The AP English Literature essay portion of the AP exam is challenging for many students. Not only is it testing you on your ability to analyze higher level pieces of literature, but in order to provide an adequate analysis of a piece of literature, you have to have some key themes and novel highlights memorized, so you’re able to provide evidence for analysis.
The third question on the free response question section of the exam will particularly test you on this. The third FRQ question provides you with a prompt, and a list of recommended books that apply to the prompt given. You are tasked with selecting a book, coming up with a thesis and a point to answer the prompt and provide evidence from the novel you choose.
The AP English Literature exam does not expect you to have specific lines and page numbers memorized from every book you covered throughout your class. However, a great way to be prepared for the FRQ section is to know key themes and important scenes of the novels you covered. Another great way to be prepared is through FRQ practice. So, for this AP English Literature Ultimate Guide, we will be covering how to use The Great Gatsby for the 2016, 2007 and 2005 free response questions. The Great Gatsby AP English Lit essay Themes The Great Gatsby is a story narrated by Nick Carraway, who had once been Jay Gatsby’s neighbor. The story takes place during the roaring 20’s and begins with Nick’s desire to become a bonds salesman and moves from the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island.
The novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby and his affair with Daisy Buchanan as well as the rest of the events that unfold that summer. A central theme to The Great Gatsby is honesty. The main characters, mostly Gatsby and Daisy, are among the most dishonest; however, their dishonesty is not as black and white as it is in some other novels. Carraway suspects Gatsby of lying about his past and is also aware of his bootlegging and illegal business dealings. Daisy is also dishonest about many things in her life, not just her affair with Gatsby. The irony of honesty in the story is that Daisy is indignant at Gatsby’s lies, despite her dishonesty, and Daisy’s husband Tom is intolerant of her affair with Gatsby, despite lying about his affair.
Gender roles appear as a major theme in The Great Gatsby as well, although they are stereotypically conservative. The way gender roles are presented in the Great Gatsby is that men work in order to have money for the maintenance of their women and that men are superior/dominant over the females in their lives. However, despite the conservative gender roles of the book, women have just as complex characters as the men. Rather than being portrayed as either virgin or vamp, they have more three-dimensional personalities and flaws. Another central theme in The Great Gatsby is the theme of class structure and society. Class is presented in the novel through the separation of East Egg and West Egg; East egg represents the families who are typically old money, while West Egg represents the families of new money.
Gatsby is exceedingly aware of this separation, and is shown throughout the novel desperately trying to achieve an air of old money. How to use The Great Gatsby for the 2016 AP English Literature Free Response Question For the third free response questions you are given a general prompt, but you have to select what book you feel you should use to answer the FRQ.
The exam provides you with a list of which to choose from, but it is your ultimate decision. For the purpose of this Ultimate Guide, we will demonstrate how to use The Great Gatsby for the AP English Literature essay. The gives you this prompt: “Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. Choose a novel or play in which a character deceives others.
Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another work of comparable literary merit.
Do not merely summarize the plot.” Deception and lies are a recurring theme in The Great Gatsby; deception is prevalent in the novel as a whole, in individual characters deceiving others, and in characters deceiving themselves. Throughout the book, the narrator Nick Carraway is fascinated by the incredible stories that arise about Jay Gatsby’s life prior to meeting him. In the book, Carraway suspects that Gatsby is lying about what has happened in his life, either because Gatsby has something to hide or maybe because he is embarrassed about the truth. For supporting evidence to answer this FRQ, any example of a story that Gatsby told Carraway about his life could be used.
The lies that Gatsby professes about his parents, or the time he spent in Europe, or the honors bestowed upon him from his time in the army. The character of Daisy Buchanan is also a deceiving character in the novel; she frequently makes untrue statements about her child, as well as her marriage and the affair she has with Gatsby. Her deception begins with her husband as she starts lying to him about her affair with Gatsby.
Her back-and-forth attitude about whether or not she loves her husband Tom, and Gatsby, also shows her own self-deception. She may want to keep her social balance by staying married to her husband, but she may also by lying to herself about whether she truly loved either of them. How to use The Great Gatsby for the 2007 AP English Literature Free Response Question The gives you this prompt: “In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character.
Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another appropriate novel or play of similar literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.” The past is an exceedingly prevalent theme in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby himself is haunted by the past, and it is clear that he pushes himself and those around him to replicate the past he wishes he was able to have. There is even a scene where Carraway tells Gatsby he can’t replicate the past, to which Gatsby tells him that of course he can. Gatsby is deep into his belief that with all of his money, he will be able to recreate the past.
Gatsby also seems to be trying to recapture the past with Daisy; his obsession with her is encapsulated with his dedication to trying to create the perfect past with Daisy. He believes that his month long affair with Daisy can rewrite the extensive past she has with her husband Tom.
He even purchased the mansion on the “west egg” so that he could be across the bay from Daisy in the hopes that she would one day attend one of his lavish parties in order for him to win Daisy back. How to use The Great Gatsby for the 2005 AP English Literature Free Response Question The provides you with this prompt: “One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work. You may choose one of the works listed or another work of comparable quality that is appropriate to the question.” The desire for power in The Great Gatsby is centralized around two things: money and class. For a possible thesis, you can incorporate how Gatsby is seeking power through trying to use his money to attempt to buy “old money” status, which is in part due to the fact that in his society people view their money as their power. Another possible thesis is to discuss the various power struggles that occur between characters in the novel.
For example, Tom continuously seeks to prove his dominance (and therefore, power) over the other women in the novel. There are a number of specific examples throughout the book, however it is not necessary for you to have them all memorized.
He also uses winning the heart of Daisy to show Gatsby that he has all the power. Daisy is another character who is locked in a power struggle, and the majority of the time it’s with her husband Tom. She marries Tom because of his wealth and status, in order for her to maintain power and status. She also uses Gatsby as a pawn to attempt to gain power over her husband, as well as to make herself feel more powerful. Conclusion If you are considering using The Great Gatsby for the AP English Literature essay on the FRQ portion of your exam, it’s crucial that you have a grasp on the major themes of the novel. When you are confronted with the third FRQ and tasked with selecting a book, you shouldn’t just choose a book because it’s the one you know most about. Make sure that the book you are selecting is one that you know enough about to provide adequate literary evidence for the essay, as well as the most applicable to the prompt given.
However, for the three examples used in this Ultimate Guide, The Great Gatsby is an excellent choice for all three. It’s perfectly normal to be stressed and concerned about the AP English Literature essay on the FRQ portion of your upcoming exam, but this Ultimate Guide to the 2016, 2007, and 2005 AP English Literature FRQ should help calm your nerves! Are you looking for a more general overview of the AP English Literature FRQs or you want writing advice for the FRQ section? Then check out our and our. Our also has practice free response questions with both sample responses and rubrics to help you practice for the AP English Literature exam.
The more you practice, the more you will feel prepared for whatever prompts the exam throws your way.AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc., which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. GMAT® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council®, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. GRE® is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Services (ETS), which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
Published in 1925, is widely considered to be F. Scott Fitzergerald's greatest novel. It is also considered a seminal work on the fallibility of the American dream. It focuses on a young man, Jay Gatsby, who, after falling in love with a woman from the social elite, makes a lot of money in an effort to win her love.
She marries a man from her own social strata and he dies disillusioned with the concept of a self-made man. Fitzgerald seems to argue that the possibility of social mobility in America is an illusion, and that the social hierarchies of the 'New World' are just as rigid as those of Europe. The novel is also famous as a description of the 'Jazz Age,' a phrase which Fitzgerald himself coined. After the shock of moving from a policy of isolationism to involvement in World War I, America prospered in what are termed the 'Roaring Twenties.'
The Eighteenth Amendment to the American Constitution, passed in 1919, prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in America. 'Prohibition' made millionaires out of bootleggers like Gatsby and owners of underground salons, called 'speakeasies.' Fitzgerald glamorizes the noveau riche of this period to a certain extent in his Jazz Age novel. He describes their beautiful clothing and lavish parties with great attention to detail and wonderful use of color.
However, the author was uncomfortable with the excesses of the period, and his novel sounds many warning notes against excessive love of money and material success. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was not a great success during his lifetime, but became a smash hit after his death, especially after World War II. It has since become a staple of the canon of American literature, and is taught at many high schools and universities across the country and the world. Four films, an opera, and a play have been made from the text. How To Cite in MLA Format Ross, Jeremy.
