creative title for great gatsby essay

144 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Let’s travel to the roaring 1920s with our collection of The Great Gatsby essay prompts! F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, set amidst the luxury and decadence of the Jazz Age, thrills readers with its exploration of love, wealth, and the elusive pursuit of the American Dream. In the Great Gatsby essay topics below, you will find titles about the complex characters and their entwined destinies.

🪩 7 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

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• The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
• The Great Gatsby: Book Review
• The Great Gatsby Themes
• Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan: Character Comparison
• The Deception of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby
• Green Light in The Great Gatsby
• Examples of Racism in The Great Gatsby
• Old and New Money in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the twentieth century, the “Jazz Age” in America. The writer considers many socially and morally significant topics in the novel, such as love, friendship, social division, and money. The last one is trickier than it seems at first….
• “The Great Gatsby” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”: Examination of Material Wealth The paper examines Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” focusing on the theme of materialistic wealth and its impacts on human life.
• “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald “The Great Gatsby” is a recognized classic of American literature with the characteristic idea of that era – a dream that transforms into a tragedy eventually.
• “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Beliefs and Values This paper uses “The Great Gatsby” book to describe the major events and experiences that influenced Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s beliefs and values.
• How Money and Wealth Depicted in the Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby shows how wealth is a major element in the social order by showcasing, how money corrupts individual and classifies social groups.
• Benjamin Franklin vs. Jay Gatsby: Character Comparison The paper aims to consider the character traits of Gatsby through the portrayal of Ben Franklin, discuss their aims and features.
• Ethics in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald In The Great Gatsby, many of the characters have questionable ethics. The story, written by Scott Fitzgerald, reflects a society where moral decadence thrives
• Love in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” The main characters of both modern and traditional works, “Pride and Prejudice” and “The Great Gatsby,” openly say that a human cannot hide her feelings.
• Analysis of The Great Gatsby (2013) This work highlights the possible readings of the film The Great Gatsby according to rhetoric, semiotics, the gaze, and queer theory.
• The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby: Comprare & Contrast ‘The Great Gatsby’ by S.Fitzgerald and ‘The Sun also Rises’ by E.Hemingway touched the themes of human challenges, racism and isolation under the impact of war events.
• The Great Gatsby: Gatsby and the Decline of the American Dream This paper will research the decline of Gatsby’s American dream by summarizing the novel, defining the discussed notion, and providing several supporting examples from the story.
• Symbolism in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby there are several symbols but the most powerful appears to be the eyes that overlook the valley from a bill board.
• Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age Perception in “The Great Gatsby” The purpose of this paper is to analyze the features used by Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby in terms of its contribution to the reader’s impression and the work’s status.
• The Great Gatsby: A Book Review and Summary The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is highly evaluated among literary critics and perceived to be one of the most prominent novels ever written.
• Scott Fitzgerald “The Great Gatsby”: Literary Devices In the book Fitzgerald applies literary techniques such as dramatic irony, allegory, exposition, personification, and foreshadowing to accord the story a smart finishing.
• Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway: Character Analysis This paper compares and contrasts two characters from “The Great Gatsby”, which are Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, who represent the novel’s protagonist and narrator respectively
• The Great Gatsby as a Reflection of American Culture The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, was the forerunner of an entire literary dynasty of rich personalities with a mysterious past.
• Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” as a Deconstruction of the American Dream One way in which the movie deconstructs the idea of the American Dream is by showing that prosperity does not necessarily come in hand with virtue.
• The Great Gatsby: Analysis The main character Jay Gatsby returns after the overpast of World War I. As we see, he is a respectable veteran being newly wealthy. He settles in “West Egg”.
• Gender in The Great Gatsby & The Yellow Wallpaper The complexities of men and women in the texts were examined and evaluated on the basis of sexuality and relationship and the inferences would be supported by the text itself.
• “The Great Gatsby”: What Makes Daisy So Attractive?
• Nick and His Experiences of Materialism in “The Great Gatsby”
• The Confrontational Relationship Between Tom and Gatsby in F Scott Fitzgerald’s, “The Great Gatsby”
• How Women Are Portrayed in “The Great Gatsby”
• What Techniques Does Fitzgerald Use to Convey the Main Themes in “The Great Gatsby”
• Contrasting Western Morals and Eastern Corruption in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• “Love Conquers All: Analyzing Romance and Relationships Within “The Great Gatsby”
• “The Great Gatsby”: Morals and American Idealism
• Fitzgerald’s Personal Background Paralleled With the Character in “The Great Gatsby”
• What Makes One Great? “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• How the Lost Generation Is Represented in “The Great Gatsby”
• The Careless Gaiety and Moral Decadence of the Rich in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• Jay Gatsby´S American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
• The American Dream Turned Nightmare in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Greed, Lust and the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Ambition and Its Negative Effects: “The Great Gatsby” and Macbeth
• The Deconstruction Post Modern Criticism of “The Great Gatsby”
• Morals and American Idealism in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Gatsby’s Unrealistic American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
• American Culture During “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The East Egg and the Corruption of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Superficial Love and Realistic Love in “The Great Gatsby” by F Scott Fitz
• Owl Eyes in “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald This paper discusses and examines the significance of the minor character Owl Eyes in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby”.
• The Role of Love and Women in Great Gatsby and the Sun Also Rises Love is inextricably linked to women in both Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” and Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” so much so that a serious discussion of one cannot be complete without the other.
• Infidelity in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” The Great Gatsby is the story of materialism, its pursuit, symbolism on those who possess it at different stages of life, and how the majority may decline morally in its lure.
• The Great Gatsby: American Dream Concept The movie, The Great Gatsby, satirizes American Dream by showing that it is an illusion that cannot be attained: wealth is not always a product of hard work.
• Imagery in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Fitzgerald The principle imagery of the novel lies in its locations. There are three key locations, which signify different social classes of the American society at the time.
• The American Dream: Jay Gatsby’s Illegal Wealth The American Dream is a happy way of living believed in the US that anyone has a chance for success and can also rise to a higher social or economic position by working hard.
• “The Great Gatsby” Is the Best Fitzgerald’s Novel “The Great Gatsby” is practically the most successful book of Francis Scott Fitzgerald as it has been translated into many languages.
• The Great Gatsby: How Money and Class Create and Destroy Relationships Money and class always played a huge role in the life of any society. Since ancient times, people have been marrying for money: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Jazz Age in “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzerald The topic of changes in the American society in 1920s, in the book “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzerald, and the change of the concept of the American Dream.
• Masculinity in The Great Gatsby and The Breakfast Club The paper demonstrates how the American culture depicts masculinity as reflected in media (movies) and American literature in the course readings.
• “The Great Gatsby” a Novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald The novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set up in the 1920’s, an era during which new liberties were being discovered in fashion.
• Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby The novel Great Gatsby depicts the unique vision of the American dream and its impact on the life of a person during the 1920s.
• Society in The Great Gatsby The novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a bitter satire to the American dream, which according to the ideas of the majority implies the heap of the happiness.
• Failure of American Dream: “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald Review Despite the seeming glamor and wealth, the character of Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald is deeply and inherently tragic.
• The Film “The Great Gatsby” and the American Dream The film “The Great Gatsby” is just one example, which leaves hope for people that the American Dream in any of its interpretations is attainable for the majority today.
• Jay Gatsby by F. S. Fitzgerald and the American Dream The American Dream means the individual’s striving for success, material well-being, and other kinds of achievement, implying an ascent to recognition, wealth, and fame
• The American Dream Discussion Based on the Film “The Great Gatsby” In “The Great Gatsby”, Franklin’s assertion the American Dream is available to all people is incorrect – Gatsby achieved wealth by fraud, but it didn’t fulfill his American dream.
• Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” Book and Movie Comparison “The Great Gatsby” can be called a faithful interpretation, however, it still has some personal analysis of the director.
• “The Great Gatsby”: The American Dream Is Not Feasible for All “The Great Gatsby” declares that the American Dream is not feasible for all because neither virtuous character nor hard work leads to prosperity, and hope remains unrewarded.
• “The Great Gatsby” by F.S. Fitzgerald Hero Review Nick Carraway by “The Great Gatsby” by F.S. Fitzgerald is the novel’s narrator and protagonist who undergoes considerable personal change.
• Pursuit of Daisy Buchanan in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” “The Great Gatsby” is a novel by F. S. Fitzgerald. The purpose of this essay is to examine whether Gatsby should have sought Daisy and the reasons why this pursuit was justified.
• The Great Gatsby: Chapters’ Review Chapter 1: Nick Carraway decides to move from Minnesota to New York. He starts his story by mentioning that his father told him not to judge others.
• American Dream in Fitzgeralds’s “The Great Gatsby” Among the many concepts explored in Fitzgeralds’s The Great Gatsby, American Dream is one of the most notable ones.
• Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”: Gatsby’s Impossible Dream In The Great Gatsby, the story concerns a mysterious character named Jay Gatsby. He is exceptionally wealthy, hosting parties at his manor attended by many people.
• Nick Carraway in “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald In contrast to other characters in The Great Gatsby, Nick goes through a number of changes from the beginning to the end of the novel.
• In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay The settings of both stories help us understand the canvasses upon which the authors paint their pictures and contextualizes the actions of stories’ characters.
• Money & Wealth in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby, Jay wants to win back the only girl he ever felt he loved. It’s hard to blame Gatsby for attempting to win Daisy by impressing her with his material wealth.
• Difference Between Illusion and Reality in “The Great Gatsby”
• “The Great Gatsby” Through the Lens of Feminist Criticism
• How Money Widens the Gap of Loneliness in “The Great Gatsby”
• What Part Does Social Class Play in “The Great Gatsby”?
• Broken Dreams and Fallen Themes: The Corruption of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
• Dreams the Main Theme in “The Great Gatsby”
• Connection Between Saint Hedwig of Silesia and “The Great Gatsby”
• Imagination and Its Effects on the World of “The Great Gatsby”
• Love Lust and Obsession in “The Great Gatsby”
• Beauty and Foolishness: The Role of Pammy Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby”
• Discover the Hidden Reality in “The Great Gatsby”
• Equating Money and Prosperity to the Power of Love in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• What Going From West to East Meant for the Characters in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• America and the Decay of Morality: “The Great Gatsby” and “The Sun Also Rises”
• How Does the Author Use Theme, Setting, and Character to Instil in the Reader a Desire to Read on “The Great Gatsby”?
• Why Has “The Great Gatsby” Been Hailed as the Ultimate Testament to the Glamorous Side of the Jazz Era?
• “The Great Gatsby” Displaying the Corruption of the American
• “The Great Gatsby”: Fitzgerald Tying Is Life to the Book
• Pure Happiness and Self-Satisfaction in the Pursuit of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “The Great Gatsby”: Evidence of Insecurity and Ambiguity That Question Nick Carraway’s Heterosexuality
• Ambition and the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”
• Existentialism, Jungian Analysis, and Marxist Criticism in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “The Great Gatsby”, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Grapes
• Man’s Dreams for Elite Social Class in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• Similarities Between “The Great Gatsby” and Julius Caesar
• Lying and Its Consequences in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Emotion Over Reason: Frankenstein and “The Great Gatsby”
• Dreaming Can Bring Misery in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitgerald
• The Thin Line Between Dreams and Reality in “The Great Gatsby”
• Beneath the Surface Glitter, ‘“The Great Gatsby”’ Is a Profoundly Pessimistic Novel
• “The Great Gatsby”: Wealth Allows People to Be Careless and Dangerous
• Women’s Intentions Towards Men in “The Great Gatsby” by Francis Scott Fitzgerald
• Breathing Dreams Like Air in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• East and West Egg in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Overview How Fitzgerald Presents Marriage as a Dysfunctional
• Affairs, Wealth, and Murder in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• American Dream and Materialism in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• How Does Great Gatsby’s Morality Apply to Modern Society?
• Achieving Hopes and Dreams in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Idealized Love Hope and Mortality in “The Great Gatsby”
• Death and the Relief of “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Analysis and Literary Interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• Greed for Success and Wealth in “The Great Gatsby”
• How Is the American Dream Corrupted in “The Great Gatsby”?
• What Characters in “The Great Gatsby” Represent the American Dream?
• How Did the Author Elicit Sympathy for the Character of Great Gatsby?
• What Are the Major Themes in “The Great Gatsby”?
• Does Money Buy Happiness in “The Great Gatsby”?
• Who Is the Most Tragic Character in “The Great Gatsby”?
• How Is Illusion Mistaken for Reality in “The Great Gatsby”?
• Is “The Great Gatsby” Movie Accurate to the Book?
• Does Money Cause Problems in “The Great Gatsby”?
• How Is Happiness Portrayed in “The Great Gatsby”?
• What Is the Main Message of “The Great Gatsby”?
• Should “The Great Gatsby” Still Be Read in Schools?
• How Does Money Affect the Characters in “The Great Gatsby”?
• What Makes Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” a Timeless Classic?
• How Is Violence Shown in “The Great Gatsby”?
• Does the Novel “The Great Gatsby” Relate to Modern-Day Society?
• How Has Fitzgerald Presented the Character of Daisy in “The Great Gatsby”?
• What Does Great Gatsby Say About Society?
• How Does “The Great Gatsby” Show That Money Can’t Buy Love?
• Why Does “The Great Gatsby” Criticize Society?
• How Is Social Class Presented in “The Great Gatsby”?
• What’s the Difference Between “The Great Gatsby” Movie and Book?
• How Does Fitzgerald Portray Class at the Start of “The Great Gatsby”?
• What Is Fitzgerald Ultimately Trying to Say About Money and Materialism in “The Great Gatsby”?
• Why Is Gatsby Known as Great?

