Research Paper on the Important Issues of The Great Gatsby

Purpose

The purpose of writing a research paper is to allow students the opportunity to search, find, and use various sources in their writing. Ideally, these sources will liven and strengthen the composition. However, if the research process is unclear or uninteresting, then students will most likely think of it as a chore rather than a rewarding experience. This is why your research paper will aim to capture your attention by allowing enough freedom to explore what interests you individually.

Themes to Remember

In The Great Gatsby, there are several themes that stand out and pave the way for very interesting research topics. There is the corruptive influence of materialism and wealth that often gets in the way of moral virtue. Gatsby and Tom would be excellent examples of this (one is kindness and compassion while the other is arrogance and condescension). Then there is that endless struggle to fulfill the American Dream. It appears as though Gatsby did fulfill it (he went from poor to rich) but at what cost? Also, there is the question of whether or not love is lasting. While reading this novel, we often doubt Daisy’s love for Gatsby. Finally, an idea to consider is the role of carelessness in the world of this novel. It is a fault many of the characters have, and it leads to irreversible consequences such as the death of Myrtle. Overall, these themes come together and shape the conflicts, hopes, and inconsistencies of human life. Although it is a novel representing the 1920s, these issues are still alive today and that is why we can all relate.

Guidelines

Your research paper should be approximately 6-8 pages and should be written in MLA format (Refer to Hacker MLA 353-412 for more details). Here is a list of dates to remember:

April 30: Research Proposals Due (a 1-page plan of what you will write about, including a working thesis)

May 11: Annotated Bibliography Due (consists of sources you have reviewed but may not necessarily use. For each source, you should provide a 2-3 sentence summary. I will show samples in class)

May 18: Research Paper Rough Drafts Due (with working bibliography)

June 4: Research Paper Packets Due (In the packet, include all preliminary work, including rough drafts, prewriting, and notes. Either staple or paper clip the packet together and submit in the beginning of class)

Sources

Your paper should include 6 sources (not counting the novel itself). Here is an important note you need to remember: the research paper I’m assigning is about the issues raised in The Great Gatsby, not necessarily an interpretation of the novel itself. In other words, your entire paper does not have to be about the novel. Here is a breakdown of source requirements:

• 1 Book: There are several books available in the GCC library, and I will put a few on reserve; however, there are some electronic books available as well. To search for books in the library collection, begin by going to the library web site at www.glendale.edu/library. From here, click on Find Books & More; this will take you to the online catalog of materials (primarily books) the library owns. Try searching using keywords such as great gatsby, f. scott fitzgerald, or simply gatsby. Pay attention to the location of the resource. If there is a call number under location, it is a physical book, and you can use the number to find it on the shelf. If it says “Electronic Book,” it is an ebook (a full-text book published in an electronic format). Simply click on the link located at the bottom of the book’s record to access it. If you are searching from home and want to use an ebook, you’ll be required to enter a login and password. When you click on the link to access the book, you will get instructions on how to do this.
  
• 2 Articles in Periodicals: The library subscribes to two databases, ProQuest and Literature Resource Center, that provide full-text articles that may be useful to you when writing your research paper. To access these databases, click on Find Articles in Databases from the library home page, then click on the database link. There are guides on how to search both of these databases, so if you want to learn something about them before starting, check them out: Guide to Searching Proquest, Guide to Searching Literature Resource Center. Don’t feel limited to using only these databases--free to explore and find your own periodical articles.
  
• 2 Web Sources: This can be an entire web siteor an article from a website. Google is the largest search engine; however, some materials may not be very reliable. Besides asking me whether or not a source is valid, you should also evaluate each web site you’re considering using in your paper. To learn more about how to evaluate web sites, go to the Web Research Tools link at the library home page. From here you’ll find several links that discuss the criteria for evaluating web site. Sites that end in .edu can often be the best sites, but there are several great sources that don’t necessarily end in .edu. You should also look for the organization that has provided the information (For example, CNN.com ends in .com but is still a valid source). Usually the home page of each web site should contain information about who is sponsoring/publishing this information.
  
• 1 Multimedia Source: This gives you an opportunity to explore an interesting variety of sources that are not necessarily in print. If you look in Hacker 398-401, you can find a list of various multimedia sources. Some examples are songs, movies, pictures, TV programming, and so on. If you have a difficult time locating a multimedia source, please see me so we can discuss how to solve this problem.
  
