THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Instructions Write “Quickwrites” at the top of the page. Draw a line halfway down by the hole, splitting your page in two. You have 5 minutes to write ½ a page. I’ll collect them when we’ve filled up a single sheet with 4 Quickwrites. Full credit will be earned for ½ a page of serious thoughts on the subject.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

TABLE OF CONTENTS Visitors (cha 4) Advantages (cha 1) History (cha 4) Carraways (cha 1) Plans (cha 4) Jordan & Daisy (cha 1) Emotions (cha 5) Fool (cha 1) Impressive (cha 5) Rumors (cha 1) Shirts (cha 5) Ash Heap (cha 2) The Name (cha 6) Marriage (cha 2) The Past (cha 6) Mistake (cha 2) To Town (cha 7) Party (cha 3) Full of Money (cha 7) Privacy (cha 3) Anger (cha 7) Ditched (cha 3) Real Love (cha 7) Virtues (cha 3) Driving (cha 7)

CONTENTS continued… Motives (cha 8) Worth (cha 8) Incorruptible (cha 8) Wilson (cha 8) God Sees (cha 8) Interested (cha 9) Busy (cha 9) Mad Man (cha 9) Funeral (cha 9) Green Light (cha 9)

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Advantages CHAPTER 1 Explore the idea that you have been given more advantages at birth than someone else. What might be meant by “advantages”? How are people “given” advantages at birth? How is this belief false? How is it true?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Carraways CHAPTER 1 Describe the Carraway family. What is their history like? Compare Nick to the rest of his family members. Describe Nick’s history before he went east.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Jordan & daisy CHAPTER 1 Describe Jordan Baker and Daisy. Compare their personalities. Justify your comparison with evidence from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Fool CHAPTER 1 Explore what you think Daisy means when she says, “The best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool.” What is a fool? And why might it be good for a girl to be one? Does she mean something different than the dictionary definition?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

rumors CHAPTER 1 Daisy says she heard a rumor from three different people which means it must be true. Analyze the truth or falsehood of that idea. And consider the question, what does it mean for something to be “true”?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

Ash heap CHAPTER 2 Select five single words from the description of the ash heap. Explain the meaning of each word. Then discuss what their meanings all add to each other and to the overall feeling and mood of the setting.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Marriage CHAPTER 2 Critique their marriage values. Some of them think that if they aren’t happy together, maybe they should divorce each other. Explain your thoughts on that. Compare your thoughts to theirs.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Mistake CHAPTER 2 Examine why Myrtle thinks she made a mistake when she married her husband. Why is it such a big deal that her husband borrowed his wedding suit? Describe what these ladies are like that they think borrowing is a bad thing. What do you think about their values?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

party CHAPTER 3 Describe a party you’ve been to where you hardly knew anybody who was there. Explore what it was like to feel like that. Compare how your situation was similar or different to Nick Carraway’s.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

privacy CHAPTER 3 Examine what Jordan Baker says about large parties, that she likes them better than small parties because there’s more privacy at large ones. Justify your answer with evidence from the story and from your personal experience.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

ditched CHAPTER 3 Consider the car that was leaving Gatsby’s party and ended up in the ditch. Inspect, describe, and analyze its driver and his behavior.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

virtues CHAPTER 3 Nick Carraway thinks everyone suspects himself of one of the cardinal virtues; Nick thinks he has honesty. Which of the four virtues do you think he’s talking about? Which of the cardinal virtues do you suspect yourself of? prudence = right thinking in practice justice = the constant and permanent determination to give everyone his or her rightful due fortitude = courage to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles temperance = restraint of our desires or passions

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

Visitors CHAPTER 4 Examine the list of visitors to Gatsby’s house that summer. What do you notice about any particular visitors? Compare those details together to infer conclusions about who Gatsby is as a person.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

history CHAPTER 4 Explain the history that Daisy and Gatsby have had together going back before the war.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

plans CHAPTER 4 If Gatsby has made so many plans to see Daisy again, does this make him a stalker or in love? Justify your opinion with evidence from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

emotions CHAPTER 5 Select a few actions of Gatsby during the scene at Nick’s house and explain what they show about Gatsby’s emotions.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

impressive CHAPTER 5 Discuss whether or not Gatsby’s house is impressive. Justify your thoughts with evidence from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

shirts CHAPTER 5 Infer why Daisy is so emotionally moved by Gatsby’s new dress shirts.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

The name CHAPTER 6 Do your best to explain how Jay Gatsby got his name and history and persona.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

The past CHAPTER 6 Nick says that you can’t repeat the past, but Gatsby insists that he can. Analyze this idea with logic, emotions, and evidence from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

To town CHAPTER 7 Describe the details of the scene at Daisy’s house that make Daisy keep insisting that she wants to “go to town.” Why do you think she wants to go to town? Why right now? What does she hope going to town will accomplish?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

Full of money CHAPTER 7 What does Gatsby mean when he says that Daisy’s voice is “full of money”? How is this a good or bad sound? Justify your analysis with examples and quotes from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

anger CHAPTER 7 Explain the paradox and hypocrisy of Tom’s anger at Gatsby for his relationship with Daisy. Discuss the different nuances of why this is complex and contradictory.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

Real love CHAPTER 7 As Tom and Gatsby fight over Daisy, explain why Daisy retreats into herself. Discuss whom she really loves. Justify your analysis with examples and quotes from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

driving Explore these two scenarios and why they’re different: CHAPTER 7 Explore these two scenarios and why they’re different: Gatsby is driving, or (2) Daisy is driving. How are things complicated in different ways depending on whom is driving during the accident? How will Tom react? Wilson? The police? Nick?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

motives CHAPTER 8 Explore what this quote tells us about the motives and character of Gatsby, all his money, and his love for Daisy: “What was the use of doing great things if I could have a better time telling her about things I was going to do?”

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

worth CHAPTER 8 Why does Nick tell Gatsby that “we’re a rotten crowd,” that “you’re worth the whole bunch put together”? Is he talking about money? Or something else? What is Gatsby “worth”?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

incorruptible What is Gatsby’s dream? And why is it incorruptible? CHAPTER 8 What is Gatsby’s dream? And why is it incorruptible?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

wilson CHAPTER 8 Examine Wilson’s behavior as he deals with the death his wife. Predict what he is going to do? With the emotions he has, what actions is he capable of? Justify your answer with evidence or quotes from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

God sees CHAPTER 8 When Wilson stares at Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes on the billboard, why does he say that “God sees everything”?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

interested CHAPTER 9 How do you think it feels after Gatsby dies for Nick to be called the only person interested in him? Why do you think he’s the only one? What does this mean for this whole culture that these people live in? What does it say about people? What does it say about the things they care about?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES

busy CHAPTER 9 Why do you think everybody is too busy to come take care of Gatsby’s situation after his death when they add all the time in the world to come to his parties?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

Mad man CHAPTER 9 Discuss the label “mad man.” Explore the reasons why everyone is saying that Gatsby’s killer must have been a “mad man.” What does this say about their beliefs about Gatsby? How might this say something about their beliefs about the American Dream?

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

funeral CHAPTER 9 Explore the various reasons no one is coming to Gatsby’s funeral. Justify your thoughts with evidence and quotes from the story.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES QUICKWRITES

Green light CHAPTER 9 “Gatsby believed in the green light, the future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter -- to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . And one fine morning -- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” After having read the whole story, do you think we are supposed to believe in the green light? And what might that long dash after “one fine morning” mean? Explain and justify your thoughts.

THE great gatsby QUICKWRITES