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StudyCorgi . "144 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics." November 12, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/the-great-gatsby-essay-topics/.

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These essay examples and topics on The Great Gatsby were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 20, 2024 .

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122 The Great Gatsby Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic novel that has captivated readers for generations. With its themes of love, wealth, and the American Dream, there are countless essay topics that can be explored when analyzing this novel. Whether you are a student writing a paper for class or just a fan of the book looking for some inspiration, here are 122 great Gatsby essay topic ideas and examples to get you started.

• The symbolism of the green light at the end of Daisy's dock.
• The role of social class in the novel.
• The theme of illusion vs. reality in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the Valley of Ashes in the novel.
• How does Fitzgerald use weather to create mood and atmosphere in the novel?
• The role of women in The Great Gatsby.
• The character of Jay Gatsby as a tragic hero.
• The impact of World War I on the characters in the novel.
• The symbolism of Gatsby's parties.
• The theme of time in The Great Gatsby.
• The role of religion in the novel.
• The significance of the color yellow in the novel.
• The character of Tom Buchanan as a symbol of the old money elite.
• The theme of morality in The Great Gatsby.
• The role of Nick Carraway as a narrator.
• The symbolism of the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg.
• The significance of the character of Meyer Wolfsheim.
• The theme of love in The Great Gatsby.
• The role of race and ethnicity in the novel.
• The symbolism of cars in the novel.
• The theme of betrayal in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Daisy Buchanan.
• The role of alcohol in the novel.
• The symbolism of the letter from Gatsby's father.
• The theme of isolation in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of Gatsby's mansion.
• The role of music in the novel.
• The theme of materialism in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Jordan Baker.
• The role of Nick Carraway as a foil to Gatsby.
• The symbolism of the weather in the novel.
• The theme of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of George Wilson.
• The role of fashion in the novel.
• The symbolism of the East and West Egg.
• The theme of social mobility in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Myrtle Wilson.
• The role of architecture in the novel.
• The theme of loyalty in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Owl Eyes.
• The role of violence in the novel.
• The theme of forgiveness in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Dan Cody.
• The role of nature in the novel.
• The theme of fate in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Catherine.
• The role of technology in the novel.
• The theme of identity in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Henry C. Gatz.
• The role of consumerism in the novel.
• The theme of justice in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Pammy Buchanan.
• The role of education in the novel.
• The theme of power in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Michaelis.
• The role of politics in the novel.
• The theme of memory in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Lucille McKee.
• The role of geography in the novel.
• The theme of ambition in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Edythe.
• The role of communication in the novel.
• The significance of the character of Horace Kean.
• The role of language in the novel.
• The theme of trust in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Lillian Gish.
• The role of media in the novel.
• The theme of friendship in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Mrs. McKee.
• The theme of wealth in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Ewing Klipspringer.
• The role of art in the novel.
• The theme of sacrifice in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of James Gatz.
• The role of literature in the novel.
• The theme of obsession in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Mr. McKee.
• The role of science in the novel.
• The theme of truth in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Mr. Gatz.
• The role of philosophy in the novel.
• The theme of beauty in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Mrs. Gatz.
• The role of psychology in the novel.
• The theme of desire in The Great Gatsby.
• The significance of the character of Mr. Carraway.
• The role of sociology in the novel.
• The significance of the character of Mr. Buchanan.
• The role of anthropology in the novel.
• The significance of the character of Miss Baker.
• The role of history in the novel.
• The significance of the character of Miss Wilson.
• The significance of the character of Miss Gish.

With so many different angles to explore, The Great Gatsby offers endless possibilities for analysis and interpretation. Whether you are interested in exploring the symbolism, themes, characters, or historical context of the novel, there is sure to be a topic that will spark your interest. So pick a topic, start writing, and dive into the world of The Great Gatsby.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Books — The Great Gatsby

Essays on The Great Gatsby

The great gatsby essay topic examples.

Whether you want to analyze the American Dream, compare and contrast characters, vividly describe settings and characters, persuade readers with your viewpoints, or share personal experiences related to the story, these essay ideas provide a diverse perspective on the themes and complexities within the book.

Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays require you to analyze and present arguments related to the novel. Here are some topic examples:

• 1. Argue whether the American Dream is achievable or illusory, as depicted in The Great Gatsby .
• 2. Analyze the moral ambiguity of Jay Gatsby and the consequences of his relentless pursuit of the American Dream.

Example Introduction Paragraph for an Argumentative Essay: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is a tale of ambition, decadence, and the elusive American Dream. This essay delves into the complex theme of the American Dream, exploring whether it remains attainable or has transformed into a tantalizing illusion, luring individuals like Jay Gatsby into its enigmatic embrace.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for an Argumentative Essay: In conclusion, the analysis of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby invites us to reevaluate our perceptions of success and fulfillment. As we contemplate the fate of Jay Gatsby and the characters entangled in his world, we are challenged to define our own version of the American Dream and the sacrifices it may entail.

Compare and Contrast Essays

Compare and contrast essays enable you to examine similarities and differences within the novel or between it and other literary works. Consider these topics:

• 1. Compare and contrast the characters of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, exploring their contrasting worldviews and motivations.
• 2. Analyze the similarities and differences between the portrayal of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises .

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Essay: The characters and settings in The Great Gatsby and other literary works offer a rich tapestry for comparison and contrast. This essay embarks on a journey to compare and contrast the enigmatic Jay Gatsby and the brash Tom Buchanan, delving into their contrasting values, aspirations, and roles within the novel.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Essay: In conclusion, the comparison and contrast of Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan illuminate the divergent paths individuals can take in pursuit of their desires. As we consider the consequences of their choices, we are prompted to reflect on the complexities of ambition and morality.

Descriptive Essays

Descriptive essays allow you to vividly depict settings, characters, or events within the novel. Here are some topic ideas:

• 1. Describe the opulent parties at Gatsby's mansion, emphasizing the decadence and extravagance of the Jazz Age.
• 2. Paint a detailed portrait of Daisy Buchanan, focusing on her beauty, charm, and the allure she holds for Gatsby.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Descriptive Essay: The Great Gatsby immerses readers in the lavish world of the Roaring Twenties. This essay embarks on a descriptive exploration of the extravagant parties at Gatsby's mansion, capturing the opulence and hedonism of the era, as well as the illusions they create.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Descriptive Essay: In conclusion, the descriptive portrayal of Gatsby's parties serves as a vivid snapshot of the Jazz Age's excesses and the fleeting nature of indulgence. Through this exploration, we are reminded of the allure and transience of the materialistic pursuits that captivated the characters of the novel.

Persuasive Essays

Persuasive essays involve arguing a point of view related to the novel. Consider these persuasive topics:

• 1. Persuade your readers that Nick Carraway is the moral compass of the story, serving as the voice of reason and morality.
• 2. Argue for or against the idea that Gatsby's love for Daisy is genuine and selfless, despite his questionable methods.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Persuasive Essay: The Great Gatsby presents a tapestry of characters with complex moral dilemmas. This persuasive essay asserts that Nick Carraway emerges as the moral compass of the story, guiding readers through the labyrinth of decadence and disillusionment in the Jazz Age.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Persuasive Essay: In conclusion, the persuasive argument regarding Nick Carraway's role as the moral compass underscores the importance of ethical navigation in a world characterized by excess and moral ambiguity. As we reflect on his influence, we are compelled to consider the enduring value of integrity and virtue.

Narrative Essays

Narrative essays offer you the opportunity to tell a story or share personal experiences related to the themes of the novel. Explore these narrative essay topics:

• 1. Narrate a personal experience where you encountered the allure of materialism and extravagance, similar to the characters in The Great Gatsby .
• 2. Imagine yourself as a character in the Jazz Age and recount your interactions with Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Narrative Essay: The themes of The Great Gatsby resonate with the allure of a bygone era. This narrative essay delves into a personal encounter with the seductive pull of materialism and extravagance, drawing parallels to the characters' experiences in the novel.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Narrative Essay: In conclusion, the narrative of my personal encounter with the allure of materialism reminds us of the timeless nature of the themes in The Great Gatsby . As we navigate our own desires and ambitions, we are encouraged to contemplate the balance between aspiration and morality.

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The Portrayal of Female Characters in F.s. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

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April 10, 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Novel; Fiction, Tragedy

Jay Gatsby , Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, Meyer Wolfsheim, George B. Wilson, Trimalchio, Mr. Gatz

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote "The Great Gatsby" with multiple motivations in mind. Firstly, he sought to critique the materialistic excesses and moral decay of the Roaring Twenties, a period of post-World War I prosperity. Fitzgerald aimed to expose the disillusionment and hollowness behind the glittering facade of the American Dream. Additionally, he drew inspiration from his own experiences and observations of the wealthy elite and their decadent lifestyles. Through the character of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald explored themes of unrequited love, longing, and the pursuit of an unattainable ideal. Ultimately, Fitzgerald's intent was to capture the essence of an era and offer a profound commentary on the human condition.

The story revolves around Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a married woman with whom he had a romantic past. Narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest, the novel delves into the opulent and extravagant lives of the wealthy elite in Long Island. As Gatsby throws lavish parties in the hope of rekindling his relationship with Daisy, the narrative explores themes of love, wealth, illusion, and the disillusionment that comes with the pursuit of the American Dream.

The American Dream , decadence, idealism, resistance to changes, social excess, caution.

The influence of "The Great Gatsby" extends far beyond its initial publication in 1925. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel has become a literary classic, revered for its exploration of themes such as wealth, love, and the elusive American Dream. It remains relevant due to its timeless portrayal of human desires, societal decadence, and the consequences of relentless pursuit. The book's vivid characters and atmospheric prose have inspired countless writers and artists, shaping the landscape of American literature. With its commentary on the dark underbelly of the Jazz Age, "The Great Gatsby" continues to captivate readers, serving as a cautionary tale and a poignant reflection of the human condition.

1. During F. Scott Fitzgerald's lifetime, approximately 25,000 copies of the book were sold. However, since then, it has gained immense popularity, selling over 25 million copies and establishing itself as one of the most renowned American novels. 2. The Great Gatsby did not have its original title as the author considered various options, ranging from "Under the Red, White and Blue" to "The High-Bouncing Lover." These alternative titles were potentially revealing too much about the content prematurely. 3. In 1926, just a year after its publication, the book was adapted into a film, demonstrating its quick transition from page to screen. 4. Fitzgerald's cause of death is believed to have been tuberculosis rather than a heart attack. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 44. 5. The price of this famous novel at the time of its publication in 1925 was $2, representing its value in that era. 6. The Great Gatsby did not immediately receive critical acclaim upon release. However, it has since garnered recognition and praise, becoming a significant literary work.

