Critical essay

1. Critical essay The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. Marking criteria In the essay, you are assessed on 4 main criteria: • Understanding • Analysis • Evaluation • Expression

3. Read the questions carefully! • Seems obvious, but make sure you look at the second part of the question. • The first part is really just an indicator: “Choose a novel in which…” • It is the second part which tells you what to do: “Explain the nature of the conflict and then show how it helps our understanding of the novel as a whole. • Lots of people don’t do well as they forget to answer the second part.

4. Make a plan • When you have decided on your question, spend a few minutes making a plan. • Write down what your main points should be (try to write at least 4). You will write a paragraph about each. • Try to also write down your key quotes now. This will help when you come to writing the essay. • The most logical (and the easiest) order, is the order of the novel. But it depends on your question. For example, it is a bit trickier if the question asks about the final chapter. • There is no one correct way to structure your essay. Just try to be logical about it. And try to link your points/ paragraphs

5. Introduction The Great Gatsby is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this essay, I will show how theme is important throughout the novel. Compare this  with  “The Great Gatsby” is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which explores the theme of greed and corruption. In this essay I will explore how the central characters Tom and Daisy Buchanan demonstrate this through their abuse of those around them.

6. Introduction The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel in which the central character is in conflict with another character. Compare this  with  In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is conflict between the central character, Jay Gatsby and his lover’s husband, Tom Buchanan. I will this conflict and its consequences to the novel as a whole.

7. Introduction Question: Choose a novel or short story in which setting plays a significant role. With reference to appropriate techniques, explain how the setting is presented and discuss its importance to your understanding of the novel as a whole. Intro:The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Within the novel, setting plays a significant role. The novel is set in and around New York, in the 1930s, post World War One, at a time known as the Jazz Age, when prohibition was the order of the day, but many people ignored the law and partied hard. The setting, both in time and place, is hugely important to our understanding of the novel as a whole and helps us understand the characters and many of the key themes.

8. Refer to the question… …even in your summary. Do not include everything – just the things the reader should understand for you to properly explore your essay question. However, there are some key things – like Gatsby’s death at the end, which are crucial to your understanding of the whole novel. The summary is also a good place to refer to key themes of the novel, even if your question does not ask about theme.

9. Referring to the questionMain paragraph: Gatsby’s mansion is another hugely significant setting in the novel. Early on in the novel, Fitzgerald gives us a very detailed description of the outside of his mansion as he compares it to an “imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy”. Gatsby is a man who does not do things by halves, building a house that is described as ‘colossal’. He is not afraid to show off his great wealth. By having a “marble pool” Fitzgerald suggests a man who is a great consumer of expensive items. This certainly works as a main paragraph, BUT…

10. Remember the second part of the question But how can we be sure we answer the second part of the question?“discuss its importance to your understanding of the novel as a whole.” Try adding something like: We are given an insight into Gatsby that helps with our appreciation of the character for the rest of the novel. However, the description of the mansion not only allows us an insight into Gatsby’s character, but also into American society. We see a society that is obscenely wealthy and the writer is suggesting a tension between the ideals of the United States and a society that lets people grow so rich.

11. Analysis Many of you are still doing too much retelling of the story: The Valley of the Ashes is an important setting because this is where the characters, Myrtle and George Wilson live. They play an important role in the story because Myrtle is having an affair with Tom and after she is (accidentally) killed by Daisy, George blames Gatsby and shoots him and then himself. The Valley of the Ashes is where we first meet Myrtle and it is where Daisy kills her so it is a significant setting.

12. Analysis A good example of analysis: The Valley of the Ashes is a filthy, unhealthy place where the impoverished working classes live. It is compared to a “fantastic farm where ashes grow”. Fitzgerald very deliberately uses this image to show us how unnatural this place is. He describes the people as: ash grey men” to suggest they are deeply unhealthy, no wonder living in such appalling conditions. Fitzgerald is showing us a society where there is a huge division between classes and he is perhaps suggesting that capitalism is a system that creates such massive wealth but also creates terrible poverty. It is no accident that two of the novel’s secondary characters, Myrtle and George Wilson, live in The Valley of The Ashes. These characters are sorely misused by the wealthy characters in the novel and ultimately pay with their lives. Perhaps the writer is suggesting that throughout society, the rich exploit the poor and the poor always suffer as a result. This key setting clearly brings out the theme of class and the darker side of capitalism.

13. Evaluation The previous paragraph is clearly linked to both parts of the question and it contains analysis. But how can we include evaluation?

14. Evaluation The Valley of the Ashes is a filthy, unhealthy place where the impoverished working classes live…It is no accident that two of the novel’s secondary characters, Myrtle and George Wilson, live in The Valley of The Ashes. These characters are sorely misused by the wealthy characters in the novel and ultimately pay with their lives. After Myrtle and George’s deaths, the reader is left feeling sad at their mistreatment and angry about a society where inequality is rife.

15. Critical terminology The question also asks you to identify/ discuss the writer’s techniques. Some of you write about the novel as if it was real. But is has been created by a writer. To get a really good mark, you must show an awareness of the writer’s skills. Look at the top of the paper. There is a box that asks you to: Answers to questions on fiction, should refer to the text and to such relevant features such as characterisation, key scene(s), language, turning point, narrative, structure, climax, theme, plot, conflict, setting…

16. Critical Awareness/ Writer’s craft Notice the difference between: • Throughout the novel, we see Gatsby’s almost obsessive need to show off his wealth. (This is good, but could be even better – and it’s easy to do…) • Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald makes clever useof characterisation to show us a Gatsby who is obsessed with showing off his wealth.

17. Critical terminology The two main settings in the novel are West Egg and East Egg and they are both important for both characterisation and key themes. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, who comes from a wealthy family, but chooses to make his own way in the world, so moves to New York to work in stocks and shares.

18. Critical terminology The Valley of The Ashes is compared to a “fantastic farm where ashes grow”. Fitzgerald very deliberately uses this image to show us how unnatural this place is. He uses effective word choice to describe the people as: ash grey men” to suggest they are deeply unhealthy.

19. How to structure There is no one correct way to order your main paragraphs. As long as you have a logical reason for your order, and you make an effort to link them together, then that will be enough. (Check your discursive writing handout for a “linking” word bank). So for example, an essay on setting probably wouldn’t start by looking at the Valley of the Ashes or New York City as we don’t see these places right at the start. It makes sense to deal with the two Eggs first and then move on to the other places, as they are where our central characters live and it is where most of the action takes place.

20. Questions on key scenes • These are tricky, but there is a way to structure them. • If you are answering a question about a dramatic scene, you must still show how it impacts the rest of the play • Say what happens to lead up to this point • And how the events in this scene impact the rest of the play. • But…

21. Questions on key scenes • You must make sure you get on to the key scene quickly! • If you are dealing with the conclusion to the play, you do not spend ¾ or even ½ your essay dealing with what happened up to this point. • Deal with this scene early on • And then you can always go back and deal with what lead up to this point.