics to choose from. However, if you’re looking for something on The Great Gatsby you might want to consider writing about one of the following Topics for The Great Gatsby Argumentative Essay

What You'll Learn

Possible Topics for The Great Gatsby Argumentative Essay

Is Nick a reliable or trustworthy narrator? How does his point of view affect the story?

Is the story of The Great Gatsby believable? Why or why not?

Where is the climax of the story? Explain your choice.

Are the characters in The Great Gatsby stereotypes? If so, explain why Fitzgerald used stereotypes in the novel. If not, explain what makes the characters individuals.

What is the most essential symbol in the novel? What does it represent?

Analyze Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy.

Are Gatsby’s actions believably motivated? Explain why or why not.

What makes F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing style unique and/or effective?

As you continue, thestudycorp.com has the top and most qualified writers to help with any of your assignments. All you need to do is place an order with us

Compare and contrast various characters.

Explain how F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the minor characters–Owl Eyes, Mr. Wolfshiem, Pammy, Michaelis, and George Wilson–in the novel. What does each character add to the story?

Explain how the title, The Great Gatsby, is appropriate.

Why do Daisy and Tom stay together?

What does it mean to be wealthy? Do responsibilities come with money?

Does Gatsby’s money bring him happiness?

Interpret one of the novel’s key symbols (the green light, the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, the valley of ashes, etc.).

Suppose this novel had been written from Gatsby’s (or another’s) point of view. How would the story have changed?

Read a sample The Great Gatsby 46 Essay

Analyze each of the novel’s locations (West Egg, East Egg, the Valley of Ashes, and New York City), and explain how each corresponds to the social position, lifestyle, and personality of its residents.

What traits does Nick find admirable about Gatsby? What traits does he dislike?

Is The Great Gatsby an outdated novel, or is it relevant today? If it is relevant, what specific elements of current society does the book describe or explain?

What motivates Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan? Is there a common thread?

Surprisingly, Tom Buchanan and George Wilson are actually similar in many ways. Be sure to focus on their attitudes toward women, their approach to violence, and their reactions to being cheated on.

How does Fitzgerald use weather in the novel?

How does the state of the current financial markets resemble the economic problems of the 1920s? How does Fitzgerald highlight and predict those problems?

Which characters are static and which are dynamic? Why did Fitzgerald choose to portray them this way?

In the final chapter, Nick describes Tom and Daisy as “careless people.” Are they? Are they each careless in their own way?

Explore ONE of the following themes: alienation, friendship, identity, the American Dream, materialism, corruption, fate, the past, love, hope, etc.

Additionally, feel free to explore your own topic regarding the novel. If you do so, please discuss the topic with me so I can help you verify that it is practical, as well as help you brainstorm how to proceed.

Read more on 5 Tips for a perfect Discussion Post (How to Write a Discussion Post)

Argumentative Essay Topics For The Great Gatsby

How The Novel “The Great Gatsby”, Examine Complex Ideas about Identity, others and The World

Essay Prompts: The Great Gatsby that was published in the year 1925 has been rated as one of the best fiction stories about American during its time. The Great Gatsby was written by one of the celebrated American Authors called F. Scott Fitzgerald.

A Comparison and Contrast of Tom and Gatsby

Essay prompts: Compare and contrast Gatsby and tom. how are they alike? how are they different? given the extremely negative light in which tom is portrayed throughout the novel, why might daisy choose to remain with him instead of leaving him for Gatsby?

Nick or Gates?

Essay prompts: The question pertains to The Great Gatsby story and actually it is more of Nick because he lists down all the attendees of the party that summer. The list includes all of the powerful and rich people in the nation.

Comparison of The Characters of Hamlet and Jay Gatsby

Essay prompts: Hamlet is the main character in the play “Hamlet,” the son of King Hamlet and Gertrude. He was brought up in the palace and his family was wealthy. Jay Gatsby, who is the main protagonist in the novel “The Great Gatsby” is different from Hamlet because he came from a humble background.

When it comes to writing an argumentative essay, there are a lot of topics to choose from. However, if you’re looking for something on The Great Gatsby you might want to consider writing about one of the following Topics for The Great Gatsby Argumentative Essay

The Great Gatsby and The American Dream

Essay prompts: The American dream is essentially dishonest in the Great Gatsby, where Gatsby rises from humble beginnings to be a wealthy man through dubious means. When compared to the ‘old money’ people like Tom Buchanan, who did not flaunt their wealth Gatsby, wanted recognition.

An Analysis Of Gatsby Based On Color Green

Essay prompts: The following analysis will focus on Gatsby as a character from the novel and the analysis will be based on color green.

You can also check out 150+ Top-Notch Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

Write an Essay analyzing a character from The Great Gatsby, based on one of The colors associated with that character.

The Imagery of a Passage in Great Gatsby

Essay prompts: Scott Fitzgerald writes the book titled The Great Gatsby. It Is appropriate to conclude that Fitzgerald conveys both good and sinister qualities of Gatsby in the passage.

The Role of Women in The Great Gatsby

Essay prompts: The Great Gatsby is novel composed by Scott Fitzgerald around 1922 in New York. It is a love story, loss and scandal during the social unrest.

The Impact Of The Social Context In Great Gatsby And Elizabeth Barrett Brownings Sonnets

Comparative Themes of Eiger Dreams and The Great Gatsby

Essay prompts: Eiger Dreams is a non-fiction book written from a collection of articles and essays based on rock climbing and mountaineering. It takes place in two different locations. One is the Swiss Alps, the other location is in Alaska (Krakauer, 2012).