Nolan, Rachel ed. 'The Great Gatsby Study Guide'.
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Discuss Gatsby’s character as perceives him throughout the novel. What makes Gatsby “great”?
In one sense, the title of the novel is ironic; the title character is neither “great” nor named Gatsby. He is a criminal whose real name is James Gatz, and the life he has created for himself is an illusion. By the same token, the title of the novel refers to the theatrical skill with which Gatsby makes this illusion seem real: the moniker “ the Great Gatsby” suggests the sort of vaudeville billing that would have been given to an acrobat, an escape artist, or a magician. Nick is particularly taken with Gatsby and considers him a great figure.
He sees both the extraordinary quality of hope that Gatsby possesses and his idealistic dream of loving in a perfect world. Though Nick recognizes Gatsby’s flaws the first time he meets him, he cannot help but admire Gatsby’s brilliant smile, his romantic idealization of Daisy, and his yearning for the future.
The private Gatsby who stretches his arms out toward the green light on Daisy’s dock seems somehow more real than the vulgar, social Gatsby who wears a pink suit to his party and calls everyone “old sport.” Nick alone among the novel’s characters recognizes that Gatsby’s love for Daisy has less to do with Daisy’s inner qualities than with Gatsby’s own. That is, Gatsby makes Daisy his dream because his heart demands a dream, not because Daisy truly deserves the passion that Gatsby feels for her. Further, Gatsby impresses Nick with his power to make his dreams come true—as a child he dreamed of wealth and luxury, and he has attained them, albeit through criminal means. As a man, he dreams of Daisy, and for a while he wins her, too. In a world without a moral center, in which attempting to fulfill one’s dreams is like rowing a boat against the current, Gatsby’s power to dream lifts him above the meaningless and amoral pleasure-seeking of New York society. In Nick’s view, Gatsby’s capacity to dream makes him “great” despite his flaws and eventual undoing. What is Nick like as a narrator?
Is he a reliable storyteller, or does his version of events seem suspect? How do his qualities as a character affect his narration? Nick’s description of himself in the opening chapter holds true throughout the novel: he is tolerant and slow to judge, someone with whom people feel comfortable sharing their secrets. His willingness to describe himself and the contours of his thoughts even when they are inconsistent or incomplete—his conflicted feelings about Gatsby, for instance, or the long musing at the end of the novel—makes him seem trustworthy and thoughtful. His position in relation to the other characters gives him a perfect vantage point from which to tell the story—he is Daisy’s cousin, Tom’s old college friend, and Gatsby’s neighbor, and all three trust and rely on him. Though Nick participates in this story and its events certainly affect him, The Great Gatsby is not really his story in the sense of being about him. However, it is his story in the sense that it is of crucial importance to him: he defines himself in the process of writing it.
Indeed, he struggles with the story’s meaning even as he tells it. Though Nick professes to admire Gatsby’s passion as a lover and a dreamer, Nick’s own actions in his relationship with Jordan Baker cast an ironic pall over his admiration: with Jordan, Nick is guarded, cautious, and skeptical. Overall, Nick suggests that Gatsby is an exception to his usual ways of understanding and judging the world, and that his attraction to Gatsby creates a conflict within himself. What are some of The Great Gatsby’s most important symbols? What does the novel have to say about the role of symbols in life? Apart from geographic locations, the two most important symbols in the novel are the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock and the eyes of Doctor T.
The first is a perfect example of the manner in which characters in The Great Gatsby infuse symbols with meaning—the green light is only a green light, but to Gatsby it becomes the embodiment of his dream for the future, and it beckons to him in the night like a vision of the fulfillment of his desires. The eyes of Doctor T. Eckleburg work in the same fashion, although their meaning is less fixed. Until George Wilson decides that they are the eyes of God, representing a moral imperative on which he must act, the eyes are simply an unsettling, unexplained image, as they stare down over the valley of ashes.
The eyes of Doctor T. Eckleburg thus emphasize the lack of a fixed relationship between symbols and what they symbolize: the eyes could mean anything to any observer, but they tend to make observers feel as though they are the ones being scrutinized. They seem to stare down at the world blankly, without the need for meaning that drives the human characters of the novel. In general, symbols in the novel are intimately connected to dreams: Gatsby’s dream of Daisy causes him to associate her image with everything he values, just as he associates the green light with his dream for the future.
