Web Quest: Character's Journey - The Great Gatsby Edition

Your Quest: Discovering Theme through Character Development in The Great Gatsby

Welcome, literary detectives! Your mission today is to explore how a character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby doesn't just exist in the story, but actively develops and reveals its overarching theme. You will choose a character from The Great Gatsby and analyze their journey, connecting their transformation to the novel's big idea.

Instructions:

1. Choose Your Character: Select a main or significant character from The Great Gatsby (e.g., Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, Myrtle Wilson).

2. Access Your Differentiated Guide: You have been provided with a specific worksheet based on your learning path:

   • Below Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby
   • On Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby
   • Above Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby

3. Navigate the Novel (or resources): Use your copy of The Great Gatsby (physical text or reliable online summary/analysis sites for quick reference - be critical of your sources!) and your worksheet to guide your investigation. Focus on your chosen character's journey and how it speaks to the novel's themes.

4. Analyze and Record: As you explore, record your findings on your worksheet. Pay close attention to:

   • Initial Character Traits: What were they like at the beginning of the novel?
   • Key Actions & Decisions: What significant choices did they make throughout the story?
   • Conflicts: What internal or external struggles did they face?
   • Transformation/Stasis: How did they change, or why did they remain the same by the novel's end?
   • Thematic Connection: How does their journey explicitly reveal or develop a particular theme of The Great Gatsby?

5. Prepare to Share: Be ready to discuss your findings and explain how your chosen Gatsby character is a 'theme-bearer' in the story.

Digital Resources (Optional - use for summaries or to refresh memory, but primary analysis should come from your understanding of the text):

• SparkNotes: The Great Gatsby (For plot summaries and character analyses)
• Shmoop: The Great Gatsby (For theme and character explanations)
• LitCharts: The Great Gatsby (For detailed literary analysis)

Remember to cite specific examples (even mental notes of scenes/quotes) from The Great Gatsby to support your analysis! Good luck on your quest!

Below Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby

Name: _____________________________

Character Chosen from The Great Gatsby: ____________________

Work of Fiction: The Great Gatsby

Part 1: Your Chosen Character at the Start

1. Describe your chosen character from The Great Gatsby at the beginning of the story. What are some of their obvious traits or qualities? (e.g., mysterious, wealthy, honest, careless)

   
   
   
   

2. What is one main thing your character wants or tries to do early in the story?

   
   
   
   

Part 2: Your Character's Journey in The Great Gatsby

3. What is one important event or problem that happens to your character in The Great Gatsby?

   
   
   
   

4. How does your character react to this event or problem? What do they do or say?

   
   
   
   

5. Did your character change by the end of the story? If yes, how? If no, why not?

   
   
   
   

Part 3: Connecting to Theme in The Great Gatsby

6. What is one big idea or message (theme) you think The Great Gatsby is trying to teach us? (e.g., the American Dream, consequences of wealth, loyalty)

   
   
   
   

7. How does your character, through their actions or changes, help us understand this big idea/theme in The Great Gatsby? Give a simple example.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

On Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby

Name: _____________________________

Character Chosen from The Great Gatsby: ____________________

Work of Fiction: The Great Gatsby

Part 1: Initial Character Analysis in The Great Gatsby

1. Identify 2-3 significant character traits your chosen character from The Great Gatsby exhibits at the beginning of the narrative. Provide a brief explanation or example for each.

   
   
   
   

2. What are your chosen character's primary motivations or goals as The Great Gatsby begins? How do these drive their initial actions?

   
   
   
   

Part 2: Character Development & Conflict in The Great Gatsby

3. Describe a major internal or external conflict your character faces in The Great Gatsby. How does this conflict challenge their initial traits or motivations?

   
   
   
   

4. Trace at least one significant action or decision your character makes in response to this conflict. What does this reveal about their developing personality in the novel?

   
   
   
   

5. How does your character change or develop (or purposefully not change) by the end of The Great Gatsby? What is the impact of this evolution (or stasis) on the story?

   
   
   
   

Part 3: Character's Role in Theme Development in The Great Gatsby

6. Articulate one central theme of The Great Gatsby. (Remember, it's the author's message about a topic, not just the topic itself.)

   
   
   
   

7. Explain how your character's development (their journey, changes, or even their unchanging nature) directly contributes to the revelation or development of this theme in The Great Gatsby. Provide at least two specific examples from the text to support your explanation.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Above Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby

Name: _____________________________

Character Chosen from The Great Gatsby: ____________________

Work of Fiction: The Great Gatsby

Part 1: Nuanced Character Dissection in The Great Gatsby

1. Beyond surface-level traits, analyze the complexities and contradictions within your chosen character from The Great Gatsby at the novel's outset. How do these initial nuances hint at their potential for development or conflict within the narrative?

