THE GREAT GATSBY Unit Plan: 23 Lessons with Materials ... - Free Printable

You're working on a critical thinking and literary analysis activity for *The Great Gatsby*, focusing on the central mystery: Is Gatsby telling Nick the truth about his past, or is he lying?

This worksheet asks you to collect textual evidence from the novel (you’ll need to refer to your copy of *The Great Gatsby*), analyze it, and form inferences. Since I can’t see page numbers without your specific edition, I’ll provide key quotes and paraphrases with approximate page references based on common editions (like the Scribner paperback). You can adjust page numbers as needed.

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## 🔍 ANALYZE ART (DNEG Animation Poster)

How do the artists treat the subjects? How do they add a sense of mystery?

- The poster shows Gatsby as a glowing, almost ghostly figure — translucent, floating above the scene — suggesting he’s not quite real, or that his identity is an illusion.
- His face is obscured by shadow, but his eyes are visible — symbolizing how others see him only partially, and how he hides behind a persona.
- Behind him are giant, watchful eyes — likely referencing Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s billboard, which represents judgment and the loss of moral vision in the modern world.
- The setting sun, distant green light, and lone figure on the dock evoke longing, isolation, and unattainable dreams — reinforcing the mystery of Gatsby’s motivations and origins.
- The overall tone is dreamlike and surreal — fitting for a character who has reinvented himself and lives in a fantasy world.

> ✔ Inference: The art visually reinforces Gatsby’s enigmatic nature — he is both larger than life and deeply hidden, inviting the viewer (and reader) to question who he really is.

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## 🕵️‍♂️ GATSBY IS TELLING NICK THE TRUTH!

| Quote or Paraphrase | Page # (approx.) | What do you infer? |
|---------------------|------------------|--------------------|
| “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West — all dead now… I was educated at Oxford…” | Ch. 4, p. 65–66 | Gatsby claims noble origins and elite education — this would explain his manners and wealth. But Nick later learns this is fabricated. Still, Gatsby delivers it with such conviction, it feels true to him. |
| “My family all died and I came into a good deal of money.” | Ch. 4, p. 65 | This sounds like a tragic backstory designed to evoke sympathy and justify his sudden wealth. It’s too neat — suspiciously so. |
| “I’ve got my own little party going on here tonight… I want you to know the truth about me.” | Ch. 4, p. 67 | Gatsby insists he’s being honest — but why does he feel the need to say this? It suggests he knows Nick might doubt him. |
| “I never really knew my parents… I’m a son of God… I’m going to make a big thing out of myself.” | Ch. 6, p. 98 | This is Gatsby’s childhood fantasy — he sees himself as destined for greatness. It’s poetic, but also reveals he’s been constructing his identity since youth. |

> 💡 Subtle clue others might miss: When Gatsby says, “I’ve got my own little party going on here tonight,” he’s trying to control the narrative — showing he’s aware of how others perceive him and wants to shape that perception.

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## 🤥 GATSBY IS LYING ABOUT HIS PAST!

| Quote or Paraphrase | Page # (approx.) | What do you infer? |
|---------------------|------------------|--------------------|
| “His name was James Gatz… He changed it at the age of seventeen.” | Ch. 6, p. 98 | This is the smoking gun. Gatsby didn’t just change his story — he changed his *identity*. He was poor, obscure, and self-made — not aristocratic. |
| “He was a penniless young man… he took advantage of every opportunity.” | Ch. 6, p. 99 | This contradicts his earlier claim of inherited wealth. His rise was hard-won, not handed to him. |
| “He had a extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person.” | Ch. 1, p. 2 | Nick admires Gatsby’s idealism — but this quote hints that Gatsby’s entire persona is built on hope and imagination, not reality. |
| “He was a bootlegger… he made his money through illegal means.” | Ch. 7, p. 133 | Tom Buchanan exposes Gatsby’s criminal past — undermining the “Oxford gentleman” image entirely. |

> 💡 Subtle clue others might miss: Gatsby’s father, Mr. Gatz, appears later with photos and schedules — proving Gatsby’s humble roots. The contrast between the father’s pride and Gatsby’s invented persona highlights the lie.

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## 🎯 PLACE YOUR BETS!

> At this point, even the narrator cannot determine the truth about his mysterious new friend. Will the truth about Gatsby’s past be revealed? What will Nick and the reader discover?

✔ Prediction:
Yes, the truth *will* be revealed — but not all at once. Fitzgerald slowly peels back layers: first, we suspect Gatsby is hiding something; then we learn his real name; finally, we understand his motivations — his love for Daisy, his desire to rewrite his past, and his belief that wealth can buy happiness and status.

Nick discovers that Gatsby is not a villain, nor a saint — he’s a tragic dreamer who believed so fiercely in his own myth that he became it. The reader learns that the American Dream is often a beautiful lie — and Gatsby is its most devoted, doomed believer.

> 📝 Final Thought:
Gatsby isn’t lying to deceive — he’s lying to *become*. He tells Nick the “truth” he believes in — the version of himself he wishes were real. In that sense, he’s telling a deeper emotional truth, even if the facts are false.

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## ✍️ How to Fill Out Your Worksheet

1. For each table, choose 4–5 strong quotes or paraphrases.
2. Write the page number from your edition.
3. In the “What do you infer?” column, explain what the quote reveals about Gatsby’s honesty, motives, or character.
4. In “Place Your Bets,” write 3–5 sentences predicting what Nick will discover and how it affects the story’s themes.

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Let me know if you’d like help finding exact page numbers for your edition, or if you want to turn this into a written essay!