A collection of Great Gatsby essay topics for high school

The Great Gatsby is a novel composed by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It tells the story of young millionaire Jay Gatsby and his impulsive fascination with one of the female characters Daisy Buchanan. The story delves into themes such as idealism, excess and social upheaval. It is primarily a novel about the countries obsession with the American dream.

1. How is the notion of the American dream depicted in the story?
2. Describe the character of Nick, how are readers supposed to relate and feel about him?
3. Social class is featured prominently within the story; describe examples of class bias within the story.v
4. One of Fitzgerald’s strengths as a writer is that he is very sensory orientated. Describe his ability to create different atmospheres throughout the story.
5. How does Gatsby fit the definition of a self made man?
6. Gatsby claimed to love Daisy, but his actions showed that he loved the idea of her as opposed to actually being in love with her. Describe evidence of this throughout the story.
7. In what way does Gatsby deserve to be called great?
8. Where do you find evidence of Gatsby attempting to recapture the past throughout the story.
9. Analyze the use of the color white within the novel. When does it falsely represent innocence? And when does it make a true representation of innocence?
10. What does the green light symbolize to Nick and Gatsby?
11. What are are the main differences between the East and the West Egg? Describe the gap that is bridged between the two.
12. In what ways are Gatsby and Wilson similar?
13. Who and why is the most responsible for Gatsby’s death?
14. Describe the reasons why Tom and Daisy stay together.
15. Does Gatsby’s wealth bring him true happiness?

Essay writing is a skill that you will need to cultivate in order to pass your exams. A large percentage of your assignments throughout the year go towards your final grade. Therefore, you want to make sure that your essay writing skills are of good quality to get you the grades that you need. The list of essay questions will assist you during your studies.