Gatsby Final Essay and Vocab Quiz

You will have a vocab and lit terms quiz on Monday--it will be worth 60 multiple choice/quiz points.


Great Gatsby Final Essay

Due Wednesday October 26

Your job is to write a complete, detailed essay in response to one of the prompts. This is not a timed write—your essay should display your strengths and be thoroughly edited. It should include a complete introduction and conclusion.

Please choose one of the following prompts:

1. Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a morally ambiguous character who plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

2. Compare and contrast any two places in the novel, explaining how the places differ, what each place symbolizes, and how each reflects the society of the times and the morals and values of its inhabitants.

3. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Due Dates:

1. Formal, detailed outline of essay—Monday October 24th (50 HW points)
2. Typed, double spaced, complete draft—Wednesday October 26th (100 essay points)

Tips:

·         Read the essay prompt carefully and address all parts

·         Introduction should include the title of the book, the author, a brief summary, and an elegant transition to a thesis

·         Integrate quotes (with text notes) throughout your essay

·         Each paragraph should have a main focus, with a clear topic sentence

·         Do not merely summarize plot

·         Conclusion should answer the question “So What?”. DO NOT SUMMARIZE YOUR ESSAY IN YOUR CONCLUSION

·         To the best of your ability, integrate literary terms we have discussed in class (allusion, metaphor, juxtaposition, etc)

·         Be cognizant of grammar

o    Use literary present tense

o    Use parallel structure

o    Use sentence variety

o    Use strong diction

·         Attach the essay rubric to your essay

Grading

Your grade on this essay will be based on your score on the AP English rubric, but since this is an untimed, full length essay, it will be graded out of 100 points.