   
   
   
   

2. What are the underlying psychological motivations or societal pressures (e.g., class, wealth, societal expectations of the Jazz Age) that influence your chosen character's early decisions and worldview in The Great Gatsby? How do these forces set the stage for their journey?

   
   
   
   

Part 2: Dynamic Character Progression in The Great Gatsby

3. Identify a pivotal turning point or series of events that significantly alters your chosen character's trajectory in The Great Gatsby. Discuss the internal and external forces at play and how they contribute to a fundamental shift in the character's perspective or behavior.

   
   
   
   

4. Analyze F. Scott Fitzgerald's craft in portraying this character's development. How do literary devices (e.g., symbolism, imagery, unreliable narration, specific dialogue choices, motif of eyes/green light) illuminate the character's growth or regression in The Great Gatsby?

   
   
   
   

5. Evaluate whether your chosen character achieves genuine transformation or if their journey serves to reinforce an inherent aspect of their being (static development) in The Great Gatsby. What is the philosophical or psychological implication of this outcome in the context of the novel's themes?

   
   
   
   

Part 3: Thematic Interrogation through Character in The Great Gatsby

6. Identify at least two interconnected or complex themes present in The Great Gatsby. Explain how these themes interact and potentially challenge each other within the narrative.

   
   
   
   

7. Argue how your chosen character's multifaceted development—including their triumphs, failures, moral dilemmas, and transformations—serves as the primary vehicle for the exploration and development of these nuanced themes in The Great Gatsby. Provide detailed, textual evidence and analytical reasoning to support your claims.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Answer Key: Character & Theme Worksheets for Gatsby

This answer key provides guidelines and expected responses for the differentiated worksheets, specifically tailored for analysis of The Great Gatsby. Given the open-ended nature of character and theme analysis, student answers will vary based on the character they choose and their interpretation of Fitzgerald's novel. Focus on the depth of their analysis, textual support from The Great Gatsby, and logical connections.

Below Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby

General Expectations: Students should provide simple, direct answers focusing on explicit traits, events, and a clear, often straightforward, theme as presented in The Great Gatsby.

1. Describe your chosen character from The Great Gatsby at the beginning...: Look for basic adjectives (e.g., "mysterious" for Gatsby, "observant" for Nick, "careless" for Daisy). Students should recall a foundational understanding of the character early in the novel.
2. What is one main thing your character wants...: Students should identify a clear, early goal or desire (e.g., "Gatsby wants Daisy back," "Nick wants to understand New York society").
3. What is one important event or problem...: Students should recall a significant plot point or conflict (e.g., "Gatsby throws lavish parties to attract Daisy," "Nick witnesses the accident involving Myrtle").
4. How does your character react...: Students should describe a direct action or emotional response to the problem (e.g., "Gatsby is obsessed with the past," "Daisy retreats from responsibility").
5. Did your character change...: Students should state a clear "yes" or "no" and provide a simple reason or describe a noticeable change (e.g., "Yes, Nick becomes disillusioned," "No, Tom remains arrogant").
6. What is one big idea or message...: Students should identify a straightforward theme from The Great Gatsby (e.g., "The American Dream is corrupt," "Money can't buy happiness," "The past cannot be relived").
7. How does your character... help us understand this big idea/theme?: Students should make a simple, direct connection (e.g., "Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy shows how the American Dream can be distorted by wealth and longing for the past").

On Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby

General Expectations: Students should provide more analytical responses, moving beyond plot summaries to discuss what actions reveal about character and theme in The Great Gatsby. Textual examples should be referenced.

1. Identify 2-3 significant character traits...: Students should identify traits (e.g., "idealistic but naive" for Gatsby, "moral yet passive" for Nick) and support them with brief textual references or summaries of early actions/dialogue from the novel.
2. What are your chosen character's primary motivations...: Students should explain why the character acts, linking motivations to early goals within the context of The Great Gatsby (e.g., "Gatsby is driven by an idealized vision of Daisy and a desire to recapture the past," "Nick is initially motivated by curiosity and a desire for success in New York").
3. Describe a major internal or external conflict...: Students should articulate a specific conflict from The Great Gatsby and explain how it directly challenges the character's core (e.g., "Gatsby's internal struggle between his constructed identity and his true self," "Nick's external conflict with the moral decay of the wealthy").
4. Trace at least one significant action or decision...: Students should connect a specific action/decision (e.g., Gatsby's refusal to believe Daisy could love Tom, Nick's decision to move back West) to the conflict and explain what it reveals about the character's evolving personality or beliefs within the novel.
5. How does your character change or develop...: Students should discuss the nature of the character's development (dynamic vs. static), providing evidence of transformation (e.g., Nick's disillusionment, Gatsby's unchanging obsession) and its impact on the narrative of The Great Gatsby.
6. Articulate one central theme...: Students should state a theme as a complete statement, reflecting a nuanced message from The Great Gatsby (e.g., "The corrupting influence of wealth on the American Dream," "The inescapable nature of the past").
7. Explain how your character's development... contributes to... this theme...: Students must draw clear, explicit connections between the character's journey (changes, struggles, decisions) and a theme in The Great Gatsby. They should provide at least two specific examples (plot points, quotes, interactions, like Gatsby's parties or his final phone call) from the text and explain how these examples illustrate the theme through the character.

