The Transformation of Jay Gatsby – A Common Core Approach

Over the last several weeks, my students have been working through Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.  With such intimate writing and attention to detail, Fitzgerald is still able to capture the attention of sixteen year old students.  In this lesson, students are using the text to identify the transformation of James Gatz to the wealthy Jay Gatsby.  With help from their classmates, students are analyzing how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or theme (RL.10.3).

Using the attached template, students review chapters 6-7 and identify major events, places, and people that make up the life history of James Gatz.  After identifying those aspects, students use passages from the text that identify how the character has developed over the course of his life.  For example, “Then he drifted back [from St. Olaf College] to Lake Superior…still searching for something to do” (Great Gatsby – 105) depicts James Gatz dropping out of college to return to his previous job as a fisherman and clam digger. 

This is the beginning of the transformation from James Gatz to the wealthy Jay Gatsby.  From this point, students will identify how this complex character changes over the course of his life.

When finished with the individual/small group exercise, students use the template to determine the most important quotes/passages.  As a class, students must work together to create the Transformation Timeline (picture attached).  With only ten passages, students must work together to determine which quotes are most essential and how to organize them on the time line. 

At the end of the lesson, students understand the transformation of Jay Gatsby.  Using the text to drive analysis, students will have analyzed how this complex character developed and learned about the motivation that drives the rest of the story. 

Helpful Text: The Great Gatsby in the Classroom: Searching for the American Dream by David Dowling.