Universal Themes
What is Universal theme?
The message, lesson, or moral of a story that can apply to anyone or any story.
Define allegory.
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
The following sentence from chapter five is an example of what rhetorical device?
"Your place looks like the World's Fair," I said.
The simile is comparing how busy and grand Gatsby's house is to the World's Fair (a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations).
What is the name of Myrtle's sister?
Catherine
What is the difference between perspective and point of view?
Point of view is 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person. Perspective is the character's or speaker's thoughts on what is happening. Their interpretation.
Which of the following is a theme that is present in The Great Gatsby
a.) Everything will always work out in the end.
b.) No matter what, be true to yourself.
c.) The past cannot be repeated and everybody has to move forward in life
d.) Following a crowd and not thinking for yourself can put people in danger.
c.) The past cannot be repeated and everybody has to move forward in life
Define juxstaposition.
the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
What does the glowing green light at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolize for Gatsby?
a.) It symbolizes the permission Gatsby has to pursue Daisy after all this time.
b.) It shows Gatsby’s love and hope for rekindling his relationship with Daisy.
c.) It shows Gatsby’s envy of Daisy and her ability to move on.
d.) It symbolizes Daisy’s ignorance of Gatsby’s love for her.
b.) It shows Gatsby’s love and hope for rekindling his relationship with Daisy.
What is one of the themes of the poem “Dreams” by Langston Hughes?
a.) Dreams are unimportant because they are not necessary to live a good life.
b.) Dreams are important because without them you are boring
c.) Dreams are something that not everyone can realize and accomplish
d.) Not following your dreams can lead to your life being unfulfilling and lacking meaning
d.) Not following your dreams can lead to your life being unfulfilling and lacking meaning
Which is an example of a metaphor?
a.) “At 158th Street, the cab stopped at one slice in a long white cake of apartment houses.”
b.)” She was like a star in the sky on a dark moonless night.”
c.) “She’s a Catholic, and they don’t believe in divorce.”
d.) “By the way, Gatsby, I understand you’re an Oxford man.”
a.) “At 158th Street, the cab stopped at one slice in a long white cake of apartment houses.”
Match the excerpt from The Great Gatsby with the following theme: Love finds a way
a.) "He literally glowed; without a word or gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room."
b.) "In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since."
c.) "He smiled understandingly--much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life."
d.) "He looked at me sideways--and I knew why Jordan Baker had believed he was lying."
a.) "He literally glowed; without a word or gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room."
Define Alliteration.
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables.
Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
How does the use of personification in chapter 2 enhance the meaning of the scene?
"I followed him over a low whitewashed railroad fence, and we walked back a hundred yards a long the road under Doctor Eckleburg's persistent stare."
a.) It makes the people who live in the Valley of Ashes seem friendly and open, which symbolizes the character traits of the townspeople throughout the novel.
b.) It adds to the ominous mood in the Valley of Ashes of the eyes as an all-seeing judge.
c.) It makes the people that live in the Valley of Ashes seem wary of newcomers.
d.) It demonstrates the speaker's ability to see the kindness and forgiving nature of the billboard in the Valley of Ashes.
b.) It adds to the ominous mood in the Valley of Ashes of the eyes as an all-seeing judge.
How does the allegory of the________ in The Great Gatsby affect the tone of the novel?
a.) It creates a happy tone.
b.) It creates an accusatory tone.
c.) It creates a sad tone.
d.) It creates a critical tone.
b.) It creates an accusatory tone.
OR
d.) It creates a critical tone.
Which is an example of personification?
a.) “Daisy rose, smiling faintly, and went to the table.”
b.) “A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know.”
c.) “He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew…”
d.) “The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter…”
d.) “The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter…”
Which of the following quotes from The Great Gatsby does NOT help develop the theme of: Chase your dreams.
a.) Gatsby: "I've got a man in England who buys me shirts."
b.) Gatsby: "I keep it always full of interesting people."
c.) Nick: "They had forgotten me, but Daisy glanced up and held out her hand; Gastby didn't know me now at all."
d.) Gatsby: "My house looks well doesn't it?"
c.) Nick: "They had forgotten me, but Daisy glanced up and held out her hand; Gastby didn't know me now at all."
Define Tone.
How the author feels about the subject.
How does the use of figurative language throughout the poem, "Dreams" by Langston Hughes develop the contemporary issue of life losing meaning without dreams.
a.) In lines 7-8, the metaphor describes how great life can be when you unburden yourself from the pressure to pursue your dreams.
b.) In lines 3-4, the personification of dreams being a bird shows that
c.) In lines 7-8, the metaphor describes life as being a barren field frozen with snow.
d.) In lines 1-2, the poet presents a warning that following your dreams can lead to death.
c.) In lines 7-8, the metaphor describes life as being a barren field frozen with snow.
Select two quotes from the text that work together to show the juxtaposition between the different lives that people lead in The Great Gatsby.
a.) “The Valley of Ashes–a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke.”
b.) “‘All right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool–that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’”
c.) “What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too–didn’t cut the pages.”
d.)“It was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking mew under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden.”
e.) “She does, though. The trouble is that sometimes she gets foolish ideas in her head and doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
a.) “The Valley of Ashes–a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke.”
And
d.)“It was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking mew under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden.”
Write your own Universal Theme for The Great Gatsby.
Best Universal Theme wins.
Write your own Universal Theme for Daisy.
Something like:
Love is not always what is most important.
Or
Love is not always the answer.
What does the word facade mean, as it is used in the following lines:
The windowless façade of the skyscraper loomed over the city skyline.
a.) exterior
b.) costume
c.) pretense
d.) superficial
a.) exterior
Aside from the green light in The Great Gastsy, what is another symbol featured in the story?
The Rain in Chapter 5 symbolizes Gatsby's anxiety about meeting Daisy again after 5 years.
The broken clock in Chapter 5 symbolizes Gatsby's inability to return to the past.
Think back to the first Gatsby party, where Nick and Jordan encounter a man in the library. What does the following quote from that scene reveal about Gatsby's character before we even meet him?
“It’s a bona-fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella’s a regular Belasco. It’s a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too–didn’t cut the pages.”
a.) Gatsby throws amazing parties where people have a good time, even when they are in the library of his mansion away from the music and dancing.
b.) The man is drunk. He is not making sense and is rambling on and on about the books being real when he thought they would be fake. This shows that Gatsby keeps his parties well stocked with drinks.
c.) He’s not genuine. We know this because he has a library full of books, but we know he doesn’t read them because he hasn’t even cut the pages open yet. This gives us our first clue that Gatsby is untruthful.
d.) Everyone is obsessed with knowing more about Gatsby. They are even taking time out of a fun party to snoop and talk about him, even commenting on the details of his library.
c.) He’s not genuine. We know this because he has a library full of books, but we know he doesn’t read them because he hasn’t even cut the pages open yet. This gives us our first clue that Gatsby is untruthful.
Who is the true villain in The Great Gatsby? Come up with a proper argument for your choice.
Best argument wins.