"The Great Gatsby" has made a significant impact on various forms of media, captivating audiences across generations. The novel has been adapted into several films, with notable versions including the 1974 adaptation starring Robert Redford and the 2013 adaptation featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. These cinematic interpretations have brought the story to life visually, further immersing audiences in the opulent world of Jay Gatsby. Additionally, the novel has been referenced and alluded to in countless songs, television shows, and even video games, solidifying its cultural significance. Its themes of love, wealth, and the pursuit of the American Dream continue to resonate and inspire creative works in popular culture.

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.’” “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” “So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight.” “I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

Studying "The Great Gatsby" holds great importance due to its enduring relevance and literary significance. The novel offers profound insights into themes such as wealth, love, social class, and the corruption of the American Dream. Its exploration of the Jazz Age exposes the allure and emptiness of a materialistic society, making it a compelling study of human desires and societal decay. F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterful prose and symbolic imagery provide rich material for analyzing character development, narrative techniques, and social commentary. Moreover, delving into the novel's historical context allows for a deeper understanding of the cultural and societal shifts of the 1920s.

The inclusion of "The Great Gatsby" as an essay topic for college students stems from its exploration of themes like the American Dream, the juxtaposition of poverty and wealth, and the destructive allure of corruption. The character of Gatsby embodies the American spirit and can be paralleled to contemporary individuals fixated on materialism and fame as measures of romantic success. Furthermore, this literary masterpiece holds a significant place in American literature, as F. Scott Fitzgerald skillfully weaves socio-cultural elements into each sentence, providing a timeless portrayal of American life that resonates across generations. The choice to analyze and write about "The Great Gatsby" allows students to delve into these thought-provoking themes and examine their relevance to society.

1. Stallman, R. W. (1955). Conrad and The Great Gatsby. Twentieth Century Literature, 1(1), 5–12. (https://doi.org/10.2307/441023) 2. John Jerrim, Lindsey Macmillan, (2015). Income Inequality, Intergenerational Mobility, and the Great Gatsby Curve: Is Education the Key?, Social Forces, Volume 94, Issue 2. (https://academic.oup.com/sf/article/94/2/505/2583794) 3. Robert C. Hauhart (2013) Religious Language and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby’s Valley of Ashes, ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews, 26:3 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0895769X.2013.798233) 4. Burnam, T. (1952). The Eyes of Dr. Eckleburg: A Re-Examination of “The Great Gatsby.” College English, 14(1), 7–12. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/371821) 5. Tom Phillips (2018) Passing for White in THE GREAT GATSBY: A Spectroscopic Analysis of Jordan Baker, The Explicator, 76:3. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00144940.2018.1489769?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab) 6. Matterson, S. (1990). The Great Gatsby and Social Class. In: The Great Gatsby. The Critics Debate. Palgrave, London. (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-20768-8_9) 7. Licence, A. (2008). Jay Gatsby: martyr of a materialistic society: Amy Licence considers religious elements in The Great Gatsby. The English Review, 18(3), 24+. (https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA173676222&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=09558950&p=LitRC&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E5a84816e) 8. Khodamoradpour, Marjan and Anushiravani, Alireza, (2017) Playing the Old Tunes: A Fiskean Analysis of Baz Luhrmann's 2013 Cinematic Adaptation of the Great Gatsby. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, Volume 71. (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3020752) 9. Anderson, H. (1968). THE RICH BUNCH IN" THE GREAT GATSBY". Southern Quarterly, 6(2), 163. (https://www.proquest.com/openview/6a9e704a476d873aada2d2529821b95a/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2029886)

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The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples

Welcome to The Great Gatsby Essay Samples page prepared by our editorial team! Here you’ll find a heap of wonderful ideas for your Great Gatsby essay. Absolutely free research paper and essay samples on The Great Gatsby are collected here, on one page.

📝 The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples List

Below you’ll find a large collection of The Great Gatsby essay and research paper samples. Feel free to use any of them to inspire your own writing!

• Gatsby & Nick in The Great Gatsby Essay Genre : Essay Words : 1763 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby
• Gatsby & Jean Valjean: Compare & Contrast Essay Genre : Essay Words : 1259 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan
• The Ethicality of an Action Jay Gatsby Genre : Assessment paper Words : 833 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson
• The American Dream in The Great Gatsby: Essay Genre : Essay Words : 619 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson
• Babylon Revisited & The Great Gatsby: Motifs & Themes Genre : Essay Words : 1216 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan
• Time as a Theme in The Great Gatsby: Essay Genre : Essay Words : 896 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson
• Daisy Buchanan: Quotes Analysis Essay Genre : Essay Words : 1077 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker
• Female Characters in The Streetcar Named Desire & The Great Gatsby: Comparative Essay Genre : Essay Words : 1639 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Why Is Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby a Satire? Genre : Essay Words : 680 Focused on : The Great Gatsby genre Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Mr. McKee
• Jay Gatsby & Tom Buchanan: Compare & Contrast Genre : Essay Words : 812 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Francis Scott Fitzgerald & His American Dream Genre : Essay Words : 1815 Focused on : F.S. Fitzgerald’s biography Characters mentioned : Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Jay Gatsby & Eponine from Les Miserables: Compare & Contrast Essay Genre : Essay Words : 812 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• Jay Gatsby and Valjean in ‘Les Miserables’: Comparative Essay Genre : Essay Words : 769 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway
• Love in The Great Gatsby & The Catcher in The Rye: Comparative Essay Genre : Analytical essay Words : 1059 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan
• The Great Gatsby: Analysis and Feminist Critique Genre : Essay Words : 1365 Focused on : The Great Gatsby analysis Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson
• Fairy Tale Traits in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 1146 Focused on : The Great Gatsby analysis & context Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• The Great Gatsby: Book Review Genre : Book review Words : 701 Focused on : The Great Gatsby context Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan
• The Great Gatsby: Book Review & Reflection Genre : Essay Words : 587 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson, Jordan Baker
• Fitzgerald’s American Dream in The Great Gatsby & Winter Dreams Genre : Argumentative essay Words : 1119 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan
• Silver & Gold: Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 889 Focused on : The Great Gatsby color symbolism Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker
• Nick as the Narrator in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 2473 Focused on : The Great Gatsby characters Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway
• The Dilemmas of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Genre : Essay Words : 687 Focused on : The Great Gatsby themes Characters mentioned : Jay Gatsby
• Political Satire in American Literature Genre : Essay Words : 788 Focused on : The Great Gatsby genre Characters mentioned : Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby
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Study Guide Menu

• Short Summary
• Summary (Chapter 1)
• Summary (Chapter 2)
• Summary (Chapter 3)
• Summary (Chapter 4)
• Summary (Chapter 5)
• Summary (Chapter 6)
• Summary (Chapter 7)
• Summary (Chapter 8)
• Summary (Chapter 9)
• Symbolism & Style
• Quotes Explained
• Essay Topics
• Essay Samples
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• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Biography
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• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, August 13). The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/

"The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." IvyPanda , 13 Aug. 2023, ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples'. 13 August.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." August 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." August 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Great Gatsby: Essay Samples." August 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/lit/the-great-gatsby-study-guide/essay-samples/.

Suggestions

• Death of a Salesman
• Fahrenheit 451
• Lord of the Flies
• To Kill a Mockingbird

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The Great Gatsby

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F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Suggested Essay Topics

1. In what sense is The Great Gatsby an autobiographical novel? Does Fitzgerald write more of himself into the character of Nick or the character of Gatsby, or are the author’s qualities found in both characters?

2. How does Gatsby represent the American dream? What does the novel have to say about the condition of the American dream in the 1920s? In what ways do the themes of dreams, wealth, and time relate to each other in the novel’s exploration of the idea of America?

3. Compare and contrast Gatsby and Tom. How are they alike? How are they different? Given the extremely negative light in which Tom is portrayed throughout the novel, why might Daisy choose to remain with him instead of leaving him for Gatsby?

The Great Gatsby SparkNotes Literature Guide

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Table of Contents

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics: Dive Deep into Fitzgerald’s World

When F. Scott Fitzgerald penned “The Great Gatsby,” he probably didn’t foresee the cultural phenomenon it would become. It’s not just a story about the Roaring Twenties, but a timeless exploration of ambition, love, societal pressures, and the ever-elusive American Dream. As students and literature enthusiasts, analyzing this classic novel can lead to intriguing insights.

What is a Great Gatsby Essay?

A “Great Gatsby” essay is an analytical or argumentative piece that delves into the themes, characters, symbols, and narrative techniques in Fitzgerald’s novel. From the opulent parties at Gatsby’s mansion to the faded eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg on a billboard, the novel offers a plethora of subjects ripe for exploration.

Guide to Choosing a Great Gatsby Essay Topic

When it comes to picking the perfect topic for your “Great Gatsby” essay, think about what fascinates you the most about the novel. Is it a particular character’s arc, a recurring symbol, or a central theme? Consider:

• Your Passion : Choose a topic that genuinely intrigues you. This will make your writing process more enjoyable.
• Relevance : If your essay has specific guidelines, make sure your topic aligns with them.
• Scope : Ensure your topic is neither too broad nor too narrow. It should allow for a deep dive without overwhelming.

Great Gatsby Essay Topics Lists

Character analysis.

• The evolution of Jay Gatsby: From James Gatz to the Golden Boy
• Daisy Buchanan: A symbol of the American Dream or its victim?
• The duality of Tom Buchanan: Aristocratic charm and brutish behavior
• Jordan Baker: The modern woman of the 1920s
• The tragic trajectory of George and Myrtle Wilson

Themes Explored

• The decay of the American Dream
• The superficiality of the Jazz Age
• The role of wealth and class
• The portrayal of love and obsession
• Morality and corruption in the Roaring Twenties

Symbols and Motifs

• The green light: Hope, dreams, and unattainable desires
• The Valley of Ashes: Decay, despair, and the downtrodden
• Dr. T. J. Eckleburg’s eyes: The omnipresent moral judgment
• Cars in the novel: Symbols of status, freedom, and impending doom
• East vs. West: The inherent tension and their symbolic meanings

Narrative Techniques

• The reliability of Nick Carraway as a narrator
• Fitzgerald’s use of color symbolism
• The role of setting in character development
• The significance of the title: Who is the “Great” Gatsby?
• The structure of the novel and its impact on the narrative

Character Insights

• The metamorphosis of James Gatz to Jay Gatsby: A self-made illusion
• The allure and tragedy of Daisy Buchanan
• Tom Buchanan: The embodiment of 1920s excess and entitlement
• The enigmatic charm of Jordan Baker
• George Wilson: A product of societal neglect
• Myrtle Wilson’s desperate grasp for a luxurious life
• Meyer Wolfsheim and the underworld of the Jazz Age
• The subtle influences of Catherine, Myrtle’s sister

Exploring Central Themes

• The ephemeral nature of the American Dream
• Love versus obsession: Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy
• Moral decay in the heart of the Jazz Age
• The consequences of unchecked ambition
• Illusion vs. reality: The facades characters maintain
• The societal clash: Old Money vs. New Money
• The isolation and loneliness lurking beneath the parties

Symbols and Their Interpretations

• The elusive green light and its manifold meanings
• The Valley of Ashes: The grim face of industrialization
• The haunting eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg
• The significance of Gatsby’s lavish parties
• The role of automobiles: Symbols of modernity and death
• The shirts and materialism: Daisy’s emotional collapse

Narrative Techniques & Structure

• Assessing Nick Carraway’s reliability as a narrator
• Fitzgerald’s prose: A blend of poetic and prosaic
• The non-linear timeline and its effects on suspense
• The role of weather and its influence on the narrative mood
• Foreshadowing in the novel: Predicting Gatsby’s downfall

Comparative Analyses

• “The Great Gatsby” and the plays of Tennessee Williams: A study in Southern Gothic
• Comparing Daisy Buchanan and Blanche DuBois
• The Jazz Age in “The Great Gatsby” vs. “This Side of Paradise”
• Comparing the tragedies of Jay Gatsby and Oedipus Rex
• The portrayal of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby” vs. “Death of a Salesman”

