Name: Kathryn Becerra

Date: 03/01/2020 Period: 1

~The Great Gatsby Webercise~

Read the directions carefully! There are 3 sections to complete in this Webercise. Each
section is designed to help develop a better understanding of how to analyze themes
found in The Great Gatsby. Click on the Internet links listed in each section and answer
the following questions. You can work on your own or in small groups, approximately 3-
4 students in a group.

Section 1: What Are Themes?

https://literarydevices.net/theme/
https://literaryterms.net/theme/
Answer the following questions regarding themes and the importance of themes in
literary novels. All information is provided in the two online links. Please provide
thorough answers signifying your understanding of the material. (Total Points: 9)

1.) In approximately 50 words, answer the following question: What is a theme?

Provide 2 examples of themes in literary works. (3 points)

A theme is a main idea or meaning of a literary work that is stated directly or indirectly. In addition, a
theme is a central idea, topic, or main point of a story, essay, etc.

An example of a theme is the fear of the unknown in the novel Lord of the Flies. Another example of a
theme is those who are evil will always be punished in the novel Sherlock Holmes.
 2.) What is the difference between a major theme and a minor theme? (3 points)

A major theme is an idea that the author repeatedly mentions in their book or novel, such as the theme
of the fear of the unknown in Lord of the Flies being emphasized several times.

A minor theme is an idea that is briefly portrayed in the book or novel. Some minor themes in the
Lord of the Flies are war and the fate of humanity.

3.) Explain the importance of themes in relation to literary novels? Are themes
significant? If yes, how so? If no, explain your reasoning. (3 points)

In my opinion, I believe themes are vital to literary novels. Not only do themes help readers develop a
better understanding of the characters and their conflicts but they also teach the reader how the world
in the novel is portrayed. Without themes, there would be no main idea portrayed or emphasized,
leaving readers confused.
 Section 2: Critical Analysis of The Great Gatsby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9Au9OoN88 (Video #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0WZ8-0Z1Y (Video #2)

In this section, watch the two critical analysis videos of the novel and answer the
following questions. You must watch the videos in their entirety. (Total Points: 16)

1.) In your own words, describe the four (4) main characters featured in the video.
(Video #1) (5 points)

Nick Carraway grew up in the Midwest and then moved to New York’s West Egg but then
something happened and caused him to move back to the Midwest. Also, he likes to use complex
words in his sentences. Lastly, Nick is rich because he had a rich ancestor who paid someone off to
fight in the Civil War on his behalf which allowed his ancestor to spend the Civil War making
money.

Jay Gatsby is not really mentioned in the first chapter, but Nick states that he has an extraordinary
gift for hope. He is also rich, and he lives right across the lake from Daisy’s house, the woman he
loves.

Daisy Buchanan is Nick’s distant cousin who lives across the bay in the East Egg. She is vastly rich
due to her marriage to Tom Buchanan.

Tom Buchanan is a former football player and is married to Daisy Buchanan. He tries to throw
parties, but they are not as successful as Jay Gatsby’s parties. He also has a mistress who he tries to
hide from Daisy.
 2.) Compare and contrast Tom Buchanan’s parties and Jay Gatsby’s parties. In
what ways are Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby similar? In what ways do they
differentiate? (Video #1) (4 points)

Tom Buchanan’s parties and Jay Gatsby’s parties are similar in the sense that many people attend
purely for the alcohol and the entertainment in which they don’t have to pay for anything and just
have fun.

On the other hand, a lot of people tend to leave Tom Buchanan’s party because they are boring and
the people who attend only want the wealth and status that Tom has. Tom just throws his parties to
show off his wealth and social hierarchy status.

At Gatsby’s parties, a lot of people show up and spend hours there. In addition, his parties are located
in the West Egg area of New York. A lot of people drink so much that they tend to crash their cars.
Also, he throws his parties hoping that Daisy will show up and their relationship will be reignited.

3.) Assess the ways in which the color yellow is portrayed in the novel. Why did F.
Scott Fitzgerald incorporate this particular color? (Video #1) (3 points)

The color yellow is portrayed through Gatsby’s yellow car, Gatsby’s tie, the buttons on Daisy’s
dress, and is even portrayed through the flowers and how they smell like “pale gold.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald incorporates the color yellow to signify wealth and death. The color signifies
wealth through Gatsby’s yellow car, the buttons on Daisy’s yellow dress, etc. and it also signifies
death through Myrtle Wilson’s house. Fitzgerald incorporates this color to decouple the ideas of
wealth and greatness, that being rich is associated with corruption and death.
 4.) In your own words, describe the theme F. Scott Fitzgerald is expressing
throughout the entire literary novel. (Video #2) (2 points)

The theme F. Scott Fitzgerald expresses throughout the entire literary novel is the horror of a
carefree life and how it affects other characters. This theme can be specifically seen after the tragic
death of Jay Gatsby, in which Tom and Daisy’s inability to care and run off to avoid confrontation
and responsibility. As a result of Gatsby’s death, nothing is made whole or restored again.