The Great Gatsby: The Corrupt Nature of The American Dream

Essay prompts: The focus of this paper is on the nature of the American dream as depicted by Fitzgerald. Therefore, the withering of the American dream is the central thesis of this paper

The American Dream as portrayed in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

Essay prompts: Fitzgerald has illustrated American dream by use of several characters to show how elusive the dream has been to some people whilst others are already living it.

How Trauma is Represented in Fitzgerald’s Work “The Great Gatsby”

Essay prompts: Trauma is a motif in The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald published in 1925. The novel narrates the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, who happens to be a millionaire in pursuit of the love of his youth, Daisy, which he lost while serving in the army.

Find out more on How to Write a Narrative Essay

Best essay topics for the great gatsby

Social Constructs of The American Society on The Narrative “The Great Gatsby”

Essay prompts: The Great Gatsby is a narration about an individual struggling to create an identity for himself that will elevate his status to that of a wealthy man of stature and hence realizing his American dream that takes the form of a woman he so desires to marry.

Analysis of “The Great Gatsby”

Essay prompts: This is just one among many such examples that unravels how a man’s wealth would affect his relationship and social relations as a major theme throughout Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby”.

How would a man’s wealth affect his relationship and social relation?

Franklin’s Almanac: The Way to Wealth vs. The Great Gatsby

Essay prompts: The American dream is the notion that one can be anything they wish to be in the United States. Chance and opportunity are there for the taking, but these are limited to those willing to work hard, and set forth for what they believe.

Similarities between “The Great Gatsby” and The “Generation Wealth”

Essay prompts: We are going to discuss the similarities between “The Great Gatsby” and the film, “Generation Wealth”, while at the same time elucidating on the main theme of money.

Analysis of Fitzgerald use of language and symbolism in Gatsby

Essay prompts: The inability to win Daisy’s love undermines Gatsby’s success. That is why Fitzgerald’s writing language uses irony in explaining how impossible it was for Gatsby to achieve his dream.

Find out more on Argumentative Essay Topics About Social Media [Updated]

Great Gatsby essay prompts

Masculinity in The Great Gatsby Novel

Essay prompts: Undergraduate Essay: Masculinity in The Great Gatsby Novel…

Gatsby Does Not Truly Love Daisy:

A Misunderstanding Of The American Dream Leads To The Tragedy Of Love

Essay prompts: The American Dream refers to the belief that everybody, disregarding their social class or birthplace, can achieve the success they dream of when living in a society that promotes upward mobility for everyone.

War Trauma in The Great Gatsby

Essay prompts: The casualties of war are not only those who fall on the battlefield but even those that walk away dead from the inside. In the Great Gatsby, the effects of war are felt through Jay Gatsby, who comes back from a different man. His war trauma is worsened by losing his love while he was at war.

The American Dream in The Great Gatsby and The House on Mango Street

Essay prompts: This paper will give invaluable insights concerning how the American Dream as an ideology has been presented in the Great Gatsby and The House on Mango Street.

Great Gatsby Quotes About Money Can’t Buy Happiness

Essay prompts: He quote money can’t buy you happiness is never truer than when viewed through the storylines of The Great Gatsby and Wolf of Wall Street. This conflicts with the notion that living the American dream translates to happiness.

How Manifestation and Materialism are Related to The American Dream

Essay prompts: This article seeks to draw on real-life examples as well as textual evidence to showcase how the American dream is closely associated with manifestation and materialism….

The Great Gatsby vs The Godfather

Love in Th Great Gatsby

Essay prompts: The idealized conception of love is one in which individuals are committed and faithful to each other unconditionally.

The Symbolism of Time in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Essay prompts: Time is of the essence, and it waits for no man. Therefore, humans should concentrate their minds on the present and neither dwell on the past nor dream about the future. In Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the roaring twenties and their American dream. In this novel, the main character, Jay Gatsby.

Representations And Discourses Of The American Dream In Film

Essay prompts: The “American Dream” means that as long as the person starts working hard and follow their dream, thus it can lead to a better life. Equal opportunity is the soul of the “American Dream.”

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby and its significance in modern society

Essay prompts: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story, “The Great Gatsby,” has used symbolism depicting the city where the story is set. Further, the author has also used symbolism in representing individuals characters and Gatsby’s problems, among others.

The Futility Of Human Dreams: Independence

Essay prompts: The author successfully manages to show how we can dream in vain by demonstrating from the characters. George and Lennie dream of a better life full of freedom and independence.

Representation And Discourses Of The American Dream In Film

Essay prompts: The American Dream can be achieved by individuals who exercise hard work, independence, courage, determination, creativity, and diligence.

“Winter Dreams” and “The Great Gatsby” mirror into S Fitzgerald’s life

Essay prompts: These two novels have been widely read, and The Great Gatsby was even adopted into a movie. Often, people say that the story Winter Dreams was merely a draft for The Great Gatsby. The two are very similar and encompass similar themes.

If you're looking for something on the great gatsby, here are possible topics for the great gatsby argumentative essay

Comparison Between East Egg and West Egg

Essay prompts: The novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald is narrated by Nick Carraway, one of the main protagonists in the book. Nick lives in West Egg, a new village in New York with upcoming millionaires and billionaires.

Analysis Of Movies That Portray The American Dream

Essay prompts: The paper aims at discussing the American Dream by analyzing films that portray the accomplishment of the dream as well as the factors that make it difficult for individuals to achieve their version of the American Dream.

