The Great Gatsby

Here is the schedule and instructions for our Gatsby readings and bookblogs!

Here's an abbreviated study guide for those who find them useful. It is NOT required that you complete this.

We are going through this pretty fast -- essentially 9 chapters in 2 weeks. Don't fall behind and feel free to read ahead if you'd like, though out of respect for those who don't appreciate spoilers, please confine discussions to the schedule.

I'm about 90% sure the field trip to see the movie is going to pan out -- I'm waiting to hear back from the movie theater at the moment. It looks like it will be in the neighborhood of 12-15 dollars a piece for transportation and tickets (assuming a Fandango fee).

For those who have had trouble with the pdf, here is the handout:

The Great Gatsby Bookblog[1]

For each chapter, you need to create a bookblog entry that includes the following features:

• 1 textual observation[2] on a theme in the novel, either how it is functioning for a particular character/situation or how it figures into Fitzgerald’s argument in the novel. Possible themes include: the corrupting influence of wealth, the hollowness of the upper class and of the American Dream. Also interesting to explore would be the question of the character of love and its worth, for example what is worth doing or giving up for love? 
• 1 textual observation on character development 
• 1 textual observation about the use of symbol, metaphor, or color (color in terms of symbolism, meaning, etc) 

You may find that a dialectical journal format works well for this, though I leave form up to you as long as it contains the elements listed above.

20 points a piece

The Great Gatsby Reading Schedule

Chapter	Page Range	# of Pgs	Read by
Chapter I	5-26	21	5/20
Chapter II	27-42	15	5/21
Chapter III	43-64	21	5/22
Chapter IV	65-85	20	5/23
Chapter V	86-102	16	5/28
Chapter VI	103-118	15	5/28
Chapter VII	119-153	34	5/28
Chapter VIII	154-170	16	5/29
Chapter IX	171-189	18	5/30

Don’t fall behind! There will be a test (Gatsby Stuff will be on the final)

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[1] A bookblog is a booklog done on your blog.  I have no idea if it’s a real word; I made it up one morning several years ago.  I do not claim originality though.  I imagine it’s been coined before.  J

[2] For the purpose of this assignment, textual observation refers to an analytical comment rooted in a specific text. Please provide the page number and include the actual text if possible (sometimes it is too long).  There are a number of sites that contain the full text of The Great Gatsby.