5.) Based on the critical analysis videos, was Jay Gatsby great? If so, describe the
ways in which he was great. If no, explain your reasoning. (Video #1 & #2) (2
points)

In my opinion, I believe Jay Gatsby was great. He was always committed to his aspirations and never
let anything get in his way. In addition, he was originally a man of low-birth, meaning he did not
inherit any kind of wealth from his parents. This is what lead him to achieve a life worth of success.
Also, he was great in the sense that he maintained his morals throughout his life, until the very end
due to his affinity for Daisy.
 Section 3: Identify Themes in The Great Gatsby
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200041h.html

Several themes highlighted in the literary novel are listed in the word box below.
Analyze each theme and select which one is portrayed in each quote. (Hint:
Certain themes may be repeated). All quotes can be seen in the online version of
the novel which is listed above. (Total Points: 20)

Gender Isolation
Society & Class Optimism
Memory & Living in the Past Power of Money

1.) Read the following quote. Identify a theme and explain your reasoning (5
points):

“It’ll show you how I’ve gotten to feel about – things. Well, she was less than an hour old and
Tom was God knows where. I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling, and
asked the nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl. She told me it was a girl, and so I turned
my head away and wept. ‘All right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool –
that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Chapter 1).

The theme that is portrayed in this scene is the theme of gender, specifically how women are
treated. In this quote, Daisy describes how she was upset by discovering the gender of her
child, a girl. Daisy mentions how she hopes her daughter will be a fool, since being a fool
means that the individual has false beliefs and aspirations but is hopeful that they will all come
true and live happily ever after.

It is evident that Daisy is not content with her life and/or marriage to Tom and wishes she did
not know certain things such as Tom’s secret woman who he has an affair with. Daisy is not
content with her life and wishes to go back to a time in which life was fun and she believed she
would live happily ever after, similar to a fool.
 2.) Read the following quote. Identify a theme and explain your reasoning (5
points):
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year receded 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” (Chapter 9).

The theme that is portrayed in this quote is the theme of optimism. Nick states that no matter
what obstacles may get in our way, it is important to overcome those obstacles and achieve
your dreams and aspirations. In addition, he states that even if we did not achieve our goals or
aspirations for a particular day, there is always another opportunity to achieve those goals or
aspirations tomorrow and the day after and so on.

3.) Read the following quote. Identify a theme and explain your reasoning (5
points):
“He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’
After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more
practical measures to be taken. One of them was that, after she was free, they would go back to
Louisville and be married from her house – just as if it were five years ago” (Chapter 6).

The theme that is portrayed in this quote is the theme of memory and living in the past. In this
quote Nick is telling the audience of what Gatsby has planned for when Daisy tells Tom that
she never loved him. In addition, Nick states that Gatsby and Daisy have plans of going to
Louisville and getting married in her house and be together just like they originally were five
years ago.

This theme illustrates how Gatsby has become so obsessed with getting Daisy that he believes
that once they move to Louisville and get married that everything will go back to normal and
they will finally get to live happily ever after. This unrealistic goal of his ultimately leads to his
death and in the end, he never gets Daisy back.
 4.) Read the following quote. Identify a theme and explain your reasoning (5
points):
“We shook hands and I started away. Just before I reached the hedge I remembered something
and turned around. ‘They’re a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the
whole damn bunch put together’” (Chapter 8).

The theme that is portrayed in this quote is the theme of society and class. Unlike most, if not
all, of the characters in the novel, Gatsby did not inherit his wealth from his ancestors and
always worked hard to achieve his wealth and success. In this quote, Nick acknowledges how
Gatsby is different from everyone else and how he is worth more than all of them combined,
signifying how his hard work has paid off and how he never lost sight of his morals.

Webercise Score Rubric:

Section 1: What Are Themes? 8 / 9 Points

Section 2: Critical Analysis Videos 16 / 16 Points

Section 3: Identify Themes 18 / 20 Points

Total: 42 / 45 Points
 References

CrashCourse. (2012). “Like Pale Gold - The Great Gatsby Part I: Crash Course English

Literature #4.” Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9Au9OoN88

CrashCourse. (2012). “Was Gatsby Great? The Great Gatsby Part 2: Crash Course English

Literature #5.” Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0WZ8-0Z1Y

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. (2017). The Great Gatsby. Available from

http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200041h.html

Literary Devices. (2015). Retrieved from https://literaryterms.net/theme/

Theme. (2020). Retrieved from https://literarydevices.net/theme/