Representation and Discourses of The American Dream in Film

Essay prompts: This paper aims at conferring the American Dream by analyzing films which portray the accomplishment of the dream as well as the factors that make it difficult for individuals to achieve their version of the American Dream.

Why Economies Succeed or Fail during The Great Depression

Essay prompts: The Great Depression was an austere worldwide financial depression in the 1930s, starting in the United States. One major cause of the Great Depression was the ensuing global crisis. Europe had not settled after the First World War and faced severe consequences.

Start by filling this short order form order.studyinghq.com

And then follow the progressive flow.

Having an issue, chat with us here

Cathy, CS.

New Concept ? Let a subject expert write your paper for You

Have a subject expert write for you now, have a subject expert finish your paper for you, edit my paper for me, have an expert write your dissertation's chapter, popular topics.

Business Analysis Examples Essay Topics and Ideas How to Guides Nursing

Nursing Solutions
Study Guides
Free College Essay Examples
Privacy Policy
Writing Service
Discounts / Offers

Study Hub:

Studying Blog
Topic Ideas
How to Guides
Business Studying
Nursing Studying
Literature and English Studying

Writing Tools

Citation Generator
Topic Generator
Paraphrasing Tool
Conclusion Maker
Research Title Generator
Thesis Statement Generator
Summarizing Tool
Terms and Conditions
Confidentiality Policy
Cookies Policy
Refund and Revision Policy

Our samples and other types of content are meant for research and reference purposes only. We are strongly against plagiarism and academic dishonesty.

📧 [email protected]

📞 +15512677917

226 Great Gatsby Essay Topics & Prompts

Icon Calendar 18 May 2024
Icon Page 2708 words
Icon Clock 13 min read

For many years, students have been learning how to organize their papers correctly. Basically, professors design different essay topics and questions to be addressed in scholarly works. For example, one of the common books that professors assign to their students is the Great Gatsby reading. In this case, students are forced to develop the Great Gatsby essay questions and answers in their papers. Hence, this article represents many Great Gatsby essay topics to help students to get some ideas for their academic papers.

Best Great Gatsby Essay Topics

An exploration of symbolism in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
Examining Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy: Love or obsession?
Unveiling the role of the past in shaping characters’ present lives.
Perception of material wealth in the Roaring Twenties as depicted in the novel.
Social stratification and its implications in “The Great Gatsby” .
Analysis of Fitzgerald’s critique of the upper class.
Interpreting the moral decay of society in the Jazz Age.
Assessing the impact of the setting on the novel’s themes.
Uncovering the significance of the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg.
Great Gatsby Essay: The American Dream, Pursuit, and Corruption
An inquiry into Nick Carraway’s reliability as a narrator.
Discussing “The Great Gatsby” as a social commentary.
Delving into the relationship between power and corruption in the novel.
Probing the tragic elements in “The Great Gatsby.”
Unraveling the gender roles in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
Dissecting the character of Tom Buchanan: A manifestation of arrogance.
The loneliness theme in the context of “The Great Gatsby.”
Relevance of the green light symbolism in the novel.
Evaluating the illusion vs. reality dichotomy in “The Great Gatsby.”
Critiquing the portrayal of the Lost Generation in the novel.
Emphasizing the role of colors in enhancing the novel’s imagery.
Portrayal of the American upper class: A “Great Gatsby” study.
Understanding the concept of time in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
Illustrating the role of dreams and aspirations in the novel.

Easy Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Decoding Gatsby’s character: A study in idealism and disillusionment.
How does Fitzgerald portray love and desire in his novel?
Examining the decadence of the Jazz Age as depicted in “The Great Gatsby.”
Exploring the destructive nature of wealth in the novel.
Drawing parallels between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby.
Explaining the symbolism of the valley of ashes.
Essay Example of The Great Gatsby Book Review
Analysis of the disillusionment theme in “The Great Gatsby.”
Fitzgerald’s perspective on the class divide in America.
Digging into the motif of superficiality in “The Great Gatsby.”
Evaluating the role of minor characters in the narrative.
The undercurrent of violence in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
Can “The Great Gatsby” be considered a tragic love story?
Appreciating the narrative style of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Analyzing the impact of prohibition on the novel’s setting.
Representation of morality and ethics in “The Great Gatsby”
Romantic relationships in the novel: A critical study.
Are there any redeeming characters in “The Great Gatsby”?
Defining success through the lens of Jay Gatsby.
The role of status and reputation in shaping characters’ identities.
Discussing the representation of youth and aging in the novel.
Extravagance and excess: The defining traits of the Jazz Age.
Highlighting the implications of Gatsby’s parties.
Fitzgerald’s depiction of the pursuit of happiness.
Analyzing the evolution of Jay Gatsby’s character throughout the novel.

Interesting Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Disentangling the threads of fate and freewill in the narrative.
Romanticized past vs harsh reality: A Gatsby paradox.
Relevance of “The Great Gatsby” in the 21st century.
Influence of Fitzgerald’s personal life on the novel’s themes.
“The Great Gatsby” and the critique of capitalism.
Roles of parties in revealing characters’ personalities and motivations.
Illusion of the American Dream: A case study of Jay Gatsby.
Is “The Great Gatsby” a novel of despair or redemption?
Understanding the psychology of characters in the novel.
The fallacy of materialism as portrayed in “The Great Gatsby.”
Link between illusion and disillusionment in the novel’s narrative.
Critiquing the portrayal of infidelity in “The Great Gatsby.”
The influence of weather and seasons in shaping the novel’s narrative.
Interpreting the tragic undertone of “The Great Gatsby.”
The theme of loss and grief in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
Exploring the role of minor characters in furthering the plot.
Reflection of Fitzgerald’s societal views through the novel’s setting.
Significance of the title “The Great Gatsby”: An exploration.
Class mobility in the novel: A critical examination.
Deconstructing the flawed dream of Jay Gatsby.
Nick Carraway’s role as both character and narrator.
Gatsby’s parties as a symbol of excess and superficiality.
Unraveling the theme of death in “The Great Gatsby.”