In reading and interpreting The Great Gatsby, it is at least as important to consider how characters think about symbols as it is to consider the qualities of the symbols themselves. How does the geography of the novel dictate its themes and characters?
What role does setting play in The Great Gatsby? Each of the four important geographical locations in the novel—West Egg, East Egg, the valley of ashes, and New York City—corresponds to a particular theme or type of character encountered in the story. West Egg is like Gatsby, full of garish extravagance, symbolizing the emergence of the new rich alongside the established aristocracy of the 1920s. East Egg is like the Buchanans, wealthy, possessing high social status, and powerful, symbolizing the old upper class that continued to dominate the American social landscape. The valley of ashes is like George Wilson, desolate, desperate, and utterly without hope, symbolizing the moral decay of American society hidden by the glittering surface of upper-class extravagance. New York City is simply chaos, an abundant swell of variety and life, associated with the “quality of distortion” that Nick perceives in the East. Setting is extremely important to The Great Gatsby, as it reinforces the themes and character traits that drive the novel’s critical events.
Even the weather matches the flow of the plot. Gatsby’s reunion with Daisy begins in a ferocious thunderstorm and reaches its happiest moment just as the sun comes out. Tom’s confrontation with Gatsby occurs on the hottest day of the summer. Finally, Gatsby’s death occurs just as autumn creeps into the air. The specificity of the settings in The Great Gatsby contributes greatly to the creation of distinct zones in which the conflicting values of various characters are forced to confront each other.
Scott Fitzgerald grew up in Minnesota, attended a few private schools (where his performance was mediocre), and went to Princeton University. In 1917, Princeton put Fitzgerald on academic probation. He enlisted in the Army.
On base in Alabama in 1918, he met and fell in love with Zelda Sayre, who refused to marry him unless he could support her. He returned to New York to pursue fame and fortune. The publication of his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920, made Fitzgerald a literary star.
Study Guide For The Great Gatsby With Answers
He married Zelda one week later. In 1924, the couple moved to Paris, where Fitzgerald began work on The Great Gatsby.
Though now considered his masterpiece, the novel sold only modestly. The Fitzgeralds returned to the United States in 1927. Fitzgerald published several more novels, including Tender is the Night (1933), but none matched the success of his first. Deep in debt because of their ritzy lifestyle, the Fitzgeralds began to spiral into alcoholism and mental illness. Fitzgerald died of a heart attack on December 21, 1940. Zelda died eight years later in a fire. Fitzgerald coined the term 'Jazz Age' to refer to the period more commonly known as the Roaring Twenties.
Jazz is an American style of music marked by its complex and exuberant mix of rhythms and tonalities. The Great Gatsby portrays a similarly complex mix of emotions and themes that reflect the turbulence of the times. Fresh off the nightmare of World War I, Americans were enjoying the fruits of an economic boom and a renewed sense of possibility. But in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald's stresses the darker side of the Roaring Twenties, its undercurrent of corruption and its desperate, empty decadence. Modernist fiction attempted to represent the sense of emptiness and disillusionment that dominated Europe and the United States after World War I.
In this way, Gatsby can be considered as related to such modernist works as James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway (1925). But The Great Gatsby and all of Fitzgerald's works are best compared to those written by other Americans such as Ernest Hemingway, members of the 'Lost Generation' of American writers who moved to Europe after World War I. All these writers depicted the reality, corruption, and sadness of the human condition, but Fitzgerald most effectively portrayed the American cultural moment he called the 'Jazz Age.'
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Puttin' on the Fitz. Fitzgerald spent most of his adult life in debt, often relying on loans from his publisher, and even his editor, Maxwell Perkins, in order to pay the bills. The money he made from his novels could not support the high-flying cosmopolitan life his wife desired, so Fitzgerald turned to more lucrative short story writing for magazines like Esquire. Fitzgerald spent his final three years writing screenplays in Hollywood.
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Another Failed Screenwriter. Fitzgerald was an alcoholic and his wife Zelda suffered from serious mental illness. In the final years of their marriage as their debts piled up, Zelda stayed in a series of mental institutions on the East coast while Fitzgerald tried, and largely failed, to make money writing movie scripts in Hollywood.
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