Above Level Worksheet: Character & Theme in Gatsby

General Expectations: Students should demonstrate sophisticated analytical skills, exploring ambiguities, authorial intent, and complex thematic layers specific to The Great Gatsby. Their arguments should be well-supported with detailed textual evidence and insightful reasoning.

1. Beyond surface-level traits, analyze the complexities...: Students should identify paradoxes, internal inconsistencies, or deeply rooted psychological elements that define the character's initial state in The Great Gatsby (e.g., Gatsby's simultaneous vulnerability and ruthless ambition; Daisy's charming exterior masking profound emptiness). They should connect these nuances to potential future developments or thematic conflicts within the novel.
2. What are the underlying psychological motivations or societal pressures...: Students should delve into the deeper, often unstated, reasons behind the character's actions within The Great Gatsby, considering societal context (e.g., the Roaring Twenties' materialism, class divisions), psychological drives (e.g., nostalgia, insecurity), or philosophical underpinnings. They should explain how these forces foreshadow the character's arc (e.g., Gatsby's belief in the green light).
3. Identify a pivotal turning point...: Students should identify critical moments or prolonged periods of change for their chosen character in The Great Gatsby (e.g., Gatsby's reunion with Daisy, Nick's realization after Myrtle's death), analyzing both the internal shifts (e.g., cognitive dissonance, moral awakening) and external catalysts. They should discuss the profound impact on the character's ideology or being in the context of the novel.
4. Analyze F. Scott Fitzgerald's craft in portraying...: Students should identify specific literary techniques Fitzgerald uses (e.g., recurring motifs like the green light or Valley of Ashes, foil characters like Tom and Gatsby, Nick's unreliable narration, shifts in tone, specific stylistic choices in description) and explain how these techniques are used by the author to reveal or emphasize the character's development in The Great Gatsby. This requires a strong understanding of literary analysis.
5. Evaluate whether your character achieves genuine transformation...: Students should critically assess the nature of the character's evolution in The Great Gatsby. Is it truly transformative (e.g., Nick's growth from naive observer to disillusioned critic), or is it a reinforcement of intrinsic qualities (e.g., Daisy's persistent superficiality)? They should explore the philosophical implications of the character's ultimate state (e.g., existential choices, societal determinism, psychological resilience) as it relates to the novel's overarching messages.
6. Identify at least two interconnected or complex themes...: Students should identify themes from The Great Gatsby that are multi-layered, perhaps in tension with each other, or reveal different facets of a larger concept (e.g., "The illusion of the American Dream and the corrupting influence of unchecked ambition," or "The moral decay of the wealthy versus the enduring appeal of the past"). They should explain the relationship between these themes as presented in Fitzgerald's work.
7. Argue how your character's multifaceted development... serves as the primary vehicle...: Students must construct a well-reasoned argument, integrating their character analysis with a sophisticated understanding of multiple themes in The Great Gatsby. They should use multiple, precise textual examples (quotes, specific scenes, symbolic gestures) to illustrate how the character's complex journey directly explores, questions, or exemplifies the identified themes. The analysis should consider how the character's internal world and external actions collectively articulate Fitzgerald's message about the Jazz Age and American society.

Cool Down: Theme Reflection

Name: _____________________________

Reflect on Your Theme Quest

1. What is one new insight you gained today about how characters help develop a story's theme?

   
   
   
   

2. Briefly explain how understanding a character's journey can deepen your appreciation for a story's overall message.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Answer Key: Gatsby Theme Quest Quiz

Question 1 (DOK 2 - Multiple Choice)

Prompt: Which of the following literary elements primarily contributes to the development of the theme "the destructive nature of the American Dream" through Jay Gatsby's character in The Great Gatsby?