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics on Dreams

The creation of wealth does not guarantee the apparent attainment of a dream.
All dreams are not attainable in “The Great Gatsby.”
There is a difference between reality and illusion.
A change in social class affects people’s efforts to achieve their goals.
Achievement of a vision is a collective responsibility.
Time is a factor that plays a significant role in one’s ability to achieve dreams.
Opportunists may not achieve similar goals as people who genuinely acquire their wealth, covering the Great Gatsby book.
People should always be optimistic and pursue what they consider as important to them.
Reinvention for a wrong course of action leads to destruction.
Exploring the symbolism of dreams in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
Unrealized dreams: The unattainable pursuit of Daisy in “The Great Gatsby.”
Dreams versus reality: The conflict in Jay Gatsby’s life.
Jay Gatsby’s obsession with his dream: A pathway to tragedy.
Dreams and illusion: How Jay Gatsby constructs his own reality.
Unraveling the role of dreams in Gatsby’s pursuit of the American dream.
Social class and the inaccessibility of Gatsby’s dreams.
The power of dreams: Defining characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
Fitzgerald’s depiction of dreams as a vehicle for discontent in “The Great Gatsby.”
Assessing the impact of broken dreams on the tragic end of “The Great Gatsby.”
Dreams of the past: The nostalgic nature of Gatsby’s dream.
“The Great Gatsby”: An exploration of Gatsby’s dream as a reflection of his character.

Essay Topics for Love and Friendship Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

People may fall in love with one another but fail to support each other in achieving their dreams.
People may rekindle love and reunite but lack an objective.
A commitment to one’s course in life may break a love relationship.
Individuals can use their wealth to materialize love.
Social classes may be a factor that dictates people’s love lives by considering “The Great Gatsby.”
Poverty can be a hindrance to one’s ability to marry a person of different social classes.
An individual may feel loved, but, in essence, it may not be true love, being out of curiosity.
People are jealous of losing their love partners to their competitors, which may lead to verbal and physical confrontation.
In “The Great Gatsby,” love can make individuals risk by admitting mistakes they have not done.
People may abandon their friends during difficult times.
Exploration of love as a destructive force in “The Great Gatsby.”
The complex relationship between Daisy and Gatsby: A love story or a tale of obsession?
Unrequited love in “The Great Gatsby”: The tragic tale of Jay Gatsby.
Intersection of wealth and relationships in “The Great Gatsby.”
Evaluating the role of friendship in “The Great Gatsby”: Case study of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby.
The illusion of the American Dream versus the reality of love and friendship in “The Great Gatsby.”
Influence of social class on love and friendships in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
Love, friendship, and the pursuit of happiness: A closer look at the characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
Isolation in the midst of wealth: How love and friendship are compromised in “The Great Gatsby.”
Comparing the love stories in “The Great Gatsby”: Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan versus Tom and Myrtle Wilson.

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics on the Theme of Marriage

People base their marriages on social classes.
Loveless marriages may exist if people lack an objective of why they got married.
People marry individuals they feel will offer social security and raise their class standards.
In “The Great Gatsby,” people live in problematic marriages and conceal their fate to protect their social positions.
Loss of one’s partner in a marriage may lead to hopelessness and result in harmful actions.
Rich men are polygamous; hence they can marry as many wives as they wish.
The choices people make have consequences.
Self-conscience can help an individual to avoid messy relationships early.
Unveiling the concept of marriage in “The Great Gatsby.”
Analysis of failed marriages in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
Representation of gender roles within marriage in the 1920s.
Examining the influence of wealth on marital relationships in “The Great Gatsby.”
Disillusionment in marriage as depicted through the characters of Daisy and Tom.
The evolution of marital relations as portrayed in “The Great Gatsby.”
The impact of social status on marriages in Fitzgerald’s novel.
Dysfunctional aspects of marriage as seen in “The Great Gatsby.”
Assessing the concept of loyalty within marriage in the novel.
Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship: A failed marriage before it began?
The relevance of the theme of infidelity in “The Great Gatsby” marriages.
Role of societal pressures in shaping marriage dynamics in the novel.
Impact of the American Dream on marriage aspirations in “The Great Gatsby.”
Exploring the marriages of secondary characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
How does “The Great Gatsby” critique the institution of marriage?