Societal Implications

• The role of women in “The Great Gatsby”: Traditionalism vs. Modernism
• Racism and xenophobia: The dark undertones of the Jazz Age
• The impact of Prohibition on the characters and plot
• Jazz music and its influence on the Roaring Twenties ethos
• The disillusionment of World War I veterans: Gatsby’s hidden scars

Miscellaneous Topics

• The significance of the Midwest vs. the East Coast
• The influence of Gatsby’s father and his cameo in the novel
• Analyzing the epigraph: Why “Then wear the gold hat”?
• The role of minor characters in building Gatsby’s world
• The cultural legacy of “The Great Gatsby” in modern media

Unraveling Relationships

• Gatsby and Nick: A friendship built on admiration and intrigue
• The love triangle: Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom
• The tragic love affair of George and Myrtle Wilson
• Tom and Myrtle: Lust, power, and socioeconomic dynamics
• The nuanced relationship between Nick and Jordan

Behind the Illusions

• The significance of Gatsby’s Oxford photograph and medal
• The root of Gatsby’s wealth: Ill-gotten gains and their implications
• The role of gossip and rumors in shaping perceptions
• The real reason behind Gatsby’s infatuation with Daisy
• The illusion of East Egg’s sophistication and its moral bankruptcy

Contextual Analysis

• The influence of the Lost Generation on Fitzgerald’s narrative
• The impact of the stock market and economic dynamics on the story’s backdrop
• Jazz, flappers, and the cultural shifts of the 1920s
• The role of organized crime and its influence on the novel’s events
• The societal implications of prohibition in the Roaring Twenties

Deeper Dive into Symbols

• The significance of the color yellow in the novel
• Gatsby’s mansion as a symbol of his ambitions and insecurities
• The motif of water and barriers in Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship
• The broken clock during Gatsby’s reunion with Daisy
• The juxtaposition of fire and water in the novel’s climax

Literary Legacy

• The influence of “The Great Gatsby” on modern American literature
• Adapting “The Great Gatsby”: Comparing the novel to its film adaptations
• “The Great Gatsby” in popular culture: References, homages, and parodies
• The continued relevance of “The Great Gatsby” in the 21st century
• How “The Great Gatsby” reflects the cyclical nature of societal excess and downfall

Call to Action

Feeling overwhelmed? Our essay writing service at writeondeadline.com is here to help! Whether you need assistance in topic selection, research, or the entire essay, our team of experts can craft the perfect piece tailored to your needs.

Useful References:

• The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald – Read the full novel for free on Project Gutenberg.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald and the American Dream – A deep dive into the author’s perspective on the American Dream.
• The Roaring Twenties and The Great Gatsby – Understand the historical context of the novel.

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

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The Great Gatsby Essays

Foreshadowing destiny olivia verma, the great gatsby.

<blockquote>[G]audy ... primary colors, and hair shorn in strange new ways, and shawls beyond the dreams of Castile. ... [T]he air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and...

The Eulogy of a Dream James Boo

The central theme of <I>The Great Gatsby</I> is the decay of the American Dream. Through his incisive analysis and condemnation of 1920s high society, Fitzgerald (in the person of the novels narrator, Nick Carraway) argues that the...

Materialism Portrayed By Cars in The Great Gatsby Joanna Cruz

"But as I walked down the steps I saw that the evening was not quite over. Fifty feet from the door a dozen headlights illuminated a bizarre and tumultuous scene (58)."

After the first of Gatsby's parties that Nick attends, Fitzgerald dedicates two...

Role of Narration in The Great Gatsby Steven Rice

Renowned author F. Scott Fitzgerald became "the most famous chronicler of 1920s America, an era that he dubbed 'the Jazz Age.'" (Phillips 1). His fame grew in part from his widely published short stories, and also from the art of his novel, The...

A Great American Dream Jens Shroyer

The Great Gatsby and "Babylon Revisited," both by F. Scott Fitzgerald, are stories about the emptiness and recklessness of the 1920s. Each story has its distinctions, but Fitzgerald's condemnation of the decade reverberates through both....

Restless in West Egg Anonymous

To many Americans, wealth and happiness are inextricably intertwined. After all, the democratic ideals of our country are predicated on the notion of the âself-madeâ? man. Ironically, it is sometimes the striving for wealth or the striving for...

The Death of a Dream Martha E. Andrietti

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is regarded as a brilliant piece of literature that offers a vivid peek into American life in the 1920's. The central characteristics of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920's society are shown through the decay...

The Fall of the American Dream Josh Weiss

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Essays About The Great Gatsby: Top 5 Examples and Prompts

The Great Gatsby is a classic American tale; if you are writing essays about The Great Gatsby, find interesting essay examples and writing prompts in our guide. 

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) revolves around a young man named Nick Carraway and his interactions with his New York neighbors, including the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby. Throughout the novel, Gatsby attempts to rekindle his relationship with Daisy Buchanan, a cousin of Carraway’s; along the way, he is revealed not to be who he seems. The novel is regarded as a literary masterwork due to its profound exploration of love, social class, gender, and race, among other themes. As a result, it has developed into one of the most well-known ls of all time. 

If you need to write a good essay about The Great Gatsby , look at our featured essay examples below. 

1. The Great Gatsby – Really Great by Grace Nguyen

2. five reasons ‘gatsby’ is the great american novel by deirdre donahue, 3. “the great gatsby” color analysis by kurt medina, 4.  in defense of plot: an analysis of the tension in the great gatsby by aatif rashid.

• 5. ​​Behind The Great Gatsby by William Peace

Top Writing Prompts on Essays about The Great Gatsby

1. how does the novel manifest the american dream, 2. the story behind the title, 3. compare and contrast, 4. how is new york city portrayed, 5. the great gatsby’s legacy, 6. the theme of race, 7. the theme of social class.

“Gatsby is the prime example of a person disregarding whatever morals he might have had, in order to pursue Daisy, his own personal American Dream. Consequently, his actions were reprehensible, not great. Gatsby also showed himself to be a generally dishonest person. Daisy

was married to a man named Tom. By trying to win her affections Gatsby is, in turn, adamantly trying to get Daisy to cheat on her husband.”

Nguyen writes about the novel’s titular character and how he changed himself so much for one person. This would be admirable if not because he was most enamored with Daisy’s rich life rather than her shallow character. From a working-class background, Gatsby acquired massive amounts of wealth through illegal means to match Daisy’s life, letting go of his morals to achieve his goals. In the end, Nguyen writes that Gatsby dies due to his deception. 

“One reason: It offers complicated characters who can be interpreted in fresh ways for new readers. Is Nick in love with Gatsby, as Greg Olear theorized on Salon? Could Gatsby — the other, the outsider — actually be a black man? Often dismissed as a selfish ditz, is Daisy victimized by a society that offers her no career path except marriage to big bucks?”

Donahue enumerates reasons for which The Great Gatsby is so highly regarded and considered the “great American novel.” These include an “American Dream”-type story, complex and exciting language, and most importantly, the unbelievable love story of Gatsby and Daisy. The millionaire is not motivated by greed but by love; however, he is in love with the idea of Daisy and the past in general rather than Daisy herself. 

“These colors connect the reader to the novel by making him see and feel the actual events and emotions a character has and not only an imaginative image. Gatsby’s example, which is full of lines rich of color imagery, makes the reader feel what he feels; sense what he senses; and try to be what he is. Gatsby’s figure is greatly shaped by this color imagery, validating and supporting the title of the book, colors show how great The Great Gatsby was.”

In his essay, Medina explains how Fitzgerald uses color symbolism to progress the plot and characters, using quotes from the novel as sources. For example, yellow represents Gatsby’s wealth, green symbolizes his greed and jealousy, and white symbolizes the pure, innocent idea he has of Daisy. Medina believes that these colors help readers connect more to the characters, making them feel what they feel and identify with them. 

“The central tension and conflict in the novel is not just whether Daisy will chose Gatsby or Tom but whether Nick will come to sympathize with Gatsby or not. And with this line, it’s clear that Nick does indeed sympathize with Gatsby. He realizes that old money Daisy and Tom are rotten, and that Gatsby is worth more than them. Human sympathy, thus, becomes more expansive than Nick had previously thought.”

Rashid starts off his essay by summarizing The Great Gatsby, then reveals how much of an impact tension has on the novel. Rather than the tension between Gatsby and Daisy, he believes that the tension lies in the extent to which Nick’s sympathy goes. He sympathizes greatly, going so far as to help invite people to Gatsby’s funeral (barely anyone comes, however). Rashid says this is emblematic of the “larger failures of society.”

5. ​​ Behind The Great Gatsby by William Peace

“Drawing on his own personal experience, Fitzgerald specialises in drawing characters who yearn to break into the ranks of the rich and powerful. Through his vivid depiction of the Wilsons, the unhappily married couple who run the gas station in Ash Valley, Fitzgerald captures the sense of life literally passing them by.”

Peace’s essay explores the background of Fitzgerald, the novel’s author, and how it inspired him to write it. He joined the army, fell in love with another wealthy woman named Zelda Sayre, and proposed to her; however, she rejected him, and he fell into despair. However, his later success led Zelda to accept him. Nevertheless, their relationship was rocky, as they struggled to sustain their extravagant lifestyle. Peace writes that the story, particularly the character of Daisy, is based on this period in his life. 

A significant reason for the novel’s status today is its reflection of the“American Dream” many desperately wish to achieve. Explain exactly what the American dream is and how it is represented in The Great Gatsby , particularly in the character of Gatsby. 

The title refers to Gatsby as “great”; the question is, is he truly deserving of this title? Analyze the character of Jay Gatsby, citing quotes from the novel and online sources, and determine whether you believe he is indeed “great” or not. Be sure to justify your response correctly; there is no wrong answer as long as it is well-supported. 

For your essay, compare and contrast any two characters from the novel. How are they similar? How are they different? What is their fate at the end of the story? Answer these questions in your essay and cite text evidence when analyzing a character. 

The Great Gatsby has also gained much notoriety due to its portrayal of New York City. Analyze the setting of the story and the way it is described- what is he trying to say about the city and its way of life? Compare Fitzgerald’s vision of the city to how it is seen today. 

The novel has left a longstanding impression on American literature and the world, having been adapted countless times. Write about why the novel has become a classic and how its legacy can be seen today in film, literature, television, art, and pop culture. What exactly has been its impact on society? Delve into this question in your essay to create an exciting piece of writing.

Being set in the 1920s, when racism was rife in society, The Great Gatsby is littered with racial prejudice. Discuss the presence of racism, particularly against Jewish people and African-Americans. Which characters show it? Who is the racism being subjected to? Answer these questions in your essay and use quotes to support your arguments.

The theme of social class is prevalent in the novel. Write about how Fitzgerald views the social hierarchy of the 1920s based on the novel. Keep in mind the author’s background when writing; the book is primarily based on his own experiences. 

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead. If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our guide on how to write an essay about diversity .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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20 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics

Hailed as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, The Great Gatsby is a story that explores love, betrayal, and the pursuit of the American dream in the 1920s.

If you have been asked to write an essay on this classic novel, you might be a little nervous trying to figure out what you should include. However, don’t worry! This guide will walk you through the process of writing an excellent Gatsby essay and provide 20 The Great Gatsby essay topic ideas.

Essay Writing Essentials

Before you can write an essay on The Great Gatsby, you need to understand the basics of essay writing. This includes developing a clear thesis, supporting your claims with evidence from the book, and crafting a solid conclusion.

Writing a Thesis

A thesis statement details the overall point or argument you intend to make in the essay. Therefore, a thesis statement must be clear, specific, and arguable. A thesis statement will be best placed at the end of your first paragraph or as a way to wrap up your introduction if it is multiple paragraphs.

Some examples of well-written thesis statements for a The Great Gatsby include:

“While The Great Gatsby appears to be a novel about love, in reality, it is a scathing critique of the American dream.”

“Though Jay Gatsby is wealthy and well-liked, he is ultimately a tragic figure because he cannot escape his past.”

“The relationships in The Great Gatsby are all ultimately doomed because the characters are not honest with each other or themselves.”

