Author’s Purpose and the Narrative Perspective

1. Author’s Purpose and the Narrative Perspective As seen in The Great Gatsby

2. Author’s Purpose What is the author’s purpose?

3. Author’s Purpose What is the author’s purpose? • The author’s purpose usually consists of one or more of the following:

4. Author’s Purpose What is the author’s purpose? • The author’s purpose usually consists of one or more of the following: • To inform.

5. Author’s Purpose What is the author’s purpose? • The author’s purpose usually consists of one or more of the following: • To inform. • To entertain.

6. Author’s Purpose What is the author’s purpose? • The author’s purpose usually consists of one or more of the following: • To inform. • To entertain. • To express himself or herself.

7. Author’s Purpose What is the author’s purpose? • The author’s purpose usually consists of one or more of the following: • To inform. • To entertain. • To express himself or herself. • To persuade readers to believe or do something.

8. For which purpose(s) do you think F. Scott Fitzgerald tells his story The Great Gatsby? To inform. To entertain. To express himself. To persuade readers to believe or do something. Discuss

9. Think of one scene or episode from The Great Gatsby for each of the possible purposes that F. Scott Fitzgerald might have in writing his book. To inform. To entertain. To express himself. To persuade readers to believe or do something. Discuss

10. Fitzgerald may wish to inform the readers what the decadent life of the 1920’s upper-class society was really like. Possible Purposes

11. Fitzgerald may wish to inform the readers what the decadent life of the 1920’s upper-class society was really like. The author is entertaining us with a story that involves mystery, betrayal, love, and deception. Possible Purposes

12. Fitzgerald may wish to inform the readers what the decadent life of the 1920’s upper-class society was really like. The author is entertaining us with a story that involves mystery, betrayal, love, and deception. He expresses himself through Nick’s (the narrator’s) views of the people he encounters. Possible Purposes

13. Fitzgerald may wish to inform the readers what the decadent life of the 1920’s upper-class society was really like. The author is entertaining us with a story that involves mystery, betrayal, love, and deception. He expresses himself through Nick’s (the narrator’s) views of the people he encounters. Fitzgerald may wish to persuade us by believing in the themes of the book, including the American dream, loyalty and love, and the emptiness of materialism. Possible Purposes

14. The author’s purpose is carried out by the author telling the story through the eyes of the narrator. The Narrative Perspective

15. The author’s purpose is carried out by the author telling the story through the eyes of the narrator. We should remember that the narrator’s views do not necessarily represent the author’s, but in many instances the narrator does act as a conduit for an author to convey his or her perspective. The Narrative Perspective

16. Stepping back • Often we are so involved in the story itself that we don’t pay attention to how the story is being told and who is telling us the story.

17. Stepping back • Often we are so involved in the story itself that we don’t pay attention to how the story is being told and who is telling us the story. • When you watch an action movie, are you really thinking about which camera angles they’re using?

18. Books and movies • Let’s compare books and movies:

19. Books and movies • Let’s compare books and movies: • An author uses a narrator to carry out his or her vision.

20. Books and movies • Let’s compare books and movies: • An author uses a narrator to carry out his or her vision. • The movie director uses thecamera lens to carry out his or her vision.

21. Books and movies • Let’s compare books and movies: • An author uses a narrator to carry out his or her vision. • The movie director uses thecamera lens to carry out his or her vision. • Both the narrator and camera lens control what we see of the story.

22. Nick’s role as narrator • He is the eyes through which we experience the story. • What qualities does Nick have as a narrator?

23. Nick’s role as narrator • He is the eyes through which we experience the story. • He is a reliable, informed narrator because he is Gatsby’s neighbor and knows both Gatsby and Daisy. • What qualities does Nick have as a narrator?

24. Nick’s role as narrator • He is the eyes through which we experience the story. • He is a reliable, informed narrator because he is Gatsby’s neighbor and knows both Gatsby and Daisy. • His personal life is not all that interesting; his main job is to tell the more intriguing story going on around him. • What qualities does Nick have as a narrator?

25. Nick’s role as narrator • What are some more qualities Nick has as narrator? • He is a generally likable, inoffensive person, so we are comfortable with him as narrator. Nick: “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.” (Chapter 9 p. 179)

26. Nick’s role as narrator • What are some more qualities Nick has as narrator? • He is a generally likable, inoffensive person, so we are comfortable with him as narrator. • We can sympathize with his views, taking us closer into the story through shared emotion. Nick: “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.” (Chapter 9 p. 179)

27. Nick’s role as narrator • What are some more qualities Nick has as narrator? • He is a generally likable, inoffensive person, so we are comfortable with him as narrator. • We can sympathize with his views, taking us closer into the story through shared emotion. • He is not as wealthy as those around him. Nick: “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.” (Chapter 9 p. 179)

28. Nick’s role as narrator • What are some more qualities Nick has as narrator? • He is a generally likable, inoffensive person, so we are comfortable with him as narrator. • We can sympathize with his views, taking us closer into the story through shared emotion. • He is not as wealthy as those around him. • He is not dishonest like those around him. Nick: “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.” (Chapter 9 p. 179)

29. Nick’s role as narrator • What are some more qualities Nick has as narrator? • He is a generally likable, inoffensive person, so we are comfortable with him as narrator. • We can sympathize with his views, taking us closer into the story through shared emotion. • He is not as wealthy as those around him. • He is notdishonest like those around him. • He does not know everything, pulling us into the story to try to figure it out. Nick: “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.” (Chapter 9 p. 179)

30. Your assignment • Write a paragraph discussing how Nick is an effective narrator because he embodies the following three characteristics. Provide at least one example with specific evidence from the story for each characteristic. • Nick is not as wealthy as those around him. • Nick is not dishonest like those around him. • Nick does not know everything, pulling us into the story to try to figure it out.