The Great Gatsby

Grade Levels

Excerpt

Part 1: 50 Points

Choose five songs that relate to each chapter, and write 1-2 paragraphs about how they are related.

You must:

• Choose at least one specific example from the text and one specific example from the song and write 1-2 paragraphs about how they are related.

• Underline the specific example from the text and from the song. You must be very specific. Vague examples will receive little or no credit.

Part 1 EXAMPLE

The song from the musical Annie, “It’s a Hard-Knock Life for Us” relates to chapter two because the Valley of the Ashes (like the orphanage) is a dismal, dreadful place. Also, the orphans and the denizens of the Valley of the Ashes have some of the same struggles that the orphans have.

For example, the title of the song states “It’s a Hard-Knock Life for Us”; this clearly relates to chapter two because George and Myrtle have such a hard life. The fact that they live above a garage in the undesirable part of town suggests that they indeed, like the orphans, have a hard-knock life.

Furthermore, the orphans describe the orphanage in terms of dark imagery when they ask rhetorically, “Don't it seem like there's never any light?”. In comparison, Nick, the narrator, describes the valley as a “dismal” and desolate area of land” that is bounded on one side by a small river.” Clearly, both the orphanage and the Valley of the Ashes are dark and dreary places in which its inhabitants seem trapped.

Also, in the song, the orphans cry out, “Steada treated we get tricks/Steada kisses we get kicked”; this clearly relates to the end of chapter two in which Tom breaks Myrtle’s nose. Indeed, Myrtle, just like the orphans is emotionally and physically abused.

Part 2- CD Cover

Design a CD Cover for your soundtrack.

You must:

• Include at least two pictures.

• Chose a title for your CD

• Write 2-3 paragraphs in which you explain why you chose the title.

About

In this activity, students create a soundtrack for Gatsby.