Essay Topics of Revenge Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

Revenge may involve the revelation of allegations to expose one’s past mistakes, as discussed in “The Great Gatsby.”
Attacks may cause death.
Tracing the role of revenge in the tragic downfall of Jay Gatsby.
Comparing the motifs of revenge and ambition in “The Great Gatsby.”
How does Fitzgerald present revenge as a destructive force in the novel?
The influence of social status on the pursuit of revenge in “The Great Gatsby.”
Is revenge presented as a path to justice or self-destruction in “The Great Gatsby?”
The interconnectedness of love, revenge, and deception in the lives of Gatsby’s characters.
Exploring Tom Buchanan’s motivations for revenge: Pride, jealousy, or fear?
Implications of the cycle of revenge and the lack of forgiveness in the novel.
Unpacking the theme of revenge in the context of the American Dream.
The role of revenge in the relationships between Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom.
Gatsby’s quest for revenge: A misunderstood desire for redemption?
How do characters use revenge as a tool for asserting power and control?
Dissecting the causes and consequences of revenge in the East Egg vs. West Egg societal divide.
Analysis of the violent culmination of revengeful acts in “The Great Gatsby.”
Daisy’s role in the revenge plot: A victim, a catalyst, or an active participant?
Manifestations of revenge in the narrative’s depiction of the Roaring Twenties.
Consequences of unfulfilled revenge in the tragic endings of “The Great Gatsby” characters.
Revenge as a mirror of the underlying tensions in Jazz Age society.
How the pursuit of revenge influences the moral compass of characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
Interrogating the ethos of revenge: Is it inherently corrupting in “The Great Gatsby?”

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics for Enmity Theme

Do people develop antagonism when they fail to succeed in their shared interests?
Do people achieve success because of enmity by considering the Great Gatsby book?
Does enmity force people to survive?
Analysis of enmity as a driver of the plot in “The Great Gatsby.”
Roles of social classes in shaping hostilities in “The Great Gatsby.”
How the theme of enmity contributes to character development in “The Great Gatsby.”
Unraveling the root causes of conflict and enmity in “The Great Gatsby.”
Exploring enmity and betrayal in the relationships in “The Great Gatsby.”
Interplay of enmity, love, and jealousy in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
Representation of enmity within the context of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby.”
Enmity as a symbol of the socio-economic divide in “The Great Gatsby.”
Influence of the Roaring Twenties on the hostilities portrayed in “The Great Gatsby.”
Exploring the consequences of unresolved enmity in “The Great Gatsby.”
Comparative analysis: Enmity in “The Great Gatsby” and other contemporary novels.
Analysis of how Fitzgerald employs enmity to critique the American upper class.
Evaluating the implications of enmity on the tragic downfall of characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
Impact of enmity on the pursuit of happiness in “The Great Gatsby.”
Power dynamics and enmity in “The Great Gatsby.”
Revealing the masks of enmity through the characters’ facades in “The Great Gatsby.”
Examining enmity as a reflection of personal failures in “The Great Gatsby.”
Scrutinizing the evolution of enmity throughout “The Great Gatsby.”
Dissecting the role of enmity in the disillusionment of characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
Enmity in “The Great Gatsby”: A symbol of societal decay or a personal struggle?

Essay Topics on Erosion of Morality Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

Desire to acquire wealth to please other people may cause individuals to engage in immoral activities.
Men and women defy marital requirements and may participate in extramarital activities that endanger their marriages.
Money and love cannot be similar as it is represented in the Great Gatsby book.
Analyzing the erosion of moral values in “The Great Gatsby.”
“The Great Gatsby” as a portrayal of societal decay during the Jazz Age.
Implications of the dissolving American dream in “The Great Gatsby.”
Disintegration of personal relationships as seen through “The Great Gatsby.”
Materialism and its destructive influence in “The Great Gatsby.”
Examining the degradation of the human spirit in “The Great Gatsby.”
The decay of the Roaring Twenties as depicted in “The Great Gatsby.”
Class struggle: A catalyst for social erosion in “The Great Gatsby.”
“The Great Gatsby”: An exploration of moral bankruptcy.
Corrosion of individuality in the face of societal expectations in “The Great Gatsby.”
Love or lust? Erosion of true emotions in “The Great Gatsby.”
The glamour and grit: Depicting societal decline in “The Great Gatsby.”
Fading faith in the American dream: A perspective from “The Great Gatsby.”
Wealth and wastefulness: How affluence leads to degradation in “The Great Gatsby.”
Character study: How the protagonists contribute to the theme of decay in “The Great Gatsby.”
Erosion of trust and honesty in the character relationships of “The Great Gatsby.”
Juxtaposing reality and illusion in “The Great Gatsby”: The erosion of truth.
“The Great Gatsby” and the critique of a consumerist society.
Unfulfilled dreams and the decay of hope in “The Great Gatsby.”

Essay Topics for Property Ownership Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

People should acquire wealth whenever there are opportunities to do it.
People who are wealthy do not like other individuals who have obtained riches, considering “The Great Gatsby.”
The acquisition of wealth by poor people threatens the social positions of the wealthy class.
Individuals who never work hard through their efforts to earn wealth are extravagant.
Property owned through corrupt means offers short-lived happiness.
The symbolism of property ownership in “The Great Gatsby.”
Disparities of wealth and class as depicted through the property in Fitzgerald’s novel.
How property ownership influences character development in “The Great Gatsby.”
Perspectives on the American Dream: Comparing Gatsby and Tom Buchanan’s properties.
Understanding the significance of East Egg and West Egg through property ownership.
Jay Gatsby’s mansion: A symbol of his unattainable dream.
Comparing the socio-economic status of characters through their properties in the novel.
“The Great Gatsby”: How property sets the stage for drama and conflict.
The role of property ownership in the tragedy of Jay Gatsby.
An analysis of wealth illusion through property descriptions in “The Great Gatsby.”
How Fitzgerald uses the property to expose the moral decay of the 1920s?
Examining the impact of materialism and property obsession on character relationships.
Depiction of social mobility through property ownership in “The Great Gatsby.”
Property and status: Understanding the core of Gatsby’s obsession.
Links between property ownership and masculinity in Fitzgerald’s work.
The role of geographical locations and property settings in the novel.
Critique of the American Dream: Wealth vs. happiness in “The Great Gatsby.”
Exploring the role of property in creating social divisions within the novel.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