Developing Supporting Claims for the Body

To support your thesis statement, you will need to include evidence from the novel in the form of quotes and analysis. It is vital that you choose passages that directly relate to your thesis and that you explain how these quotes support your argument.

One way to find quotes that support your thesis is to look for passages that seem particularly significant or interesting to you. Then, once you have a few potential quotes in mind, try to come up with a sentence or two explaining how the quote supports your argument. This will help you determine if the quote is actually relevant to your essay or if you need to keep looking.

It can also be helpful to go back to your list of potential thesis statements and look for quotes that could support each one. This way, you can get a sense of which quotes will be most beneficial for your essay before writing.

Crafting a Strong Conclusion

Your conclusion should briefly summarize the main points of your essay and reiterate your thesis statement. You might also want to leave the reader with something to think about or a call to action if you feel strongly about the issue you have been discussing.

A strong conclusion might look something like this:

“Though Gatsby’s pursuit of the American dream is ultimately fruitless, his efforts are nonetheless admirable. His willingness to fight for what he wants, even in the face of overwhelming odds, is something that we can all learn from.”

Citing and Formatting Essays About Books

In addition to using evidence from the novel to support your claims, you will also need to cite any sources you use in your essay. This includes any quotes or paraphrases from The Great Gatsby and any outside sources you might have used.

Citing Sources

When citing a quote from The Great Gatsby, you will need to include the page number in parentheses after the quote. For example:

“Daisy’s voice was sad ‘I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'” (10).

If you are paraphrasing or summarizing a passage from The Great Gatsby, you will just need to include the page number in parentheses after the paraphrase. For example:

Gatsby’s wealth is often seen as a symbol of his success, but it is also clear that money cannot buy happiness. (21)

If you cite an outside source, you will need to include both the author’s name and the page number (or, for sources that don’t use page numbers, the section or chapter number) in parentheses after the quote. For example:

“The Great Gatsby is widely regarded as a masterpiece of American fiction” (Baldwin 3).

Formatting an Essay About a Book

When formatting your essay, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind. First, all mentions of the book’s title need to be italicized or underlined. Second, your essay should have one-inch margins on all sides.

Your essay should also have a title page that includes the title of your essay, your name, and the name of your class. If you are writing a longer essay (5 or more pages), you may need to also include a header on each page. It’s best to speak with your instructor to clarify any specific formatting requirements for the assignment.

Now that you know how to write an essay on The Great Gatsby, you can start brainstorming potential topics for your paper. If you are having trouble, consider using or adapting one of the following topics.

• How does Gatsby’s wealth (or lack thereof) impact his relationships?
• How does Gatsby’s pursuit of the American dream ultimately fail?
• What role do women play in The Great Gatsby?
• How are the parties that Gatsby throws symbolic of his own emptiness?
• How does Fitzgerald use symbolism to comment on the state of the American dream?
• What role does fate play in The Great Gatsby?
• Is Gatsby a tragic hero? If so, why?
• How is The Great Gatsby an example of the “Lost Generation”?
• What role does the past play in The Great Gatsby?
• How do the relationships between men and women change throughout the novel?
• How is The Great Gatsby a commentary on the class divisions in American society?
• What role does morality play in The Great Gatsby?
• How do the characters in The Great Gatsby represent different aspects of the American dream?
• What role does money play in The Great Gatsby?
• Is Gatsby a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
• How is Nick Carraway’s role as narrator important to the novel?
• How does Fitzgerald use setting to comment on the characters and events in The Great Gatsby?
• What role do secrets play in The Great Gatsby?
• How is The Great Gatsby a commentary on the corruption of the American dream?
• What theme(s) are explored in The Great Gatsby?

These topics should provide any student assigned an essay on The Great Gatsby with plenty to write about. If you need further help, consider using or adapting one of these topics for your own paper.

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It is not easy to create an essay about Gatsby, I confirm this, and I am going to share my experience with my readers. If you are required to make the great Gatsby essay, this guide will be helpful. I am a student, so I understand you well how you feel: you know about the assignment and cannot understand how to start. Yes, I was in your shoes and you should feel free to use my experience, and I hope that you will spend less time on your work than I did. I recommend reading the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald . Yes, you may say that you watched a movie but I assure you that it is different. It is great if you watched a famous movie about Gatsby with a great actor Leonardo DiCaprio but try to read the book! Believe me, it is a big difference between the book and movie as in the book, you can find much more details and descriptions that are skipped in the movie. Make sure you have received all detailed instructions from your teacher. I didn't think it is so important until I started to work on my essay and got some questions so I spent a lot of time trying to understand what to do. Eventually, I lost my hope, and I accidentally opened the requirements given by my teacher and found answers to all the questions I had. Funny, isn't it?  

How to Start the Great Gatsby Essay?

How to start an essay ? I guess this is the most popular question students have after they get this assignment and as I already mentioned before, your first step is to read the book. I suggest taking a pencil and paper and taking some notes during reading. It will help you to structurize everything better, plus you will be able to find some citations to use in your future essay much easier. At the beginning of your work, you have to make a good plan. Yes, like the most of the students, I hate planning, but they say it is the only way to fulfill the assignment within a deadline. So, count how many days you have, and make your own detailed plan of writing. Needless to say, every student may have their individual plan depending on their skills. It is my own plan:  

• Reading a book (with notes) - 2 days
• Choosing a good topic and brainstorming all my ideas - 1 day
• Writing my work (approximately 1000 word essay ) - 3 days
• Proofreading the finished paper - 1 day.

You can count easily - I spent around a week to create my own document. I spent more days because I lost a lot of time trying to find answers to questions that were just in my hands! It means you will need about 8-10 days to create a great work. I know some students practice writing their academic papers on the last night, and this is a very bad idea. All you can get is just a low grade.

Tips on Selecting the Great Gatsby Essay Topics

It is great when your teacher provides you with a list of interesting themes to write your great Gatsby essay. Sometimes, students have to choose their own topics. I appeared in the second situation, and I had to surf the Internet to find the great Gatsby essay topics. I found around 10 topics that turned my attention, and later selected one. Here is the list:

• Was Gatsby in love with Daisy or he was deeply in love only with an idea of her?
• In what ways Jay Gatsby is great. Does he deserve to be called great?
• Symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel “The Great Gatsby”.
• A movie based on the book The Great Gatsby.
• American dream essay in the novel The Great Gatsby.
• How the writer shows the contrast between poor and rich?
• The idea of the American Dream in Fitzgerald's novel.
• Who can be blamed for the death of Gatsby?
• The concept of happiness and wealth in The Great Gatsby.
• Does love mean something in The Great Gatsby?

Hints on Creating a Successful Paper Without a Headache

From my own experience, it is not so hard to structure your work properly; these are the main steps I took:

• I divided my work into three main paragraphs: the introduction, main part, and conclusion;
• I used essay transition words to tie together paragraphs of my paper;
• I wrote a detailed outline of the future document. At the start, it seemed to me just a waste of time, but it was helpful!
• When I have finished the paper, I proofread it thoroughly to find mistakes. If honestly, I am not strong in grammar, so I used Grammarly software to check and correct errors.

How to Find the Great Gatsby Essay Examples?

When you are going to write a paper, reading successful examples can help you to find your own ideas and thoughts on how to create your paper. I spent some time searching the great Gatsby essay examples on the Internet and I did find some good examples that turned my attention. It is a sample I want to share with my readers. F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel, The Great Gatsby shows us the American dream from different perspectives. We meet Jay Gatsby - a man who follows his dream too hard and is unable to understand his life of riches is false. In the novel, the author shows to us how crazy the desire of power and wealth is, how Jay destroys himself. Jay Gatsby truly believes his money makes him great. The man believes he could get anything he wants with his money. Gatsby even tries to fix his failures from the past with it. Gatsby tries to “buy” the love of Daisy who is obsessed with wealth and power just like him. Gatsby attempts to get anything to satisfy his desires, but he can't find happiness in his money. Gatsby loses the sense of his life. This is true - if a human can't reach happiness, the whole life seems boring and empty. Jay Gatsby's fate eventually was destroyed by money and power he always wished for. This story shows us the Jazz Age period in the United States, and the author portrayed all events and characters with detail and elaboration. Nick Carraway who just moved to New York, becomes neighbors with mysterious and rich Jay Gatsby who grabs readers' attention from the beginning. With Daisy Buchanan character, Fitzgerald shows us people of that time were seeking the American dream. Daisy cheats her husband with rich Gatsby because she loves money and luxury things. This behavior evokes negative emotions in readers and gives a lot of food for thoughts if to try to compare modern Americans and their values with those described in the book. Fitzgerald defines the American dream as a strong desire for imperialism and individualism. Though this dream is distorted, it's like Jay's dream to be with Daisy who betrays her lovely husband just because of her desire for money, luxury, and splendor. With this novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald wanted to create something extraordinary but simple. The book grabs your attention from the beginning and keeps in tension until the end. We don't like Daisy, Gatsby or even Nick but we are deeply involved in the book because the author succeeds to grab readers' attention. He showed us people can be so much empty and lonely that they are unable to find their dream and they even push it away when they finally move to it. Such a short story, but it's full of dreams and desires. I truly hope my experience was helpful. Writing is hard work, and it is worth the result. Feel free to use my advice or delegate this essay to StudyCrumb  to get a high grade!  

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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226 Great Gatsby Essay Topics & Prompts

18 January 2024

last updated

For many years, students have been learning how to organize their papers correctly. Basically, professors design different essay topics and questions to be addressed in scholarly works. For example, one of the common books that professors assign to their students is the Great Gatsby reading. In this case, students are forced to develop the Great Gatsby essay questions and answers in their papers. Hence, this article represents many Great Gatsby essay topics to help students to get some ideas for their academic papers.

Best Great Gatsby Essay Topics

• An exploration of symbolism in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
• Examining Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy: Love or obsession?
• Unveiling the role of the past in shaping characters’ present lives.
• Perception of material wealth in the Roaring Twenties as depicted in the novel.
• Social stratification and its implications in “The Great Gatsby” .
• Analysis of Fitzgerald’s critique of the upper class.
• Interpreting the moral decay of society in the Jazz Age.
• Assessing the impact of the setting on the novel’s themes.
• Uncovering the significance of the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg.
• Great Gatsby Essay: The American Dream, Pursuit, and Corruption
• An inquiry into Nick Carraway’s reliability as a narrator.
• Discussing “The Great Gatsby” as a social commentary.
• Delving into the relationship between power and corruption in the novel.
• Probing the tragic elements in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Unraveling the gender roles in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
• Dissecting the character of Tom Buchanan: A manifestation of arrogance.
• The loneliness theme in the context of “The Great Gatsby.”
• Relevance of the green light symbolism in the novel.
• Evaluating the illusion vs. reality dichotomy in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Critiquing the portrayal of the Lost Generation in the novel.
• Emphasizing the role of colors in enhancing the novel’s imagery.
• Portrayal of the American upper class: A “Great Gatsby” study.
• Understanding the concept of time in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
• Illustrating the role of dreams and aspirations in the novel.

Easy Great Gatsby Essay Topics

• Decoding Gatsby’s character: A study in idealism and disillusionment.
• How does Fitzgerald portray love and desire in his novel?
• Examining the decadence of the Jazz Age as depicted in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Exploring the destructive nature of wealth in the novel.
• Drawing parallels between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby.
• Explaining the symbolism of the valley of ashes.
• Essay Example of The Great Gatsby Book Review
• Analysis of the disillusionment theme in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Fitzgerald’s perspective on the class divide in America.
• Digging into the motif of superficiality in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Evaluating the role of minor characters in the narrative.
• The undercurrent of violence in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
• Can “The Great Gatsby” be considered a tragic love story?
• Appreciating the narrative style of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Analyzing the impact of prohibition on the novel’s setting.
• Representation of morality and ethics in “The Great Gatsby”
• Romantic relationships in the novel: A critical study.
• Are there any redeeming characters in “The Great Gatsby”?
• Defining success through the lens of Jay Gatsby.
• The role of status and reputation in shaping characters’ identities.
• Discussing the representation of youth and aging in the novel.
• Extravagance and excess: The defining traits of the Jazz Age.
• Highlighting the implications of Gatsby’s parties.
• Fitzgerald’s depiction of the pursuit of happiness.
• Analyzing the evolution of Jay Gatsby’s character throughout the novel.

