Skip to Main Content

Section 1: Section Diagnostic

Use your notes and materials from this section to respond to analytical questions about how Fitzgerald chooses to tell the story and develop characters. Build your response from an interpretive claim, using academic language related to literary analysis and keeping in mind the following question:

  1. How does Fitzgerald choose to tell the story and develop characters in Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby?

Write a one-paragraph analysis in response to one or both of the following questions about point of view and character development in Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby:

  1. What seems to be the narrator’s view of the characters and of himself in Chapter 1, and how does this influence the reader’s experience? Analyze Nick Carraway’s perceptions and descriptions and the effects they have on your understanding of the story.

  2. What do the characters’ actions, reactions, words, and interactions reveal about them and their desires, dreams, or goals? Select one character introduced in Chapter 1 and analyze that character’s presentation and development.

For each question you choose to answer, be sure to do the following:

  • Respond to the specific issues framed by the question.

  • Form a central claim in response to the question.

  • Gather and organize strong and relevant evidence from Chapter 1.

  • Organize your analysis into a well-developed paragraph.

  • Integrate specific references and quotations.

  • Use academic language and demonstrate your understanding of literary elements, devices, and terminology.

  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the first chapter of the novel and the author’s choices in developing it.

  • Use appropriate syntax, grammar, and mechanics.