• Remember you will be required to cite all of your sources in MLA format. To learn more about MLA, check out library's quick guides: MLA Style: A Brief Guide and MLA Style for Citing Electronic Sources: A Brief Guide. You can find both of these guides by going to the library home page and selecting Citing Sources under the Research section.

Research Topics

 

1. Does money buy happiness?

• First and foremost, see how you feel about this issue. An initial reaction to this question would be an instant “No” but consider whether you truly believe this or not. Money can give us material comforts like the Lexus, the vacations at Jamaica, the indoor spa and Jacuzzi, and the brand name clothes that we want. Imagine not having to worry about your credit card limit or the due dates of your bills. Imagine if life was like those hip hop videos everyday – filled with Krystalles and the “Bling Blings.” Is that enough for you?
  
• With this question, also consider the role of wealth in The Great Gatsby. This is a novel swimming with rich people, and Gatsby’s ultimate goal is to be worthy enough for Daisy. However, in the book, money most definitely does not buy happiness. Gatsby achieves wealth, becomes glorified, and dies alone. Do you think that relates to the corruptive influence of money or was Gatsby just a fool?

2. Does the quest to achieve the American Dream endanger people’s souls?

• Many of us are either immigrants or have immigrant parents. Either way, people come to America for many reasons including: opportunity, freedom, wealth, success, happiness, and so on. The American Dream is a concept that differs for everyone, which is why your first priority should be to define it according to your standards. Then consider whether this dream is essentially good or bad for our well-being. Before starting to write about this topic, I would strongly suggest that you go to Google.com, then click on Images, and type “American Dream” in the Search box. This will give you several visual interpretations of the American Dream which could spark ideas (and possibly lead to some good sources).
  
• Also consider how the American Dream influences Gatsby. His dream is, from beginning to end, to have a relationship with Daisy, and he is loyal to her throughout the whole novel, but what’s the point if he simply dies in the end? Fitzgerald seems to be cautioning readers to beware of the consequences of this quest. Sometimes striving to achieve our goals is well and good, but can living in a dream be harmful to our well-being?
  

3. Is the concept of everlasting love fact or fiction?

• In our society, sappy declarations of love dominate soap operas, songs, romantic comedies, literature, and so on. Many people believe in true love, one and only love, and everlasting love. There was even a song released by a band called Love Affair titled “Everlasting Love.” The sentiment behind this belief may be sweet, but the reality is shaky. Simply go to http://weddings.about.com/cs/justforfun/a/Short/CelebWeds.htm and click on Shortest Celebrity Marriages to see how lasting everlasting love actually is. Then, consider your own beliefs. Can romantic love last forever?
  
• Gatsby’s love for Daisy is both beautiful and infuriating. Readers often wonder why he is so devoted to her when she seems undeserving. However, Daisy’s worth is debatable. The truth is she promises to love Gatsby and then marries Tom, and her actual feelings for Gatsby are questionable. The novel gives us an ambiguous view of love and we are left to determine ourselves who genuinely loves whom and who does not. We are left wondering: is Gatsby’s love real, does Daisy love Gatsby at all, or is Fitzgerald portraying love in a negative light where personal selfishness will never allow for an everlasting love to exist?

4. Is carelessness a forgivable fault?

• At first glance, this topic seems shallow and simplistic, but it actually has plenty of depth. Throughout our lives, our carelessness can range from forgetting to cite our sources in an essay to neglecting to turn off the stove after cooking. However, carelessness can have dangerous and fatal consequences. In July of 2003, an 86-year old man drove through a farmers’ market killing 10 people and injuring approximately 50 others. Among the dead were a 7-month old baby and a 3-year old girl (http://www.cnn.com/). Furthermore, it is estimated that alcohol-related car accidents kill a person every 31 minutes (http://www.cdc.gov/). These occurrences, along with many more, are never intentional, but are they forgivable?
  
• In The Great Gatsby, the most careless characters are probably Tom, Daisy, and Jordan. They also happen to be wealthy, spoiled, and selfish. Each one lies and cheats in some way or another, but possibly the gravest of actions is Daisy’s. Because of her carelessness, she kills Myrtle, and to make matters worse, she has no intention of accepting responsibility for it. Is Daisy, or anyone for that matter, justified in trying to cover up her fatal fault, or is there no excuse for her behavior?