Real support for teaching The Great Gatsby is here—no fluff!
Once in awhile, teaching a book shocks me. This American classic is over a hundred years old, and students still enjoy reading it. When I teach American literature, part of me always wonders, “Is this the year that students complain about Gatsby?”
And every year, they hate Tom, are furious at Daisy, and feel bad for Gatsby.
They are attached! The least Gatsby thing we can do from regular language arts through AP English literature is present a boring lessons, but at the same time, we don’t need to knock ourselves out with over-the-top decor or fuss.
(Looking for the free and editable pacing guide? Make a copy here.)
What advice do you have for Teaching The Great Gatsby?
Teaching The Great Gatsby can seem daunting with endless options: vocabulary? comprehension? analysis? I streamline my approach so as not to overwhelm students. My Gatsby unit is simple and effective, which allows everyone time to dive into this high school classic with a great Gatsby teaching guide that provides support.
Model inquiry, analysis, and note taking.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book is famous, often considered the ultimate American novel. Language from the book is in our culture.
Still, there is a high likelihood that pieces will be tough. So! Let’s get excited and model successful reading, analysis, and note taking. Even if you feel odd about articulating how you read and how your think through literature, students will benefit from it.
One method is to read aloud or play an audio version (dozens are on YouTube) of the audio version. Pause as readers learn about characters, symbols, or main points.
Another option is to review characters with infographics. The beauty of infographics is that students can add what is they notice and what is important to them for each character.
Support understanding with videos.
Course Hero has an entire playlist devoted to the novel. The presenter is fabulous.
Daily Bell Ringer has a historical video about flappers, and it specifically highlights the female characters.
The Great American Read also has videos to support the understanding of the time period.
Normally, I recommend Crash Course Literature, and their videos are fine for this book, but I prefer not to use them. They do exist though if your community would benefit.
Finally, there are thematic similarities of this novel and “Winter Dreams” a short story of Fitzgerald’s. You can read that story, watch clips of The Great Gatsby movie, and complete an analysis.
However, if you are looking for a larger writing assignment, here are additional starting points:
Complete literary analysis.
Gatsby is the perfect book for literary analysis, which is great. Nick Carraway is a bit of an “everyman,” New York as the setting provides endless symbolism, and the car crash aligns perfectly with a storm of socioeconomic and class structure.
However, that fact can overwhelm young writers who might be new to literary analysis. Turning students loose with any literary analysis theory and the entire book could work for certain classes. Other classes will struggle. Consider this: if you narrow down their options, and then students want to expand, you are free to personalize learning options as you write.
My favorite lenses for teaching The Great Gatsby:
Archetypal.
For students brand new to literary analysis, the archetypal lens is your friend. Students will be able to find these ten types in Gatsby:
The. . .
- Hero.
- Mentor.
- Villain.
- Trickster.
- Sidekick.
- Damsel in Distress.
- Rebel.
- Innocent.
- Jester.
- Everyman.
The beauty about this list is that students can (and I encourage them) argue over who fits as what archetype best. Which means—they are moving toward literary analysis. The main characters might serve multiple roles, for example.
For instance, Jay Gatsby is the hero, but more specifically, he is an antihero, often a new term for students. Daisy Buchanan could be the damsel in distress, but young readers also acknowledge she might be part of the villain with Tom Buchanan.
Socioeconomic.
A socioeconomic lens is another great one for teaching The Great Gatsby, particularly when considering the Great Gatsby Curve. Not only do we have the Valley of Ashes, the West Egg and the East Egg, we have class differences, social immobility, and wealth inequality.
First, don’t forget to define those terms for students. Second, I use a chart with concepts listed and spaces for students to add support for later analysis.
Third, you might need to model literary analysis based on the chart. (I have samples in my unit.) Students will have opinions about how characters are portrayed, so be sure to channel those opinions into actual analysis!
Historical.
The historical lens will require some work on your part because you must support students with accurate historical information such as the the Lost Generation and economic policy stuff. But! Don’t be afraid to keep it simple: Fitzgerald and Zelda, the World Series, and the Jazz Age.
Young readers might be familiar with the historical context, so build on that prior knowledge.
Study language.
Fitzgerald famously rewrote and edited his work. Let’s study his beautiful prose!
For me, the concept of studying his language is more than simply learning vocabulary (which helps). We look at the craft of his sentences, at the different impact of his language. By looking at sentence structure and punctuation, we can analyze the rhythm and cadence created. We also know that when students understand syntax, their reading improves.
Combined with a study of structure and vocabulary, an analysis of language lends itself to understanding nuances, word choice, modifier choice, and more. Sure, we will look at figurative language too, but from what we know about Fitzgerald’s intense writing process, we should look at other details too.
Students’ own interpretation of the writing.
I’ve included all of these ideas in my language study of The Great Gatsby, but here are some details for what we cover:
- Nuance: A subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning.
- Convention: Language can change over time. The Great Gatsby (for example) was published in 1925. Conventions in language refer to the general agreement or accepted usage. Punctuation and word choice will be different from current writings.
- Parallel Structure: A balance within one or more sentences of similar phrases or clauses that have the same grammatical structure.
Not only are those three concepts (nuance, convention, parallel structure) important to the study of this novel, but they are also difficult language standards. This book provides perfect examples to enhance conversations about those difficult concepts.
Vocabulary and textual evidence.
Studying Fitzgerald’s craft of writing can also lead to lessons about vocabulary and textual evidence—both key components for enhancing comprehension.
Final ideas.
Most teachers have a Gatsby party where students call each other “old sport” and watch pieces of a film adaptation. My overall message is to have fun. For instance, Baz Luhrmann has posts on social media about the making of the movie. Show students that in a very specific way, the novel is still pertinent.
Otherwise, these four points will keep this high school reading of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby simple. Teaching The Great Gatsby does NOT require a fancy reading experience. Keep your Great Gatsby lesson approachable.
If you are interested in Great Gatsby teaching resources, mine are in a bundle:
