What's so great about Gatsby? A teaching guide asks readers to consider whether Gatsby's quest represents the embodiment of the American Dream or a reflection of the American nightmare, a green light, or a valley of ashes.

Concepts

f. scott fitzgerald, the great gatsby, the american dream, first-person point of view, point of view, fictional narratives, narratives

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Have class members create posters with images and symbols that for them define what they believe is the American Dream
• Save the background reading until after readers have finished the novel or consider not using it at all; instead, have pupils craft their own analysis

Classroom Considerations

• Requires a free PBS account to access materials
• One of five videos from the PBS American Masters series

Pros

• Includes teacher tips, discussion questions, and suggested activities

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.9-10.1 RL.9-10.3 RL.11-12.1