You will write about a theme in the novel, The Great Gatsby. The theme is the overall meaning or central idea of a text. It is the point the writer is trying to make about the subject (rather than how you feel about the text). You find the theme by analyzing one or more of the other literary elements in the text: character, plot (such as events or scenes), setting, point of view, storytelling devices, and so on. Keep in mind that the theme is not summed up in a word, the subject of the text, or a simple moral. In addition, a text can have multiple themes. The thesis statement should state the theme and the elements that help convey the theme; make sure the thesis statement is relevant, specific, and debatable. The body paragraphs should identify the parts of the novel that convey the theme. The body paragraphs should also provide sufficient and relevant textual evidence (quotes) and explain how the evidence supports the theme (thesis statement). Avoid using excessive quotes with very little explanation. Use a logical organization pattern: chronological order or order of importance, that is, most important to least important point (or vice versa). The writing conventions of literary analysis are not the instructors preference. The literary conventions align with the department requirements and course competency requirements. Follow the writing conventions of literary analysis: development (effective thesis statement, sufficient and relevant evidence), organization, style (literary present tense, third person point of view), credible sources, and research (MLA documentation style).