Interesting Great Gatsby Essay Topics

• Disentangling the threads of fate and freewill in the narrative.
• Romanticized past vs harsh reality: A Gatsby paradox.
• Relevance of “The Great Gatsby” in the 21st century.
• Influence of Fitzgerald’s personal life on the novel’s themes.
• “The Great Gatsby” and the critique of capitalism.
• Roles of parties in revealing characters’ personalities and motivations.
• Illusion of the American Dream: A case study of Jay Gatsby.
• Is “The Great Gatsby” a novel of despair or redemption?
• Understanding the psychology of characters in the novel.
• The fallacy of materialism as portrayed in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Link between illusion and disillusionment in the novel’s narrative.
• Critiquing the portrayal of infidelity in “The Great Gatsby.”
• The influence of weather and seasons in shaping the novel’s narrative.
• Interpreting the tragic undertone of “The Great Gatsby.”
• The theme of loss and grief in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
• Exploring the role of minor characters in furthering the plot.
• Reflection of Fitzgerald’s societal views through the novel’s setting.
• Significance of the title “The Great Gatsby”: An exploration.
• Class mobility in the novel: A critical examination.
• Deconstructing the flawed dream of Jay Gatsby.
• Nick Carraway’s role as both character and narrator.
• Gatsby’s parties as a symbol of excess and superficiality.
• Unraveling the theme of death in “The Great Gatsby.”

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics on Dreams

• The creation of wealth does not guarantee the apparent attainment of a dream.
• All dreams are not attainable in “The Great Gatsby.”
• There is a difference between reality and illusion.
• A change in social class affects people’s efforts to achieve their goals.
• Achievement of a vision is a collective responsibility.
• Time is a factor that plays a significant role in one’s ability to achieve dreams.
• Opportunists may not achieve similar goals as people who genuinely acquire their wealth, covering the Great Gatsby book.
• People should always be optimistic and pursue what they consider as important to them.
• Reinvention for a wrong course of action leads to destruction.
• Exploring the symbolism of dreams in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
• Unrealized dreams: The unattainable pursuit of Daisy in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Dreams versus reality: The conflict in Jay Gatsby’s life.
• Jay Gatsby’s obsession with his dream: A pathway to tragedy.
• Dreams and illusion: How Jay Gatsby constructs his own reality.
• Unraveling the role of dreams in Gatsby’s pursuit of the American dream.
• Social class and the inaccessibility of Gatsby’s dreams.
• The power of dreams: Defining characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Fitzgerald’s depiction of dreams as a vehicle for discontent in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Assessing the impact of broken dreams on the tragic end of “The Great Gatsby.”
• Dreams of the past: The nostalgic nature of Gatsby’s dream.
• “The Great Gatsby”: An exploration of Gatsby’s dream as a reflection of his character.

Essay Topics for Love and Friendship Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

• People may fall in love with one another but fail to support each other in achieving their dreams.
• People may rekindle love and reunite but lack an objective.
• A commitment to one’s course in life may break a love relationship.
• Individuals can use their wealth to materialize love.
• Social classes may be a factor that dictates people’s love lives by considering “The Great Gatsby.”
• Poverty can be a hindrance to one’s ability to marry a person of different social classes.
• An individual may feel loved, but, in essence, it may not be true love, being out of curiosity.
• People are jealous of losing their love partners to their competitors, which may lead to verbal and physical confrontation.
• In “The Great Gatsby,” love can make individuals risk by admitting mistakes they have not done.
• People may abandon their friends during difficult times.
• Exploration of love as a destructive force in “The Great Gatsby.”
• The complex relationship between Daisy and Gatsby: A love story or a tale of obsession?
• Unrequited love in “The Great Gatsby”: The tragic tale of Jay Gatsby.
• Intersection of wealth and relationships in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Evaluating the role of friendship in “The Great Gatsby”: Case study of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby.
• The illusion of the American Dream versus the reality of love and friendship in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Influence of social class on love and friendships in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
• Love, friendship, and the pursuit of happiness: A closer look at the characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Isolation in the midst of wealth: How love and friendship are compromised in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Comparing the love stories in “The Great Gatsby”: Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan versus Tom and Myrtle Wilson.

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics on the Theme of Marriage

• People base their marriages on social classes.
• Loveless marriages may exist if people lack an objective of why they got married.
• People marry individuals they feel will offer social security and raise their class standards.
• In “The Great Gatsby,” people live in problematic marriages and conceal their fate to protect their social positions.
• Loss of one’s partner in a marriage may lead to hopelessness and result in harmful actions.
• Rich men are polygamous; hence they can marry as many wives as they wish.
• The choices people make have consequences.
• Self-conscience can help an individual to avoid messy relationships early.
• Unveiling the concept of marriage in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Analysis of failed marriages in Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
• Representation of gender roles within marriage in the 1920s.
• Examining the influence of wealth on marital relationships in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Disillusionment in marriage as depicted through the characters of Daisy and Tom.
• The evolution of marital relations as portrayed in “The Great Gatsby.”
• The impact of social status on marriages in Fitzgerald’s novel.
• Dysfunctional aspects of marriage as seen in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Assessing the concept of loyalty within marriage in the novel.
• Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship: A failed marriage before it began?
• The relevance of the theme of infidelity in “The Great Gatsby” marriages.
• Role of societal pressures in shaping marriage dynamics in the novel.
• Impact of the American Dream on marriage aspirations in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Exploring the marriages of secondary characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
• How does “The Great Gatsby” critique the institution of marriage?

Essay Topics of Revenge Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

• Revenge may involve the revelation of allegations to expose one’s past mistakes, as discussed in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Attacks may cause death.
• Tracing the role of revenge in the tragic downfall of Jay Gatsby.
• Comparing the motifs of revenge and ambition in “The Great Gatsby.”
• How does Fitzgerald present revenge as a destructive force in the novel?
• The influence of social status on the pursuit of revenge in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Is revenge presented as a path to justice or self-destruction in “The Great Gatsby?”
• The interconnectedness of love, revenge, and deception in the lives of Gatsby’s characters.
• Exploring Tom Buchanan’s motivations for revenge: Pride, jealousy, or fear?
• Implications of the cycle of revenge and the lack of forgiveness in the novel.
• Unpacking the theme of revenge in the context of the American Dream.
• The role of revenge in the relationships between Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom.
• Gatsby’s quest for revenge: A misunderstood desire for redemption?
• How do characters use revenge as a tool for asserting power and control?
• Dissecting the causes and consequences of revenge in the East Egg vs. West Egg societal divide.
• Analysis of the violent culmination of revengeful acts in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Daisy’s role in the revenge plot: A victim, a catalyst, or an active participant?
• Manifestations of revenge in the narrative’s depiction of the Roaring Twenties.
• Consequences of unfulfilled revenge in the tragic endings of “The Great Gatsby” characters.
• Revenge as a mirror of the underlying tensions in Jazz Age society.
• How the pursuit of revenge influences the moral compass of characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Interrogating the ethos of revenge: Is it inherently corrupting in “The Great Gatsby?”

The Great Gatsby Essay Topics for Enmity Theme

• Do people develop antagonism when they fail to succeed in their shared interests?
• Do people achieve success because of enmity by considering the Great Gatsby book?
• Does enmity force people to survive?
• Analysis of enmity as a driver of the plot in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Roles of social classes in shaping hostilities in “The Great Gatsby.”
• How the theme of enmity contributes to character development in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Unraveling the root causes of conflict and enmity in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Exploring enmity and betrayal in the relationships in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Interplay of enmity, love, and jealousy in Fitzgerald’s narrative.
• Representation of enmity within the context of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Enmity as a symbol of the socio-economic divide in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Influence of the Roaring Twenties on the hostilities portrayed in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Exploring the consequences of unresolved enmity in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Comparative analysis: Enmity in “The Great Gatsby” and other contemporary novels.
• Analysis of how Fitzgerald employs enmity to critique the American upper class.
• Evaluating the implications of enmity on the tragic downfall of characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Impact of enmity on the pursuit of happiness in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Power dynamics and enmity in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Revealing the masks of enmity through the characters’ facades in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Examining enmity as a reflection of personal failures in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Scrutinizing the evolution of enmity throughout “The Great Gatsby.”
• Dissecting the role of enmity in the disillusionment of characters in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Enmity in “The Great Gatsby”: A symbol of societal decay or a personal struggle?

Essay Topics on Erosion of Morality Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

• Desire to acquire wealth to please other people may cause individuals to engage in immoral activities.
• Men and women defy marital requirements and may participate in extramarital activities that endanger their marriages.
• Money and love cannot be similar as it is represented in the Great Gatsby book.
• Analyzing the erosion of moral values in “The Great Gatsby.”
• “The Great Gatsby” as a portrayal of societal decay during the Jazz Age.
• Implications of the dissolving American dream in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Disintegration of personal relationships as seen through “The Great Gatsby.”
• Materialism and its destructive influence in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Examining the degradation of the human spirit in “The Great Gatsby.”
• The decay of the Roaring Twenties as depicted in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Class struggle: A catalyst for social erosion in “The Great Gatsby.”
• “The Great Gatsby”: An exploration of moral bankruptcy.
• Corrosion of individuality in the face of societal expectations in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Love or lust? Erosion of true emotions in “The Great Gatsby.”
• The glamour and grit: Depicting societal decline in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Fading faith in the American dream: A perspective from “The Great Gatsby.”
• Wealth and wastefulness: How affluence leads to degradation in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Character study: How the protagonists contribute to the theme of decay in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Erosion of trust and honesty in the character relationships of “The Great Gatsby.”
• Juxtaposing reality and illusion in “The Great Gatsby”: The erosion of truth.
• “The Great Gatsby” and the critique of a consumerist society.
• Unfulfilled dreams and the decay of hope in “The Great Gatsby.”

Essay Topics for Property Ownership Theme in “The Great Gatsby”

• People should acquire wealth whenever there are opportunities to do it.
• People who are wealthy do not like other individuals who have obtained riches, considering “The Great Gatsby.”
• The acquisition of wealth by poor people threatens the social positions of the wealthy class.
• Individuals who never work hard through their efforts to earn wealth are extravagant.
• Property owned through corrupt means offers short-lived happiness.
• The symbolism of property ownership in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Disparities of wealth and class as depicted through the property in Fitzgerald’s novel.
• How property ownership influences character development in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Perspectives on the American Dream: Comparing Gatsby and Tom Buchanan’s properties.
• Understanding the significance of East Egg and West Egg through property ownership.
• Jay Gatsby’s mansion: A symbol of his unattainable dream.
• Comparing the socio-economic status of characters through their properties in the novel.
• “The Great Gatsby”: How property sets the stage for drama and conflict.
• The role of property ownership in the tragedy of Jay Gatsby.
• An analysis of wealth illusion through property descriptions in “The Great Gatsby.”
• How Fitzgerald uses the property to expose the moral decay of the 1920s?
• Examining the impact of materialism and property obsession on character relationships.
• Depiction of social mobility through property ownership in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Property and status: Understanding the core of Gatsby’s obsession.
• Links between property ownership and masculinity in Fitzgerald’s work.
• The role of geographical locations and property settings in the novel.
• Critique of the American Dream: Wealth vs. happiness in “The Great Gatsby.”
• Exploring the role of property in creating social divisions within the novel.

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Need to write about a theme for a Great Gatsby assignment or just curious about what exactly a theme is? Not sure where to start? Learn here what a theme is, what the main themes in The Great Gatsby are, and what the best tips for writing about themes for your English/Language Arts class essays are.

We will also link to our specific articles on each theme so you can learn even more in-depth about themes central to Gatsby .

What Is a Theme? Why Should You Care?

First things first: what exactly is a theme? In literature, a theme is a central topic a book deals with. This central topic is revealed through plot events, the actions and dialogue of the characters, and even the narrator's tone. Themes can be very broad, like love, money, or death, or more specific, like people versus technology, racial discrimination, or the American Dream.

