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The Great Gatsby Essay, Research Paper Examples

The Great Gatsby, the masterpiece written by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s will help you to dive into the wealth atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties. This is a story of a millionaire Jay Gatsby and his passion for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan.

Your professor may ask you to analyze topics as decadence, money, American Dream, or symbolism in your The Great Gatsby Essay. But what if you have no idea on what to write? Well, below, you can find some tips and essay samples that you may use to compose your own papers.

Tip #1. Analyze symbolism in The Great Gatsby

First, let’s define what symbolism is. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, symbolism is “practice of using symbols, especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible using visible or sensuous representations.” The Great Gatsby story is full of symbols. And here are just two examples of them: 

  • The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg painted on a billboard in the Valley of Ashes. You can find a lot of The Great Gatsby essay samples that draw the conclusion that Eckleburg represents God. However, let’s ask a few more questions. Why do these eyes have no mouth or arms, or legs? Does this mean that Eckleburg can only watch people transgressions without any ability to punish them as a God-like entity? Does this billboard mean anything? 
  • Use of color in Fitzgerald’s story. If you carefully read the novel, you might notice the use of a few colors throughout the book. They are green, gray, gold, and yellow. Think, what do these colors can symbolize and represent these ideas in your paper. 

Tip #2. Think about point of view in The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is written in the first-person point of view. Nick Carraway, one of the main characters, tells us about the life and thoughts of Gatsby. In your writing, you can imagine how different the novel would be if it were told in the third-person point of view. 

You also can provide some examples if the story was told from Gatsby’s perspective.  

Tip #3. Assess how the book relates to the American Dream

If you look through the vast majority The Great Gatsby essay titles, you can find out plenty of samples that address the validity of high society or the social class divide. Gatsby had achieved the American Dream by building his wealth. However, he’s still not satisfied with the shallowness of the upper class and wants something more.

In your paper, you can argue why does one can never attain the American Dream, and why dreamers always want more.  

Tip #4. Analyze the characters and their relations

Fitzgerald put each character into the novel for a particular reason. And your job is to analyze what they represent and why they are in the story. For example, Tom represents evil, while Daisy represents innocence. Another aspect you should examine is relationships between Daisy and Gatsby, Tom and Daisy, Nick and Gatsby.

Tip #5. Examine the tone of the novel

When we talk about the tone of the story, we mean how the author describes the events and characters. In your paper, decide what the tone of the novel is and analyze how it affects the readers’ attitude to characters and events.

Now, check The Great Gatsby essay examples below and use the acquired ideas to write your own paper!

Characters of Gatsby and jean Valjean or Elponine. Comparison

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“Babylon Revisited” and The Great Gatsby

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Daisy Buchanan: “I did love him once, but I loved you, too”

In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald has several characters play dramatic roles. Daisy Buchanan is one of the characters that drive the novel. Daisy is Tom’s spouse, Nick’s cousin, and Jay Gatsby’s beloved. In her adulthood, she promises to wait for her first love, Jay Gatsby, until his return from the war, […]

A Comparison of the Characters of Gatsby and Eponine

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Gatsby in ‘Great Gatsby’ and Valjean in ‘Les Miserables’

The ‘Great Gatsby’ is a novel revolving around the story of a young man, Nick Carraway, a graduate from Yale University. He does bond business and lives in the same neighborhood with Gatsby, a rich man whose life is a mystery. Gatsby, despite his earlier struggles with life, is now living a comfortable life in […]

The Idea of Love in The Great Gatsby and the Parallels or Contrasts that Can Be Drawn with the Presentation of Love in The Catcher in the Rye

Love is the feeling which may be expressed in many different ways. The understanding of love also differs and various people have different considerations about this feeling. The problems of love have been discussed by many authors and each of them tried to show something personal in that love, something unusual and different from what […]

The Great Gatsby Reflection Paper. Book Review Essay

Introduction The essay is a book reflection on the book Great Gatsby written by written by Scott Fitzgerald an American and published in April 1925. The story is during the happening of the First World War characterized by hard economic conditions. The novel works on various diverse levels, providing readers with memorable characters and events. […]