Online Predators Spread Fake Porn of Me. Here’s How I Fought Back. by Noelle Martin

Essay on Online Predators Spread Fake Porn of Me

Icon Calendar 10 June 2020
Icon Page 615 words

How to Write a Good 5-Paragraph Essay With Tips, Outline, and Sample

Icon Calendar 8 June 2020
Icon Page 2891 words

The Great Gatsby: Essay Topics & Samples

No novel is written for the sake of writing. You can be immersed in the plot and feel sympathy toward the protagonists, but there is something more about every great book. A good The Great Gatsby essay should question the narrative to determine what the text’s broader purpose is.

Are you out of ideas? Our topics and The Great Gatsby writing prompts can kickstart your creative process. They won’t limit the flight of your thought in any way: instead, they’ll show you the right direction to follow. You can also use our essay samples for inspiration or apply for professional writing help .

💡 Essay Topics
✒️ Essay Samples

💡 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics & Prompts

Did Daisy genuinely love Gatsby, or did she want to return the past feelings? Why was preserving her social class so important? Or did she stay with Tom for other reasons, like the shared experience, stability, and the daughter? Do you think Daisy opted for Tom after a careful comparison?
Old and New Money in The Great Gatsby. What did Gatsby lack to feel like he belongs to the Old Money, apart from heritage? What did elevate him above the Old Money representatives and make him more humane? Why didn’t he possess the traits related to the corruption of the upper class?
Money and wealth in The Great Gatsby . Money is helpless in matters of love and friendship. Nick Carraway was Gatsby’s only friend. As far as we know, only Daisy loved him, and even this fact is doubtful. Was it the reason why Gatsby’s success did not make him happy? Write an argumentative essay about it!
Compare and contrast The Great Gatsby 2013 movie vs. the book in an essay. Does the movie represent the characters as profoundly as the book does? Make the book review from the point of view of a person who watched the film first. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the film?
How does Gatsby represent the American Dream ? This essay should start with the historical background that formed the general idea of the American Dream. Is Gatsby’s version of the American Dream universal for all US citizens, or does it have any unique features? “The American Dream in The Great Gatsby ” is a perfect title for this kind of essay.
Is Gatsby great? This essay can discuss the strengths and failures of Jay Gatsby. It could also reveal why the novel is titled like this. Is Gatsby great because he has made a fortune without any heritage, or is the title ironic?
The Great Gatsby symbolism is a good topic for an essay. It could cover the setting of the novel, the color symbolism in The Great Gatsby (especially the green light , gold, and the color white,) and the small symbolic details like bespectacled eyes of various protagonists and TJ Eckleburg on the billboard.
Write The Great Gatsby literary analysis essay , exploring why the author chose these specific characters to convey the main idea to the reader. What is the primary purpose of the novel, and what helped the author to achieve it? Dwell upon the decline of morality as the typical feature of the Roaring Twenties.
Time in The Great Gatsby . Throughout the entire novel, Gatsby is trying to recapture his past feelings. Did he succeed, to some extent? Can living in the memories, even recreated in real life, make someone happy? The novel is full of flashbacks. Explain why the time is non-linear in the story .
The Great Gatsby themes might also be a great as an essay topic. The novel is multifaceted and profound, with several layers of meaning. Money and wealth, society and class, love and marriage , hope, morality, time, and the American Dream in The Great Gatsby are to be discussed in this essay.

✒️ The Great Gatsby: Essay Examples

Below you’ll find a collection of The Great Gatsby essay examples. Use them for inspiration!

Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
Masculinity in The Great Gatsby and The Breakfast Club
Imagery in The Great Gatsby by F. Fitzgerald
Conception of The American Dream
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to LinkedIn
Share to email

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as a satire of society. Why did the novel appear in the given historical period? Why are there no positive characters in the book? What does it take to fulfill the American dream? The Great Gatsby Study Guide answers these and many other...

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts contains all you need to know about the summary of The Great Gatsby: synopsis, a timeline diagram, and a detailed overview of the events by chapters. No summary machine would be able to provide you with this much in-depth information about The Great Gatsby plot....

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts has everything about The Great Gatsby characters, their values, and relationships. Check it out to learn about Jay Gatsby character traits, Nick Carraway, Klipspringer, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, Myrtle Wilson, and others. Additionally, in the first section, you’ll find The Great Gatsby character...

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts provides an explanation of The Great Gatsby themes. The core issues represented in the novel by Fitzgerald are: the American dream, money, social class, love, morality, and time. Keep reading to learn more about the themes of The Great Gatsby! ✉️ What Is the Main...

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts explains the symbols in The Great Gatsby. In the first section, you’ll find the information on the color symbolism of The Great Gatsby: the green light, as well as the meanings of yellow and white colors in the novel will be explained. Then follows the...

Wuthering Heights Essay Topics & Samples

Having trouble coming up with decent Wuthering Heights essay topics? No need to struggle anymore since there is a selection of the best topics, questions, and prompts here! This article by Custom-Writing.org experts is here to help you if you don’t know what to write about or have to choose...

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts provides a comprehensive analysis of symbols and themes in Wuthering Heights. Emily Bronte’s book is full of gothic symbolism and tragedy. The story of revenge and self-destruction is good by itself, without any explanations. Bronte does great work focusing all the attention of the readers...