In short, a book's theme can usually answer the question, "what's the point of this book?". They're the "so what?" of literary analysis. Also, note that books can definitely have more than one major theme —in Gatsby we identify seven!

Knowing a book's major theme(s) is crucial to writing essays, since many assignments want you to connect your argument to a book's theme. For example, you might be asked to write an essay about a prompt like this: "How does the life of Jay Gatsby exemplify (or deconstruct) the idea of the American Dream?" This prompt has you connect specific details in Jay Gatsby's life to the larger theme of the American Dream. This is why many teachers love theme essays: because they encourage you to connect small details to big ideas!

Furthermore, the AP English Literature test always has an essay question that has you analyze some aspect of a book and then "compare it to the theme of the work as a whole." (If you want specific examples you can access the last 15 years of AP English Literature free response questions here , using your College Board account.) So this skill won't just help you in your English classes, it will also help you pass the AP English Literature test if you're taking it!

So keep reading to learn about the major themes in Gatsby and how they are revealed in the book, and also to get links to our in-depth articles about each theme.

Overview of Key Themes in The Great Gatsby

Before we introduce our seven main themes, we'll briefly describe how the story and characters suggest the major Great Gatsby themes. Remember that the story is set in the 1920s, a period when America's economy was booming, and takes place in New York: specifically the wealthy Long Island towns of West Egg and East Egg, as well as Manhattan and Queens.

As you should know from the book ( check out our summary if you're still hazy on the details!), The Great Gatsby tells the story of James Gatz , a poor farm boy who manages to reinvent himself as the fabulously rich Jay Gatsby, only to be killed after an attempt to win over his old love Daisy Buchanan . Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan , and they're both from old money, causing them to look down Gatsby's newly rich crowd (and for Tom to look down at Gatsby himself).

Meanwhile, Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson , the wife of mechanic George Wilson . Through the Wilsons, we see the struggles of the working class in dismal Queens , NY. As if they didn't already have it hard enough, Myrtle is killed in a hit-and-run accident (caused by Daisy Buchanan), and George, who's manipulated by Tom to believe that Jay Gatsby was both his wife's lover and her murderer, ends up shooting Gatsby and then himself.

The whole story is told by Nick Carraway , a second cousin of Daisy's and classmate of Tom's who moves in next to Gatsby's mansion and eventually befriends Jay -- and then comes to deeply admire him, despite or perhaps because of Jay's fervent desire to repeat his past with Daisy. The tragic chain of events at the novel's climax, along with the fact that both the Buchanans can easily retreat from the damage they caused, causes Nick to become disillusioned with life in New York and retreat back to his hometown in the Midwest.

Aside from having a very unhappy ending, the novel might just ruin swimming pools for you as well.

The fact that the major characters come from three distinct class backgrounds (working class, newly rich, and old money) suggests that class is a major theme. But the rampant materialism and the sheer amount of money spent by Gatsby himself is a huge issue and its own theme. Related to money and class, the fact that both Gatsby and the Wilsons strive to improve their positions in American society, only to end up dead, also suggests that the American Dream -- and specifically its hollowness -- is a key theme in the book as well.

But there are other themes at play here, too. Every major character is involved in at least one romantic relationship , revealing that they are all driven by love, sex, and desire -- a major theme. Also, the rampant bad behavior (crime, cheating, and finally murder) and lack of real justice makes ethics and morality a key theme. Death also looms large over the novel's plot, alongside the threat of failure.

And finally, a strong undercurrent to all of these themes is identity itself: can James Gatz really become Jay Gatsby, or was he doomed from the start? Can someone who is not from old money ever blend in with that crowd? Could Gatsby really aspire to repeat his past with Daisy, or is that past self gone forever?

In short, just by looking at the novel's plot, characters, and ending, we can already get a strong sense of Gatsby's major themes. Let's now look at each of those themes one by one (and be sure to check out the links to our full theme breakdowns!).

The 7 Major Great Gatsby Themes

Money and Materialism : Everyone in the novel is money-obsessed, whether they were born with money (Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick to a lesser extent), whether they made a fortune (Gatsby), or whether they're eager for more (Myrtle and George). So why are the characters so materialistic? How does their materialism affect their choices? Get a guide to each of the characters' material motivations and how they shape the novel.

Society and Class: Building on the money and materialism theme, the novel draws clear distinctions between the kind of money you have: old money (inherited) or new money (earned). And there is also a clear difference between the lifestyles of the wealthy, who live on Long Island and commute freely to Manhattan, and the working class people stuck in between, mired in Queens. By the end of the novel, our main characters who are not old money (Gatsby, Myrtle, and George) are all dead, while the inherited-money club is still alive. What does this say about class in Gatsby? Why is their society so rigidly classist? Learn more about the various social classes in Gatsby and how they affect the novel's outcome.

The American Dream : The American Dream is the idea anyone can make it in America (e.g. gain fame, fortune, and success) through enough hard work and determination. So is Jay Gatsby an example of the dream? Or does his involvement in crime suggest the Dream isn't actually real? And where does this leave the Wilsons, who are also eager to improve their lot in life but don't make it out of the novel alive? Finally, do the closing pages of the novel endorse the American Dream or write it off as a fantasy? Learn what the American Dream is and how the novel sometimes believes in it, and sometimes sees it as a reckless fantasy.

Love, Desire, and Relationships : All of the major characters are driven by love, desire, or both, but only Tom and Daisy's marriage lasts out of the novel's five major relationships and affairs. So is love an inherently unstable force? Or do the characters just experience it in the wrong way? Get an in-depth guide to each of Gatsby's major relationships.

Death and Failure: Nick narrates Gatsby two years after the events in question, and since he's obviously aware of the tragedy awaiting not only Gatsby but Myrtle and George as well, the novel has a sad, reflective, even mournful tone. Is the novel saying that ambition is inherently dangerous (especially in a classist society like 1920s America), or is it more concerned with the danger of Gatsby's intense desire to reclaim the past? Explore those questions here.

Morality and Ethics: The novel is full of bad behavior: lying, cheating, physical abuse, crime, and finally murder. Yet none of the characters ever answer to the law, and God is only mentioned as an exclamation, or briefly projected onto an advertisement . Does the novel push for the need to fix this lack of morality, or does it accept it as the normal state of affairs in the "wild, wild East"?

The Mutability of Identity: Mutability just means "subject to change," so this theme is about how changeable (or not!) personal identity is. Do people really change? Or are our past selves always with us? And how would this shape our desire to reclaim parts of our past? Gatsby wants to have it both ways: to change himself from James Gatz into the sophisticated, wealthy Jay Gatsby, but also to preserve his past with Daisy. Does he fail because it's impossible to change? Because it's impossible to repeat the past? Or both?

How to Write About The Great Gatsby Themes

So now that you know about the major themes of The Great Gatsby , how can you go about writing about them? First up: look closely at your prompt.

Sometimes an essay prompt will come right out and ask you to write about a theme , for example "is The American Dream in Gatsby alive or dead?" or "Write about the relationships in Gatsby. What is the novel saying about the nature of love and desire?" For those essays, you will obviously be writing about one of the novel's major themes. But even though those prompts have big-picture questions, make sure to find small supporting details to help make your argument.

For example, if you're discussing the American Dream and arguing it's dead in the novel, don't just make that claim and be done with it. Instead, you can explore Gatsby's past as James Gatz, George Wilson's exhausted complacency, and Myrtle's treatment at the hands of Tom as examples of how the American Dream is treated in the novel. Obviously those examples are far from exhaustive, but hopefully you get the idea: find smaller details to support the larger argument.

On the other hand, many essay prompts about Gatsby will look like a question about something specific, like a character or symbol:

• Explore Tom and Daisy as people who 'retreat into their money.'
• What does the green light at the end of Daisy's dock represent? How does its meaning change throughout the novel?
• Show how Fitzgerald uses clothing (and the changing of costumes) to tell the reader more about the characters and/or express theme(s).

These prompts are actually a chance for you to take that detailed analysis and connect it to one of the larger themes—in other words, even though the prompt doesn't state it explicitly, you should still be connecting those more focused topics to one of the big-picture themes.

For example, if you talk about Tom and Daisy Buchanan, you will definitely end up talking about society and class. If you talk about the green light, you will end up talking about dreams and goals, specifically the American Dream. And if you discuss clothing to talk about the characters, you will definitely touch on money and materialism, as well as society and class (like how Gatsby's pink suit makes him stand out as new money to Tom Buchanan, or how Myrtle adopts a different dress to play at being wealthy and sophisticated).

In short, for these more specific prompts, you start from the ground (small details and observations) and build up to discussing the larger themes, even if the prompt doesn't say to do so explicitly!

What's Next?

Now you're an expert on themes, but what about symbols? If you need to write about the important symbols in The Great Gatsby, check out our symbols overview for a complete guide.

Want a full analysis of Jay Gatsby and his backstory? Not sure how his story connects with the American Dream? Get the details here .

Want to go back to square one? Get started with Chapter 1 of our Great Gatsby plot summary.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process.

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The Great Gatsby Sample Essay

This sample essay demonstrates the full range of A-level skills needed to meet the assessment objectives at the highest level.

“They’re a rotten crowd.” I shouted across the lawn. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.” How does Fitzgerald convey a “rotten crowd” in The Great Gatsby and to what effect?

“Rotten” describes a state of putrefaction. It is a word we apply to decomposing fruit, fruit that is over-ripe, decaying and which, close-up, stinks. What a brilliant word to convey the decaying civilisation of post-war Europe and America that surrounds Gatsby – and repulses his friend, Nick – shocking him into moral awareness.

It is primarily through the moral judgements of his narrator, Nick Carraway, – the character that goes East to make money only to retreat revolted by the moral, cultural and social rottenness that he finds among the moneyed classes he wished to join – that Fitzgerald presents his “rotten crowd.” Through Nick, Fitzgerald exercises his narrative art with extraordinary compression: cultural allusion and symbolic names and images are central to his method – underpinning the actions of his characters – so too a poet’s feel for the sound and connotations of words.

Fitzgerald’s allusive method brilliantly conveys the rottenness of Gatsby’s crowd. Names, and names of books allude to a rotten world. Relationships in the East are rotten and infect the outlying members of the great Carraway dynasty: Nick’s second cousin twice removed is married to a philanderer; already unfaithful on honeymoon, we find him in the second chapter introducing Nick to his mistress. Now, the great Gatsby himself has been no monk (he ‘knew women early’ (82) Nick tells us, momentarily picturing a proud and promiscuous young Gatsby), but in pursuing Daisy, he pursues more than sex: he wishes to attain a higher state of being – to ‘romp with the mind of God,’ to ‘gulp down the milk of wonder.’ Romping and gulping suggests a child’s wide-eyed amoral appetite for unbounded satisfaction. Tom’s rottenness, his sexual corruption, then is apparent by contrast with the sublime, high-minded aspirations of the man who would cuckold him. Taking then, Nick, to the apartment where he conducts his affair, Tom leaves Nick while he and Myrtle both disappear – presumably to the bedroom – before reappearing after Nick has had time to ‘read a chapter’ of Simon Called Peter . A chapter-read is an innovative way to measure the length of a human coupling and perhaps degrades (reveals the rottenness of) Tom’s relationship in its brevity (or in its longevity, reveals the rotter luxuriating in his sin) – but more importantly, it is through the title of the book that Fitzgerald reveals the rottenness of this crowd. Robert Keable’s 1922 best-seller records the career of an earnest young clergyman, Peter Graham who volunteers as an army chaplain in the First World War. His faith fails to sustain him on the path of righteousness and he abandons his nice middle class fiancée, Hilda, for the generous charms of a prostitute and a generation of young women whose sexual freedom is more aligned to the Myrtles of Gatsby than the prim propriety of Hilda and the Edwardian England Peter has left behind. However, Peter is not simply a lost cause to the church, he is disillusioned with its teachings and with human nature, the sexual freedoms and easy pleasures of the war generations seem to him more real, more essentially human than the morality he preached from the bible. The novel, condemned in his review as ‘immoral’ by Fitzgerald, is seriously concerned with what war reveals of essential human nature: its immorality, its pessimism lies in its disillusion with love. Fitzgerald’s Gatsby holds on to his aspirations, his faith in the possibility of transcendence through love, despite the hardships of his (quickly overcome!) poverty. It is perhaps only through the contrast with Keable’s response to war that we can appreciate the extraordinary hope implicit in Fitzgerald’s, in his faith in the higher callings and aspirations of the human heart. It would be interesting to know if Fitzgerald had a particular chapter in mind that “didn’t make any sense to [Nick].”

