So, here we are...our inaugural discussion about one of the great works in American literature, The Great Gatsby, so we'll just dive in.
(Yes, this is a long post, but bear with me: there's a lot of intro stuff we need to get out of the way. Please read all of it, as I won't be so verbose in the future.) What is your initial response to The Great Gatsby? Be as specific as possible. Most RCHS students will have read this work before they graduate (or failing that, seen a movie of it), so there is a common ground here. But I'm interested in your initial take. We should always read with a point in mind, however, so during the course of this summer we're going to try different strategies that will help improve your discipline and creativity during the reading process. Just some "things to keep in mind," especially as this is our very first reading together. 1. There are some tips about summer online posting I want you to read BEFORE you start reading the book; click to the left on "READING SCHEDULE" and scroll down to see them. These are the things I want you to keep in mind as you read so that when it's time to post, you'll have something significant to say about the text. 2. You have a DATA SHEET in your packet that needs to be filled out for Gatsby. (I recommend making a copy for An Enemy of the People while you're at it, just to plan ahead.) I'd glance over the topics of each box first just to familiarize yourself, but for this first section, you're only going to need "Provide plot points" on pg. 1 and the 4 sections on pg. 3. Trust me on this--if you fill this out as you go, you will enhance your reading experience, and this work might even be a work you could use on the AP Lit and Comp exam. You should NEVER be reading Gatsby without your data sheet nearby. 3. Annotate, annotate, annotate! Over the course of the year I want you to fill up the margins of your texts--I may spot check just to confirm--because as you know, time passes between the time we read and the time we need to discuss what we've read. Who can remember all the genius insights they had while actually reading the text? Or the questions they wanted to ask? I know I can't! So I write, write, write. You'll develop your own annotation system you'll probably use for years after this, which is great, but to begin with, let me suggest the following: a. plot points as they happen (makes it easier to find it in the text) b. conflicts/disagreements between characters (I like A vs. B) c. any time you notice repeated words or images d. any passage or phrase that made you stop and think, for whatever reason...you don't even really have to figure it out right away. We'll help you do that in the posts. e. unfamiliar words or expressions (a circle or a "?" in the margins) 4. Lastly, and this is specific to these chapters, I ask you to touch on one or more of the following topics in your post(s): a. Fitzgerald's writing style b. Money in the world of The Great Gatsby c. Women in the world of The Great Gatsby Looking forward to reading your insights! #345
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