The Great Gatsby Research Notebook

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The Great Gatsby Research Notebook

• You will include the following items
• Summary of Novel
• Literary Element Analysis
• Literary Criticism of Novel

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Summary of Novel

• 1. Summary of Novel - should cover
• plot events, themes and character descriptions.
• Must be a full page of 3-5 paragraphs with well
  written sentences.

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Literary Element Analysis

• 2. Choose 5 of the following elements and define
  them.
• Choose and write a quote from the novel that
  illustrates the element. Only one quote per
  chapter (example if you use chapter 1 for
  symbolism, you can not use chapter 1 for any
  other element.)
• Explain in your own words how the quote
  represents the definition of the element.
• setting symbolism point of view
  flashback character allusion conflict
  theme

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Literary Criticism of Novel

• 3. In the library, you will learn about the
  research material available for the novel.
• Read a literary criticism of The Great Gatsby
• In 2-3 paragraphs discuss whether you agree or
  disagree with the critic and use specific quotes
  from the article and the novel to support your
  opinions and conclusions.

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Example

• Element - Conflict
•  
• Definition (from the text book) - Opposition
  between characters or forces in a work of drama
  or fiction
•  
• Original Quote
• I took the letter up, and held it in my hand.
  I was a-trembling, because Id got to decide,
  forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I
  studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and
  then says to myself All right, then, Ill go to
  hell and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and
  awful words, but they was saidI would go to work
  and steal Jim out of slavery again (Twain 206).
• Explanation
• This quote from the novel shows clearly the
  internal conflict Huck is having and how he truly
  believes he is doing something wrong by not
  telling Miss Watson that he knows where her
  missing slave is. Huck is maturing and beginning
  to decide for himself what is moral and ethical
  and what is not. This internal struggle is
  between what his heart tells him and what society
  has taught him. Twain designs an innocent boy
  deeply conflicted to drive the theme of his
  novel.

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Your due date is Wednesday, April 18.

• You will have 2-3 days in the library to do your
  research. You must include a Works Cited which
  will include your textbook for the literary
  element definitions and your novel for the
  quotations, and your critical source for the
  literary criticism. Each section should be done
  on a separate page including each of the literary
  element pages (Your notebook at a minimum will be
  7 pages plus the work cited page and a cover
  sheet). These pages will be placed in order with
  the title of the page and your name and period in
  the top right corner. Your notebook must be
  typed and submitted to turnitin.com. No
  handwritten essays will be accepted and no essays
  will be graded that have not been submitted to
  the website.

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Use the following questions ONLY TO GUIDE you
through each section! Guiding Questions for
Analysis of a Novel

• Summary
• Who is the protagonist of the story?
• What are the conflicts? Are they physical,
  intellectual, moral, or emotional?
• How is suspense created in the story? Is the
  interest confined to What happens next? or is
  it more complicated?
• What is the climax of the story? What change does
  the climax bring about?

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Characters

• How does the author tell the reader about the
  characters? Are the characters round?
• Are the characters consistent in their actions?
  What is their motivation?
• Is the characterization direct or indirect?
• Are any of the characters dynamic (do they
  change)? If so, is his change a small one or a
  large one? Does the change contribute to the
  theme of the story? How?

9
Theme

• Does the story have a theme? What is the story
  about? What is the central idea? Is it inferred
  or directly stated?
• Is the theme a universal one that can be applied
  to life today?

10
Point of View

• What point of view does the story use? First
  person, third person limited or third person
  omniscient
• What advantages does this point of view give to
  the telling of the story? Does it furnish any
  clues as to the purpose of the story?
• If the point of view is that of one of the
  characters, does this character have any
  limitations that affect his interpretation of
  events or persons?

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Symbol

• Does the story make use of symbols? If so, do the
  symbols carry or merely reinforce the meaning of
  the story?
• How does the symbol help contribute to the
  storys theme?

12
Setting

• What contribution to the story is made by the
  setting? Is the particular setting essential, or
  could the story have happened anywhere?

13
Conflict

• Are the conflicts internal (within one character)
  or external (between two characters)?
• What do the conflicts add to the development of
  the plot?