Thus, almost passing reference to a contemporary novel, is fraught with much meaning. The use of a character’s reading material to shape and create meaning is a familiar part of the novelist’s art: think Austen’s Catherine Morland, gently mocked by her author for her indulgence in The Mysteries of Udolfo and the power it has over her imagination. This allusive method is not surprising in Fitzgerald: it is the foundation of Eliot’s “The Waste Land” –a poem Fitzgerald knew by heart, written in the year he sets his Gatsby . In it, the morality, the spiritual condition, of one generation is measured against representative cultural fragments from earlier civilisations.

Fitzgerald is similarly wide-ranging in his frame of reference to convey his “rotten crowd,” alluding to contemporary novels and events as well as ancient texts. Take the casual naming of just one party-goer for example: Ismay. Ismay is collected up as part of a group: “the Ismays and the Christies.” Perhaps Fitzgerald has in mind Bruce Ismay, Managing Director, of the White Star Line and held to blame for the greatest shipping disaster of all time: the loss of the Titanic in 1912; he was J Brute Ismay to the press at the time. He was rumoured to have put pressure on the Chief Engineer to drive the ship faster for a record time for the Atlantic Crossing and was himself a survivor. Newspaper cartoons showed him watching the ship sink from the safety of a lifeboat whilst the true “women and children first” heroes stood facing death on the doomed ship. So, Ismay comes to represent the selfish, self-serving rottenness of Fitzgerald’s contemporary society and the inversion of its moral values.

Ismay is among the first of the East Eggers on Nick’s famous list that helpfully divides the party guests into two according to the Egg whence they arrive: East Egg is the old money (Jesmond) in our local terms; West Egg is new money (we think Darras Hall). The West Eggers are “all connected with the movies in one way or another.”  So one “controlled films Par Excellence” another is a “promoter” (and at the Chapter VI party we meet “the moving-picture director and his Star” (89)). In contemporary – and non-party political terms we find in West Egg the New Labour celebrity culture of film stars, pop stars, and fashion designers as well as the stalwart Old Labour of the Trade Union movement meeting at Blair’s parties: it would be a mistake to believe either group is any more free from corruption than Gatsby’s guests.  Fitzgerald’s crowd fills up the “empty spaces of a timetable” (52) that is now out of date. And their “gray” names assigns them to the ash heaps of The Valley of the Ashes – where the detritus of a dead civilisation is dumped.

The whole list in its conception is a brilliant tribute to writers of the past: “the Prince of something, whom we called Duke, and whose name, if ever I knew it, I have forgotten” concludes the roll with a wonderful contempt for empty title (“of something”) and undeserved respect (“whom we called”). The forgotten name that concludes his portrait echoes Chaucer’s final valediction on his Merchant:

For sothe (truly) he was a worthy man with alle, in every way But, sooth (truth) to seyn, I noot (= ne woot, don’t know )how men hym calle.

“I noot how men hym calle,” he is in other words unworthy of name or remembering. Of all writers, Chaucer is so especially concerned with a man’s worth, (the word is used ironically in the quotation above) his worthiness, the parity between the inner and the outer man. The choice of the Merchant is apt: he represents financial rottenness, self-serving material greed.

The last line of all in Nick’s guest list, “All these people came to Gatsby’s house in the summer,” in its obvious summing up of what we already knows echoes Homer’s method in the famous muster of the armies at the beginning of The Iliad , (e.g. “These were the men whom Amphimachus and Nastes brought.”). The very idea of remembering each with some anecdote of their deeds is again Homeric – but how unedifying their deeds: fighting with bums, drunk on the gravel, arriving with another’s wife, run over by Mrs. Ulysses Swett. The name Ulysses is enough to point us to our Homer. This “rotten crowd” is mocked in comparison to the Greek Heroes of the great ancient civilization of the past: the one at its heroic zenith, the other at its rotten nadir.

Plenty of food then for scholars wishing to track down all these names and associations. Ulysses Swett is in fact a real person (born 1868) and a member of the famous Swett family of Cape Cod who traced themselves back through thirteen generation. However, the names have an immediate, not just a scholarly impact. Swett (homophone for a squalid bodily function) is allied with Belcher (the, what, shamelessly, insolent expulsion of stomach gas through the mouth?– usually avoided because of the bad smell) and Smirke (the silent mocking laugh) – all aspects of our base corporeal rather than spiritual natures.

Worse are the animal names: Blackbuck, Roebuck, connoting both money (buck=dollar) and animal sexuality (a buck is a male deer – like the word ‘tup’ we make the gender distinction usually to refer to sexual behaviour). The name ‘Blackbuck’ perhaps evokes Tom’s fear of the Rise of the Colored Empires , of the sexual potency of black races according to popular myth and also a fear of the black dollar, of black wealth as a part of rising black supremacy. So the names have a resonance that goes beyond the animals and fish they denote (Beluga, Whitebait, Hammer Head – it is easy fit them into a taxonomical classification). It is fun to learn from Wikipedia that the Beluga whale has a ‘high-pitched twitter.’ Such information adds another dimension to our own imagined constructions of Gatsby’s party crowd. But the name itself seems ugly. Is it because it has the consonants of the word ‘ugly’ in it? Or because, as we search to make sense of an unfamiliar word, our brains try out the word ‘bulge’ through the association of sound and thus evoke some ungainly swollen creature, some ulcerous tumescence of money and immorality. Is there something belchy in the sudden release of air in the second vowel sound, Bel u ga? And that is before we think about the associations with caviar and the untouchable luxuries of the war-time rich.

And then there are the Hammerheads: another wonderfully evocative name. What rottenness does this conjure? A family of boneheads. The Hammerhead Shark has evolved an elongated and flattened skull perhaps for the manipulation of prey – nice associations there. It also contains the idea of the tool after which the shark is named, the hammer, blunt bludgeoning instrument. Picture it here in the hands of one of Gatsby’s bootlegging cronies, crushing the skull of some unfortunate prey. Hear in its sounds, the repeated glottal fricatives, (‘ Ha mmer hea d’) the heavy breathing of the hammer-wielder exerting himself in the act of skull-crushing.

There is a poetry in this carefully constructed mock epic that delights in the cultural allusion, in the connotative capacity and the phonological features of words to express the sheer rottenness of this crowd.

Fitzgerald offers a wide, but not comprehensive, survey of the animal kingdom to convey his rotten crowd: in all this verminous, predatory, bestial crowd there is not one airborne, flying creature. There are fish aplenty as well as the semi-aquatic rodent, Ernest Beaver and the tree dwelling Doctor Webster Civet , who despite his airy habitat “drowned last summer.” James B. (“Rot-Gut”) Ferret take his name from the domesticated earth-burrow dwelling carnivorous mammal. All three (beaver, civet, ferret) are noted for scent glands, genital or anal: in the wild, they pollute the air to mark territory; killed, they are used for perfume. The point is of course that Fitzgerald’s elemental imagery portrays Gatsby’s aspirations to transcend mortal bounds as an aspiration to fly. Daisy is associated with air, floating, fluttering, anchored like a balloon. Gatsby aspires to her airiness which lifts her among other things, ‘above the hot struggles of the poor.” (122) He is condemned, through Fitzgerald’s imagery to death by water: he is shot in a swimming pool, to be buried in “soggy ground” (142). The moment is foreshadowed at Nick’s tea-party reunion: Gatsby stands “in a puddle of water glaring tragically” (72). Fitzgerald’s rotten crowd is an earth-bound water-dwelling crowd and they drag Gatsby down to his watery death and earthy resting place. Their very names make the air he breathes stink.

This crowd perhaps constitutes the ‘funny fruits’ (103) of New York of a civilisation that has, in Spenglerian terms, (Oswald Spengler, The Decline of Civilization – the book Fitzgerald never recovered from when writing Gatsby) organically outgrown itself, lost touch with the nature that feeds it to produce the cities, and city folk, this ‘rotten crowd’ that are its fruit. And Fitzgerald’s judgement reveals Nick’s growth to moral understanding – he too will reject the wealth of the East, its money, machines and rottenness to nurture the reputation and aspirations of Jay Gatsby, seeking his flower, his Daisy Fay, who, in his imagination (according to Nick) represents the green breast of an earlier, rural America. For Nick, in Gatsby, found an incarnation of the Faustian legend (there was indeed a Faustina O’Brien –a diminutive and corrupt mini-Faust on that party-list (53)), of man’s desire to transcend the bounds of his mortality and the rottenness of his world.

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The Great Gatsby: Essay Topics & Samples

No novel is written for the sake of writing. You can be immersed in the plot and feel sympathy toward the protagonists, but there is something more about every great book. A good The Great Gatsby essay should question the narrative to determine what the text’s broader purpose is.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

Are you out of ideas? Our topics and The Great Gatsby writing prompts can kickstart your creative process. They won’t limit the flight of your thought in any way: instead, they’ll show you the right direction to follow. You can also use our essay samples for inspiration or apply for professional writing help .

• 💡 Essay Topics
• ✒️ Essay Samples

💡 The Great Gatsby Essay Topics & Prompts

• Did Daisy genuinely love Gatsby, or did she want to return the past feelings? Why was preserving her social class so important? Or did she stay with Tom for other reasons, like the shared experience, stability, and the daughter? Do you think Daisy opted for Tom after a careful comparison?
• Old and New Money in The Great Gatsby. What did Gatsby lack to feel like he belongs to the Old Money, apart from heritage? What did elevate him above the Old Money representatives and make him more humane? Why didn’t he possess the traits related to the corruption of the upper class?
• Money and wealth in The Great Gatsby . Money is helpless in matters of love and friendship. Nick Carraway was Gatsby’s only friend. As far as we know, only Daisy loved him, and even this fact is doubtful. Was it the reason why Gatsby’s success did not make him happy? Write an argumentative essay about it!
• Compare and contrast The Great Gatsby 2013 movie vs. the book in an essay. Does the movie represent the characters as profoundly as the book does? Make the book review from the point of view of a person who watched the film first. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the film?
• How does Gatsby represent the American Dream ? This essay should start with the historical background that formed the general idea of the American Dream. Is Gatsby’s version of the American Dream universal for all US citizens, or does it have any unique features? “The American Dream in The Great Gatsby ” is a perfect title for this kind of essay.
• Is Gatsby great? This essay can discuss the strengths and failures of Jay Gatsby. It could also reveal why the novel is titled like this. Is Gatsby great because he has made a fortune without any heritage, or is the title ironic?
• The Great Gatsby symbolism is a good topic for an essay. It could cover the setting of the novel, the color symbolism in The Great Gatsby (especially the green light , gold, and the color white,) and the small symbolic details like bespectacled eyes of various protagonists and TJ Eckleburg on the billboard.
• Write The Great Gatsby literary analysis essay , exploring why the author chose these specific characters to convey the main idea to the reader. What is the primary purpose of the novel, and what helped the author to achieve it? Dwell upon the decline of morality as the typical feature of the Roaring Twenties.
• Time in The Great Gatsby . Throughout the entire novel, Gatsby is trying to recapture his past feelings. Did he succeed, to some extent? Can living in the memories, even recreated in real life, make someone happy? The novel is full of flashbacks. Explain why the time is non-linear in the story .
• The Great Gatsby themes might also be a great as an essay topic. The novel is multifaceted and profound, with several layers of meaning. Money and wealth, society and class, love and marriage , hope, morality, time, and the American Dream in The Great Gatsby are to be discussed in this essay.

✒️ The Great Gatsby: Essay Examples

Below you’ll find a collection of The Great Gatsby essay examples. Use them for inspiration!

• Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
• Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
• Masculinity in The Great Gatsby and The Breakfast Club
• Imagery in The Great Gatsby by F. Fitzgerald
• Conception of The American Dream
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