The Great Gatsby

Subject: English
Write a free-response essay addressing the following prompt:

The 1920s was marked by an air of superficiality, but clearly, the characters in The Great Gatsby demonstrate the underlying complexity of the time. Considering both the strengths and weaknesses of a main character (choose Gatsby, Nick, Daisy, or Tom) in the novel, explore the contradictions Fitzgerald exposes and speculate on what he was saying about society.
What You Turn In

? Your essay should be approximately one to two pages in length. Use one-inch margins and a 12-point font.
? The first paragraph should contain a thesis statement in which you clearly present the argument you want to make in your essay.
? Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence in which you clearly state the argument for that paragraph.
? Be sure to support your arguments concerning Fitzgerald?s comment with relevant examples, linked together with intelligent commentary.
Hints and Tips

? Be sure to prioritize your arguments.
? You may find it helpful to use prewriting strategies, such as brainstorming, before sitting down to write your essay. Prewriting strategies will help you identify your thesis statement and each of your paragraph topics, as well as the evidence you want to use.
? Remember not only to analyze one of the main characters from the novel and support with evidence from the text, but also to provide application of Fitzgerald?s comment on the time