The Great Gatsby – Persuasive Essay

When a novel becomes popular, it is often turned into a film. These film adaptations, based on novels, can stick close to the plot and dialogue of the novel, or they can make a lot of changes to the story so that readers who like the book are not impressed!

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a classic novel, and was recently made into a film adaptation. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the movie was released in 2013. While some audiences loved it, others found it disloyal to the plot of the story, especially in the use of modern music at Gatsby’s parties.

Your Task:
For the final assignment in this unit, you will write a persuasive essay using the novel The Great Gatsby and the film by director Baz Lurhmann.
1. Make sure you have read the entire novel and that you have a good understanding of the novel.

2. Watch the 2013 film The Great Gatsby, directed by Baz Lurhmann
.
3. In 750 – 1000 words, write a persuasive essay explaining which you preferred – the novel or the film – and why. You must choose one or the other.

Please find three (3) reasons for your response, and write about one reason per body paragraph. Some things to consider:
1. Did you prefer how the characters were portrayed in the book or movie?
2. Which did a better job at showing the glamour of the 1920s?
3. Which had better dialogue?

Remember:

– Use formal language (no “I” or “you”)

– Create a thesis statement that summarizes your argument. For example: “The novel version of The Great Gatsby is better than the film because it shows more detail, it has better characters, and it describes the 1920s.”