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts contains Wuthering Heights character map and the all the information about the Wuthering Heights characters: Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw, Isabella Linton, Nelly Dean, Mr. Lockwood. Our article also covers minor characters and their relationships. In the first section, you’ll find a Wuthering Heights characters family tree....

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts contains all you need to know about the summary of Wuthering Heights: timeline, a synopsis, and a detailed description of the events by chapters. If you have no time to work with a summary maker but still need a shortened version of this story, check...

Choosing such a masterpiece to write about is a wise choice. Mary Shelley wasn’t even going to create this novel, so it is fair enough to doubt whether there is anything to analyze at all. However, there are so many ideas for essay topics about Frankenstein! The most prominent questions...

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts provides an explanation of the themes of Frankenstein. The core issues represented in Mary Shelley’s book are: dangerous knowledge, nature, isolation, monstrosity, and revenge. Keep reading to learn more about the theme of Frankenstein for your class or essay! 🔑 What Are the Major Themes...

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Character List

This article by Custom-Writing.org experts contains the description of Frankenstein’s characters: Victor Frankenstein character traits, the Monster, Robert Walton, Henry Clerval, and others. In the first section, you’ll find a Frankenstein character map. 🗺️ Frankenstein: Character Map Below you’ll find a character map of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. 👨‍🔬 Victor...

IMAGES

THE GREAT GATSBY ESSAY Final Essay Prompts FREE RESOURCE
THE GREAT GATSBY Final Essay Prompts FREE RESOURCE
THE GREAT GATSBY Essay Writing Prompts & Grading Rubrics
The Great Gatsby Chapter 9 In-Class Essay Prompts by English Teacher Man
The Great Gatsby Chapters 1 to 4 Essay Prompts Free Resource
The Great Gatsby Essay Prompts

VIDEO

L3 Essay Writing- The Great Gatsby
Essay On The Great Gatsby
"Shocking Hypocrisy Exposed: Unbelievable Truth Behind the Young and the Restless'Confounding Duo!"
Gateway B2+
Great Gatsby, Hamlet and Animal Farm Visual Essay
the great Gatsby| the great Gatsby chapter one summary and analysis

COMMENTS

PDF AP English III Great Gatsby Essay Prompts
The Great Gatsby AP Essay Prompts Choose one of the essay prompts below. Write a thoughtful, focused, and organized response. Your essay should focus on the novel as evidence— this means quoting directly from the novel at least twice. Your essay will be graded using the AP style rubric (available for viewing on my website) on how well
157 The Great Gatsby : Best Topics and Examples
The Great Gatsby story is full of symbols. And here are just two examples of them: The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg painted on a billboard in the Valley of Ashes. You can find a lot of The Great Gatsby essay samples that draw the conclusion that Eckleburg represents God. However, let's ask a few more questions.
20 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics
20 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics. Hailed as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, The Great Gatsby is a story that explores love, betrayal, and the pursuit of the American dream in the 1920s. If you have been asked to write an essay on this classic novel, you might be a little nervous trying to figure out what you should include.
The Great Gatsby Suggested Essay Topics
Suggested Essay Topics. PDF Cite. Chapter 1. 1. Consider the references to people in literature or history in the chapter. What purpose (s) do they serve? 2. Write a character sketch of Daisy (or ...
The Great Gatsby Essay Questions
The Great Gatsby Essay Questions. 1. Analyze Fitzgerald's conception of the American Dream. Does he view it as totally dead, or is it possible to revive it? 2. 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?
100+ Great Gatsby Essay Topics and Ideas
The metamorphosis of James Gatz to Jay Gatsby: A self-made illusion. The allure and tragedy of Daisy Buchanan. Tom Buchanan: The embodiment of 1920s excess and entitlement. The enigmatic charm of Jordan Baker. George Wilson: A product of societal neglect. Myrtle Wilson's desperate grasp for a luxurious life.
The Great Gatsby Essay Examples
Excellent. 2 pages / 990 words. Prompt Examples for "The Great Gatsby" Essay Character Analysis: Analyze the character of Pammy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, exploring her role in the narrative and how her presence reflects aspects of her parents, Tom and Daisy. Symbolism and Themes: Discuss the symbolism of Pammy...
The Great Gatsby Critical Essays
Gatsby retains the American Dream in its purest form. A. He has the quality of the original seekers of the dream—the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. III. He adheres to the precept of ...
The Great Gatsby Essay Prompts With Rubrics
Essay Prompts for two different topics on the novel The Great Gatsby. Two Prewriting Graphic Organizers for students to brainstorm ideas, thesis, examples, and textual evidence. TDA Essay Rubric broken down into categories: content, focus, organization, style, conventions, and format. In this resource, students will conduct a literary analysis ...
149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics
144 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics. Let's travel to the roaring 1920s with our collection of The Great Gatsby essay prompts! F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel, set amidst the luxury and decadence of the Jazz Age, thrills readers with its exploration of love, wealth, and the elusive pursuit of the American Dream.
Most Important Themes in Great Gatsby, Analyzed
Sometimes an essay prompt will come right out and ask you to write about a theme, for example "is The American Dream in Gatsby alive or dead?" or "Write about the relationships in Gatsby. ... On the other hand, many essay prompts about Gatsby will look like a question about something specific, like a character or symbol:
The Great Gatsby Character Analysis Essay Prompts
The Great Gatsby Character Analysis Essay Prompts. Instructor Angela Janovsky. Angela has taught middle and high school English, Business English and Speech for nine years. She has a bachelor's ...
'The Great Gatsby' Questions for Study and Discussion
Here are some questions around which to build a lively discussion for your next book club meeting: What is important about the title of "The Great Gatsby?" Which adaptations of the novel have you seen? What did you think of them? What are the conflicts in "The Great Gatsby"? What types of conflicts—physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional ...
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is usually studied in the Australian curriculum under Area of Study 1 ... We've curated essay prompts based off our Ransom and Invictus Study Guide which explores themes, characters, and quotes. 'Without mortality and fallibility, humility cannot exist.' Compare how the two texts explore the importance of humility.
The Great Gatsby: Questions & Answers
Explain the quote. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.". The most famous among The Great Gatsby quotes is the novel's final sentence, restating its central theme. It reflects Jay Gatsby's inability to let go of the past. His efforts to bring it back are barely worth it.
The Great Gatsby Essay Prompts on the American Dream
The Great Gatsby Essay Prompts on the American Dream. Clio has taught education courses at the college level and has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. The American Dream is one of the most ...
The Great Gatsby Essay Prompts on Identity
The Great Gatsby Essay Prompts on Identity. Tara received her MBA from Adams State University and is currently working on her DBA from California Southern University. She spent 11 years as a sales ...
The Great Gatsby Study Questions: [Essay Example], 680 words
The Great Gatsby Study Questions. I. Introduction. A. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a timeless classic that delves into the complexities of love, wealth, and society during the Roaring Twenties. Set against the backdrop of the glitz and glamour of the Jazz Age, the novel follows the enigmatic Jay Gatsby as he pursues the elusive ...
Great Gatsby Essay Topics
Or, more generally, explain the theme of the corruption of people and society through an examination of characters in the novel who are corrupt. 5. Describe Fitzgerald's satirical portrait of modern society using Gatsby's parties as support. 6. Compare and contrast the homes of characters (consider Nick, Gatsby, Tom, and George/Myrtle Wilson).
Topics for The Great Gatsby Argumentative Essay
Essay prompts: Trauma is a motif in The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald published in 1925. The novel narrates the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, who happens to be a millionaire in pursuit of the love of his youth, Daisy, which he lost while serving in the army. Find out more on How to Write a Narrative Essay.
226 Great Gatsby Essay Topics & Prompts
Interesting Great Gatsby Essay Topics. Disentangling the threads of fate and freewill in the narrative. Romanticized past vs harsh reality: A Gatsby paradox. Relevance of "The Great Gatsby" in the 21st century. Influence of Fitzgerald's personal life on the novel's themes.
The Great Gatsby: Essay Topics, Samples, & Prompts
The novel is full of flashbacks. Explain why the time is non-linear in the story. The Great Gatsby themes might also be a great as an essay topic. The novel is multifaceted and profound, with several layers of meaning. Money and wealth, society and class, love and marriage, hope, morality, time, and the American Dream in The Great Gatsby are to ...