Correct Answer: C. His persistent, yet ultimately futile, pursuit of Daisy Buchanan.

Reasoning: While Gatsby's dialogue, parties, and military service all contribute to his character, his relentless and ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Daisy most directly embodies the idea that the American Dream, when corrupted by materialism and an idealized past, can lead to disillusionment and destruction. His entire persona and wealth are constructed around this singular, unattainable goal, directly illustrating the theme.

Question 2 (DOK 2 - Multiple Choice)

Prompt: Consider Nick Carraway's evolving perspective on the wealthy inhabitants of West Egg and East Egg. How does his initial fascination compare to his ultimate disillusionment, and what thematic idea does this shift emphasize?

Correct Answer: C. His innocent idealism transforms into moral condemnation, emphasizing the corruption behind superficial glamour.

Reasoning: Nick begins with an open-minded, even somewhat romanticized view of the wealthy, particularly Gatsby. However, as he witnesses their recklessness, infidelity, and lack of responsibility (culminating in Myrtle's death and Gatsby's murder), his perspective shifts to one of profound disillusionment and moral judgment. This transformation serves to highlight the novel's theme of the moral decay and emptiness that can lie beneath the glittering surface of wealth and privilege.

Question 3 (DOK 3 - Open Response)

Prompt: F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes the setting of the Valley of Ashes and its connection to characters like Myrtle Wilson to develop a critique of the "Roaring Twenties." Evaluate how Myrtle Wilson's actions, aspirations, and ultimate fate contribute to the novel's thematic commentary on class, social mobility, and the consequences of moral carelessness. Use specific examples from the text to support your evaluation.

Expected Response Components:

• Evaluation of Myrtle's Actions/Aspirations: Students should discuss Myrtle's desperate attempts to escape her lower-class existence and her husband, George, by engaging in an affair with Tom Buchanan. Her desire for material possessions (e.g., her dress, her apartment in New York) and her crude, ambitious personality should be highlighted.
• Connection to Class and Social Mobility: Explain how Myrtle believes that associating with Tom and acquiring wealth will elevate her social status, demonstrating the false promise of social mobility in this era. Her inability to truly cross the class divide, despite her efforts, is crucial.
• Connection to Consequences of Moral Carelessness: Students should analyze how Myrtle's reckless pursuit of pleasure and social climbing, enabled by Tom's equally careless behavior, ultimately leads to her tragic death. Her death in the Valley of Ashes, a symbol of industrial waste and moral decay, reinforces Fitzgerald's critique.
• Thematic Commentary on the "Roaring Twenties": Synthesize these points to argue how Myrtle serves as a microcosm of the era's excesses, materialism, and disregard for moral boundaries, particularly among those striving for the perceived glamour of the wealthy. Her story highlights the devastating human cost of the era's rampant consumerism and moral laxity.
• Textual Evidence: Students should provide specific examples such as her purchases, her interactions with Tom, her disdain for George, and the circumstances of her death to support their claims.

Question 4 (DOK 2 - Multiple Choice - Pick 2 of 5)

Prompt: Select TWO of the following options that best illustrate how Daisy Buchanan's character contributes to the theme of the superficiality of the American aristocracy in The Great Gatsby. (Enter the letters of the two correct choices, e.g., 'A, B')

Correct Answer: B, C

Reasoning:

• B. Her hope that her daughter will be a "beautiful fool" if she is born a girl: This reveals Daisy's cynical understanding of her societal role and the limited options for women of her class, highlighting the superficiality of happiness for aristocratic women who prioritize social standing over genuine fulfillment.
• C. Her inability to ultimately leave Tom and her return to their established life: This demonstrates her superficial attachment to the security and comfort that Tom's wealth provides, rather than a deep emotional connection or moral conviction. Her choice reinforces the theme of the American aristocracy's moral emptiness and preference for appearances over authentic relationships.

Question 5 (DOK 3 - Multiple Choice)

Prompt: Which statement best analyzes how Tom Buchanan's character, through his specific actions, contributes to the theme of moral decay and unchecked power among the wealthy elite in The Great Gatsby?

Correct Answer: C. Tom's violent outburst towards Myrtle Wilson for mentioning Daisy's name exemplifies his brutal sense of entitlement and hypocrisy, showcasing the casual cruelty and disregard for human dignity often hidden beneath the facade of aristocratic wealth.

Reasoning: Option C best encapsulates how Tom's violent action towards Myrtle directly reveals his unchecked power, entitlement, and hypocrisy. This action is a clear textual example that demonstrates the casual cruelty and disregard for others that characterize the decadent wealthy elite in The Great Gatsby, directly contributing to the theme of moral decay.