Gatsby final exam.

If I were to give a final exam on Gatsby, which I'm not, some of the questions below might end up on it as short answer essay options. I thought you might like to see them. (You know, because you absolutely love learning.) Peruse and post comments if you are inclined to do so.

Characters & Characterization.

• Who is the most affable character in the book? Why?
• How has Nick matured by the end of the novel?
• Why does Nick “like” but ultimately disapprove of Gatsby?
• Who is the “hero” of the novel? Is there a hero?
• The novel is a tragedy, and ultimately, Gatsby is a tragic character. Why?
• Which characters seem to “have it all”? Do they really?
  

Theme & Symbol.

• What kind of world does the novel portray? Who succeeds—or rather, “survives"—in this world? Why?
• Why are characters who seem to have it all often desperate and immoral? How does this reflect the notion of the American Dream and specifically, the importance of money and material wealth?
• What, then, do you think the Fitzgerald is saying about the American Dream?
• Who—or rather, what—killed Gatsby? (Think beyond the literal; investigate on a figurative level.)
• Gatsby dies by the pool. Why? Wilson dies in the garden. Why?
• The novel begins at the end of spring/beginning of summer. Gatsby meets Daisy in the fall. Gatsby dies in the fall. So, who cares? Why is any of this significant?

Beyond the text.

• Gatsby is a novel of the 1920s, but how might is it also be a novel of today?
• Why do you think Fitz named it The Great Gatsby? Was Gatsby “great”? (At one point, Fitzgerald considered the title Under the Red, White, and Blue. Why?)
• Some have cited the novel as the “Great American Novel.” Do you agree or disagree? Why? What is distinctly “American” about it?

Gatsby passage analysis resources.

• Essay assignment sheet.
• Helpful hints.
• Example essay.
• Sample paper (formatting).

Symposium assignment.

In a blog post, address the following question regarding Wednesday's Symposium:

How did Regina Marie Williams performance as Zora Neale Hurston in Jump at the Sun change your understanding of, appreciate for, or overall perspective on Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Remember to include your name in the body of the blog comment.

Due: Monday, May 18.

Gatsby and the American Dream.

• A recent New York Times article: "Gatsby's Green Light Beckons a New Set of Strivers."
• An interactive Minnesota Public Radio feature: "Preserving the American Dream."
• A Symbol of the American Dream: Buy the One Million Dollar Bill for only $9.50!

Gatsby on Google Maps.

Click photos to enlarge.


Long Island.


Great Neck (West Egg) & Port Washington (East Egg).


The "eggs" up close.


Gatsby Lane. (No joke.)


The green light at the end of the dock?

Roaring Twenties Reinvented.

Watch this:


Then this:

Bike-to-School Challenge 2009.

Wednesday. Block 1 vs. Block 2. The class with the most students who bike to school wins something yet to be determined. Could be some bonus points, could be bagels and juice, could be an endless supply of gum for the rest of the year. And here's an addition catch, anyone who bikes 10+ miles will be counted double.

Cisneros coming to Mpls.

Sandra Cisneros will be the next guest in MPR's literary series, Talking Volumes, in which well-known authors talk about their work with host Keri Miller. Cisnero's will talk about the 25th anniversary of The House on Mango Street, her acclaimed novella of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. She will also discuss her new projects, including a collection of fiction titled Infinito and Writing in My Pajamas, a book on how she teaches writing.

Event Info.
7pm, Tuesday, April 21 at Washburn High School.
* More info and tickets here: Cisneros on Talking Volumes.