The Great Gatsby: Teaching the Chapter

 

Your group will be assigned a chapter of The Great Gatsby; you will teach this chapter to the class.  Whenever possible, involve the class through a creative activity or whole group discussion – don’t just stand and talk.  Double groups: work out how you both will work together.  Include the following concepts in your presentation:

 

  1. Identify the purpose(s) of your chapter – especially a thematic purpose.
  2. Demonstrate how stylistic devices (tools) support the purpose of the chapter (the dash, figurative language, strong verbs, hyperbole, etc).  Using either 2 long passages or several short ones, show the stylistic device(s) in action.  Be sure to include the impact of the stylistic device on the book’s meaning.
  3. Highlight the structure of the chapter, including chronology.  Figure out why Fitzgerald might have made the decisions he did.  Also look at the structure in the context of the entire book.
  4. Find 2-3 juxtapositions within the chapter: contrasts of mood, character, description or events.  Make clear their purpose/effect.
  5. Pick one defining symbol for your chapter: explain and analyze its importance.
  6. Title your chapter.
  7. Include a “juicy” quote for us to analyze; to write our own paragraph about.

 

How you teach this is up to you, but avoid just telling us.  With advance notice I can make handouts for the class.  You can display text or images on the computer or use the Elmo.  I have easel paper, markers, and some construction paper as well.

 

Preparation:

 

     Over Spring Break, you will need to read Chapters 4-9 of The Great Gatsby.  On April 12th (the day we return from break), we will have a reading exam: so make sure you have read the entire book, not just your assigned chapter.  Then, you will need to reread your assigned chapter and bring in a journal that focuses entirely on language (see reverse).  Bring this journal (containing at least 5 quotes/responses from your chapter) to class on April 13, 2010.  On April 14th and 15th, each group will use its members’ journals to discuss the assigned chapter and to prepare for the lesson.  Any materials that the group needs will be available.  Since you have only two days in class to prepare, you need to come armed with ideas about the chapter and presentation (so that you will use your class time efficiently).

 

Presentation:

We will attempt to have two presentations a day; be prepared on your assigned date:

 

April 155h: Chapters 4-5

 

April 16th: Chapters 6

 

April 19th: Chapters 7

 

April 20th: Chapter 8

 

April 21st Chapter 9

 

(Page break)

This is not a lesson sample; it is a sample of style analysis attempting to connect tools to purpose.  The journal you prepare Monday night could look like this.  From here, your group can decide what and how to teach.  How will you help us understand and analyze?

 

In ch. 2 Fitzgerald shows the disintegration of Tom and Myrtle’s party (note this is not a thematic purpose yet since we haven’t finished the book.  After reading the entire book we might ask “why?”  Why would Fitzgerald want to show this?  How does it support a theme, or “big idea” of the novel?)

 

The dash emphasizes Nick’s drunkenness: “It was nine o’clock—almost immediately afterwards I looked at my watch and found it was ten.” (41)  It’s like time is vanishing and nothing meaningful is taking place.

 

Earlier Nick said that every time he “tried to go [he] became entangled in some wild strident argument” (40).  The verb “entangled” shows how trapped Nick is in a place he’d rather not be, caught up in out-of-control arguments.  Strident: loud, shrill, unpleasant.

 

Asyndeton also emphasizes the break down: “People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away.” (41)  The guests are unable to complete any plans without losing each other, and yet the apartment isn’t that big!  By the end there’s no meaningful conversation or activity, just continual, pointless motion which is emphasized by the lack of conjunctions.  They seem lost, searching.  Following this, Tom breaks Myrtle’s nose.  In contrast to the sentence above, Fitzgerald describes this action in one sentence which is its own paragraph.  This is the final breakdown of this party and Fitzgerald’s structural choice emphasizes the event as well as the suddenness with which it occurs.

 

“The little dog was sitting on the table looking with blind eyes through the smoke and from time to time groaning faintly.” (41)

 

The dog’s helplessness is emphasized by its blindness and “groaning.”  Fitzgerald emphasizes the weakness of it’s groaning by ending the sentence with the adverb “faintly.”  Maybe the pathetic dog is not too different from the party guests and their pathetic lives.  They too complain about their lives – is this like the dogs weak groaning?  And are they blind too – unaware of stuff that really matters?  Maybe the dog’s biscuit is a symbol for this party.  A biscuit was placed in a bowl of milk in which it “decomposed apathetically” throughout the afternoon (33).  This seems like what happens at the party – things break down and there’s a certain weak, lack of spirit in the way they unfold.

 

Nick wipes away some dried shaving cream from the sleeping Mr. McKee.  This seems like an act of caring and concern, so maybe he is different from the others?  He indicates the lather had “worried” him all afternoon (41) which really emphasizes how much this little thing bothered him.  No one else bothered to tell Mr. McKee about this or do anything about it.  Why include this?  Is Nick better than the rest of the guests even though he’s with them?  He’s like the rare friend that tells you about the spinach in your teeth.

 

Purpose(s) – seems to create an unpleasant mood.  characterizes party people – negatively?  Why?