20 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Essay Writing Essentials

Writing a Thesis

Developing Supporting Claims for the Body

Crafting a Strong Conclusion

Citing and Formatting Essays About Books

Citing Sources

Formatting an Essay About a Book

Related Posts

Categories:

Recent posts:

Testimonials

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby Questions and Answers

Study Guide for The Great Gatsby

Essays for The Great Gatsby

Lesson Plan for The Great Gatsby

Wikipedia Entries for The Great Gatsby

100+ Great Gatsby Essay Topics

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics: Dive Deep into Fitzgerald’s World

What is a Great Gatsby Essay?

Guide to Choosing a Great Gatsby Essay Topic

Great Gatsby Essay Topics Lists

Themes Explored

Symbols and Motifs

Narrative Techniques

Character Insights

Exploring Central Themes

Symbols and Their Interpretations

Narrative Techniques & Structure

Comparative Analyses

Societal Implications

Miscellaneous Topics

Unraveling Relationships

Behind the Illusions

Contextual Analysis

Deeper Dive into Symbols

Literary Legacy

Call to Action

Useful References:

The Great Gatsby Essay TDA Writing Prompts, Grading Rubrics, & Prewriting Tasks

149 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

🪩 7 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Choose Your Test

What Is a Theme? Why Should You Care?

Overview of Key Themes in The Great Gatsby

The 7 Major Great Gatsby Themes

How to Write About The Great Gatsby Themes

What's Next?

Ask a Question Below

Improve With Our Famous Guides

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

'The Great Gatsby' Study Questions

Study Questions

Only one more step to getting your FREE text response mini-guide!

The Great Gatsby

Want insider tips? Sign up here!

Introduction

Life in the Roaring Twenties

Wealth and class

Morality and values

Love, desire and hope

Prompt: what does Fitzgerald suggest about social stratification in the 1920s?

Have a go at these prompts!

Challenge: According to Fitzgerald, what really lays underneath the façade of the Roaring 20s? Make reference to at least 2 symbols in The Great Gatsby . (Hint: façade = “an outward appearance that conceals a less pleasant reality” – think about things like colours, clothes, buildings etc.)

Get our FREE VCE English Text Response mini-guide

Struggling to answer the essay topic?

Dissecting the Prompt

Detailed Plan

First paragraph

Second paragraph

Third paragraph

Historical Context

Tips for Moving Past the Generic Examples/Evidence Found in the Play

1. Taking Note of Stage Directions and Structure of Speech

2. Drawing Connections Between Characters - Analyse Their Similarities and Differences.