Great Gatsby Analytical Essay

Pick one topic and write a well constructed college standard 3-5 page analytical essay in mla format.

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

Money: Analyze the portrayal of wealth in the novel—the difference between “old money” and “new money” as well as the things that money can and cannot buy. What is Fitzgerald ultimately trying to say about money and materialism? What does Gatsby’s rise and fall say about the pursuit of wealth and status in the world of the novel?

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

Indirect Characterization: Show how indirect characterization, when the writer reveals information about a character and their personality through that character’s thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him (gossip, rumors, etc), significantly influences a person’s interpretation of one character. Your thesis statement would explain how F. Scott Fitzgerald wants the reader to view this character. Evidence and analysis would show the way in which Fitzgerald guides our impression of the character throughout the book.

Symbols: A symbol in a novel is a concrete object that represents an idea or a set of ideas. Choose three major symbols in the book. Explain what those symbols mean and how they function together to support a central theme.

Theme: In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the

first chapter of a book introduces some of the major themes of the Lost Generation. Analyze how the first chapter of The Great Gatsby sets forth the major themes of the book.