Name ________________________________________________ Date _____________ Period _________

Complete the chart below using your own words and quotations from the text. Be thorough
in your response.
1.

Identify the thematic implication of your choice from the novel. (A theme is more
than a one-word concept such as loveif you want to examine the concept of
love in The Great Gatsby, then ask yourself what does the novel imply about
love? Your response will be your theme.

2.

Based on your chosen theme, look for textual information (evidence) for each of
the five literary elements (setting, characterization, tone figurative language,
symbol/motif) that assists you in understanding your thematic assertion. You will
look for this information in three parts: Part One is chapters 1 to 3; Part Two is
chapters 4 to 6; Part Three is chapters 7 to 9.

3.

Once completed, write a fully developed Statement of Authors Purpose whereby

you explicate how and why the literary elements develop the theme.
Planning Chart: The Great Gatsby

Theme: The theme of The Great Gatsby has to do with the unreachability of the American
Dream that stems from the insincerity of the upper class. The book shows how the rich
West and East Eggs are so careless and insensitive that they dont even notice the effect
that they have on the common people who live and work in the valley of ashes.

Setting
Characterizatio
Tone
Part One
n
Part One- And so
(Chapters 1-3)- It Part One- He had it happened that
was on that
changed since his on a warm windy
slender riotous
New Haven years. evening I drove
island which
Now he was a
over to East Egg
extends itself due sturdy strawto see two old
east of New York- haired man of
friends whom I
and...the great
thirty with a
scarcely knew at
wet barnyard of rather hard mouthall. (6)
Long Island
and a supercilious
Sound. (4-5)
manner. Two
Satirical/Amazed
shining arrogant
eyes had
established
dominance over
his face and gave
him the
appearance of
always leaning
aggressively
forward.... It was
a body capable of
enormous
leverage a
cruel body. (7)

Figurative
Symbol/Motif
Language
Part One- About
Part One- She
half way between
was a
the West egg and
slender,small
New York...This is
breasted girl, with a valley of ashesan erect carriage, a fantastic farm
which she
where ashes grow
accentuated by like wheat into
throwing her body ridges and hills.
backward at the (23)
shoulders like a
young cadet.
(11)

Part Two
Part Two- A small, Part Two- I think Part Two- Unlike Part Two-Motif
(Chapters 4-6)flat-nosed Jew
that voice held
Gatsby and Tom, I (Setting)- This
We hadnt
raised his large
him most, with its had no girl whose reminded me that
reached West Egg head and
fluctuating,
disembodied face I had forgotten to
Village before
regarded me with feverish warmth, floated along the tell my Finn to
Gatsby began
two fine growths because it
dark cornices and come back, so I
leaving his
of hair which
couldnt be over- blinding signs,
drove into West
elegant sentences luxuriated in
dreamed- that
and so I drew up Egg Village to
unfinished and
either nostril.
voice was a
the girl beside me search for her
slapping himself (69)
deathless song. tightening my
among soggy
indecisively on
(96)
arms. (80)
whitewashed
the knee of his
alleys and to buy
caramel-colored
Romantic/Helples
some cups and
suit. (64)
s
lemons and
flowers. (83-84)

Part Three
(Chapters 7-9)- I
love New York on
summer
afternoons when
every ones
away. (125)

Part Three- Daisy Part ThreePart Three- Most Part Three- I

and Jordan lay
Gatsby believed of the big shore thought of
upon an
in the green light, places were
Gatsbys wonder
enormous
the orgastic
closed now and when he first
couch, like silver future that year there were hardly picked out the
idols weighing
by year recedes any lights except green light at the
down their own
before us. It
for the shadowy, end of Daisys
white dresses
eluded us then, moving glow of a dock. He had
against the
but thats no
ferryboat across come a long way
singing breeze of matter-tomorrow the Sound. And as to this blue lawn,
the fans.
we will run faster, the moon rose
and his dream
stretch out our
higher the
must have
arms
inessential housesseemed so close
farther....And one began to melt
that he could
fine morning- So away until
hardly fail to
we beat on, boats gradually I
grasp it. (180)
against the
became aware of
current , borne
the old island
back ceaselessly here that flowered
into the past.
once for Dutch
(180)
sailors eyes -a
fresh green breast
Ambivalent
of the new world.
(180)

As you type into the fields of this chart, the boxes will expand as far as necessary for you to
record your information fully. You should always include page numbers for future reference.
Begin your Statement of Authors Purpose immediately after your chart.
The author, Fitzgerald, uses vivid diction and imagery, along with multiple symbols and
motifs to describe the unreachability of the American Dream. He morphs a significant part
of American atmosphere into a symbolic setting used to describe the insensitivity of the
wealthy American people and connect their careless acts to the unsuccessful lives of the
common American people who cannot achieve his or her dream.