The Great Gatsby Participation Rubric  

While reading a piece of literature, you are expected to contribute to the discussion and demonstrate understanding of the reading. Please
complete the chart to show that you have participated in the class discussion and active reading. You will receive a minor grade for your active
participation in the reading of this novel.

Skill Focus   Textual Evidence & PG #    Thoughts  

Character Observation   ¨girls were swooning backward playfully  I think this really exemplifies 
  into men’s arms, even into groups knowing  Gatsby's character as a whole, 
  that someone would arrest their falls—but  and portrays him is independent. 
  no one swooned backward on Gatsby and  He is seen to be mysterious 
  no French bob touched Gatsby’s shoulder  throughout our first encounters, 
  and no singing quartets were formed with  and this really proves the fact 
Gatsby’s head for one link (Fitzgerald, 55.)¨  that he genuinely doesn't need 
company but would rather have 
it as background noise. . 

Question about a part in the novel   ¨‘It does her good to get away.’ ‘Doesn’t her  I wonder if Wilson found out how 
  husband object?’ ‘Wilson? He thinks she  about the affair, how he would 
  goes to see her sister in New 30 The Great  react, since back then Adultery 
  Gatsby York. He’s so dumb he doesn’t know  and cheating was seen as a very 
  he’s alive.’ So Tom Buchanan and his girl  dishonest and disgraceful thing 
  and I went (Fitzgerald, 29.)¨  for woman to convey in. In my 
opinion, since Tom is such a 
powerful , and ¨brutish¨ 
character, I think WIlson would 
just let it happen, or barely react. 

Symbolism   ¨But above the grey land and the spasms  In my opinion, the eyes of Dr. 
  of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it,  Eckleburg represent a higher 
  you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of  being or God in a sense, due to 
  Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor  the fact the eyes set over and 
  T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their  watch over the Valley of Ashes. 
  retinas are one yard high. They look out of  The Valley is seen to be 
  no face but, instead, from a pair of  portrayed as very grey, and 
enormous yellow spectacles which pass  gloomy, which symbolizes decay 
The Great Gatsby Participation Rubric  

over a nonexistent nose (Fitzgerald, 16.)¨  and ruin. 

Connection Made   ¨he had deliberately shifted our relations,  To me, I can draw a connection 
  and for a moment I thought I loved her. But  with Nick Carraway as a 
  I am slow-thinking and full of interior rules  character related to Fitzgerald. 
  that act as brakes on my desires, and I  Nick is seen to be stuck in a love 
  knew that first I had to get myself definitely  interest, similar to Nick who sees 
  out of that tangle back home. I’d been  Daisy as his interest, but also 
  writing letters once a week and signing  Jordan. Jordan represents 
Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 65 them:  Generva, while Daisy represents 
‘Love, Nick,’ and all I could think of was how,  Zelda. The connections are 
when that certain girl played tennis, a faint  apparent because Daisy, similar 
mustache of perspiration appeared on her  to Zelda had affairs with people, 
upper lip. Nevertheless there was a vague  eventually led to their downfall 
understanding that had to be tactfully  as a couple which I predict will 
broken off before I was free (Fitzgerald,  happen with Tom and Daisy. 
64-65.)¨  Also, Fitzgerald adds many 
subtle hints as to hs personal 
life, by putting the actual place 
he was stationed at in the war, 
and adding the fact that Nick 
went to a ivy league university 
such as himself. 

Contribution to Class Discussion      

 
 
 
 
 

Thoughts about the reading today   ¨But how did it happen? Did you run into  In the novel, at this point to me it 
  the wall?’ ‘Don’t ask me,’ said Owl Eyes,  is really interesting that all the 
  washing his hands of the whole matter. ‘I  people leaving Gatsby's party 
The Great Gatsby Participation Rubric  

  know very little about driving—next to  are very intoxicated. In the text, it 
  nothing. It happened, and that’s all I know.’  is apparent that a man had 
  ‘Well, if you’re a poor driver you oughtn’t to  crashed, and didn't even know 
  try driving at night.’ ‘But I wasn’t even  what happens due to how drunk 
trying,’ he explained indignantly, ‘I wasn’t  he was. It is interesting to know 
even trying (Fitzgerald, 19.)¨  that people just try to have a 
good time at the parties and are 
more superficial than genuine. 
They put up acts, and just get 
wasted instead of forming real 
conversations and bonds, and I 
think this relates to Gatsby as a 
person, in the ways that he 
doesn't have true love, but really 
all the attention because how 
important he is as a character 
and wealth.