YEAR 12 LESSON FOUR [3rd Oct 11]: Homework.

Students were offered the text of The Star Spangled Banner, the text of the Emma Lazarus poem that is graven on a tablet within the pedestal of The Statue of Liberty, and Walt Whitman's 'I hear America Singing.' The class were asked to consider the representation of America that is offered through these texts and asked to compare this representation with the America being presented to the reader in Fitzgerald's novel.

Students were then asked to consider the first two chapters of Fitzgerald's novel. Students were asked to consider several key questions:

• Who is Nick Carraway?
• How do we know that Gatsby will be a key influence upon Nick?
• What is the significance of Myrtle?
• How is human experience presented in The Valley of Ashes?
• Why is the movement of Jordan and Daisy described as 'ballooned'?
• Is the party in chapter two comedic, tragic or grotesque?
• How significant is alcohol in this novel?
• How does Fitzgerald attempt to engage the reader in the opening chapters?

The class were a little slow to gauge the pace of the game in the first session but the class response in the second session was superb.

HOMEWORK: This was an interesting session as student comments were too general in the first session but there was far more specific detail and insight in the second session when student commentary was much more textually specific. It is important that students comprehend that Fitzgerald is a very subtle author and a tiny fragment of the narrative can have huge significance.

Students must read the first three chapters of the novel before our next session. I would advise students to re-read the first two chapters and consider the text in a more detailed A Level manner. Next week I will be providing feedback to the first essay and asking students to consider the question: HOW DOES FITZGERALD TELL THE STORY IN THE OPENING CHAPTER? This question demands a secure understanding of how and why Fitzgerald uses Carraway within the novel. I will also begin the next session with an exploration of the themes being examined by Fitzgerald in the first three chapters. I expect every student to have read this book before half-term as we need to be connecting chapters. Next week we will look at the character of Gatsby so you must be familiar with chapter three.

READ.READ.READ.READ.READ.

MLR.