Year 11 - English
Analysing effective endings in Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby'
Fiction: books that changed my world
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils read extracts from some impactful books to inpsire their own writing. Within each of the five extracts, they identify and analyse a key technique before emulating it in their own piece of writing. At the end of the unit, they craft the opening to an impactful narrative.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain and analyse the effectiveness of the ending to 'The Great Gatsby'.
Key Notes
- Arguably, an effective ending either offers a resolution or ends in ambiguity with unanswered questions.
- The ending of 'The Great Gatsby' shows us that Gatsby's dream of his life and future wasn't reached.
- We might interpret the ending of 'The Great Gatsby' as suggesting that we are all striving for something we can't reach.
- Fitzgerald's use of repeated sounds might reflect the idea that we are trying to move forward with no progression.
- The symbolism of the morning might depict the idea of a new beginning that is cut off.
Vocabulary To Learn
- recede: go or move back or further away from a previous position; gradually diminish
- ambiguous: open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning
- elude: (of an achievement or something desired) fail to be achieve by someone
- resolution: the process of solving or ending a problem or disagreement
- paradox: a statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That the ending of a text isn't as important as the story itself.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Arguably, an effective ending either offers a resolution or ends in ambiguity with unanswered questions. The ending of 'The Great Gatsby' shows us that Gatsby's dream of his life and future wasn't reached.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'recede'
go or move back or further away from a previous position; gradually diminish.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: That the ending of a text isn't as important as the story itself. Correction: The ending of a text defines the story - it offers resolution or poses questions and can impact the way we see characters and the way we interpret the overall meaning of a story.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'The Great Gatsby': analysing a writer's craft Study Guide
- 'The Great Gatsby': Developing a personal response Study Guide
- Considering Chandler's use of similes in 'Trouble is My Business' Study Guide
- Considering the use of dialogue in Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' Study Guide
- Considering the use of motifs in Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights' Study Guide
- Emulating Chandler's use of similes in 'Trouble is My Business' Study Guide
- Emulating Dostoevsky's use of dialogue in 'Crime and Punishment' Study Guide
- Emulating the opening to Orwell's '1984' Study Guide
- Emulating the use of motifs in Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights' Study Guide
- Exploring the importance of books and stories Study Guide
- Planning the opening to an impactful narrative Study Guide
- Reading the opening of Orwell's '1984' Study Guide
- Writing the opening to an impactful narrative Study Guide
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