Gatsby Chapter Rewrite

As your final assessment for The Great Gatsby, you are being asked to rewrite one of the chapters from the novel. Your
purpose is to demonstrate your understanding of narrative writing and demonstrate your ability to create such writing
through the use of the story elements we have studied throughout this unit. This assignment is assessing your ability to
meet the following standards:
W:11-12.3
I can engage the reader by introducing one or more point(s) of view, the narrator, characters, setting, and a
problem, situation, or observation and its significance.
I can use narrative techniques to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
I can use descriptive words and phrases that reveal details, appeal to the senses, and help convey a vivid picture
of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
I can sequence events and signal changes in time and place by using transition words, phrases, and clauses to
show the relationships among experiences and events.
I can create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome using a variety of techniques.
I can write a logical conclusion that reflects on the experiences/events and provides a sense of closure.
W:11-12.4
I can use organizational/formatting structures to develop my writing ideas.
I can compose a clear and logical piece of writing that demonstrates my understanding of a specific writing style.
W:11-12.5
I can use prewriting strategies to formulate ideas.
I can recognize that a well-developed piece of writing requires more than one draft.
I can apply revision strategies with the help of others.
I can edit my writing by checking for errors in capitalization, punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc.
I can analyze my writing to determine if my purpose and audience have been fully addressed and revise when
necessary.
I can prepare multiple drafts using revisions and edits to develop and strengthen my writing.
I can recognize when revising, editing, and rewriting are not enough, and I need to try a new approach.
Therefore, we will use the writing process to develop of well written narrative.
1. Prewriting
a. We will read the book to get a sense of Fitzegeralds voice and the necessary plot events.
b. We will complete activities in class to better understand story elements like plot, character, setting, etc.
c. We will plan the sequence of your rewrite using graphic organizers.
d. We will confer with our writing group to determine the success of our prewriting efforts.
2. Drafting
a. We will compose a clear and logical piece of writing which reevaluates a particular event and results in a
different outcome.
3. Revision
a. We will do personal revisions to make sure that our draft is ready for anothers eyes.
b. We will exchange drafts within our writing group for peer revision using a provided checklist. These peer
revisions will be assessed.
c. We will use the rubric to assess our own work and revise.
4. Publish
a. We will type and finalize our draft to match the format of chapters within The Great Gatsby.
b. We will submit our final product for a grade.
Your draft is required to meet the following expectations:
2-4 pages, Single Space
Times New Roman, Size 12
One Inch Margins

Altering Story Elements:

Primary Story Elements: By rewriting these elements, there are serious implications to the plot. You must choose one
of the following story elements to alter as part of your rewrite. However, it is expected that you develop all of these
elements in your overall product. In other words, you can choose to add a new character, but that does not mean you
neednt pay attention to dialogue, conflict, plot, and theme. Those would naturally change based on your primary story
element change.
Character You can create a rewrite by introducing a new character or adding new information about an existing
character.
New Character. You can bring in a new character that will affect the events of the novel.
o Example. Instead of how Fitzgerald has Nick and Jordan recount what happens in the past, you could
have a character return from Gatsbys past.
Adding New Information. You have the option of adding to a characters back story or making changes to his/her
personality.
o Example. You could reveal that Tom and Gatsby have crossed paths before, when Gatsby was still Jay
Gatz.
o Example. George could be a much more aggressive man, meaning that he would have taken action
about the affair sooner.
Dialogue Dialogue will be more challenging. You have the option of changing a characters response or modifying an
entire conversation.
Changing a Response. To accomplish this, you must identify an important response from a character, change
their response, and narrate the consequence of that.
o Example. Daisy doesnt say that she never loved Tom. The rewrite would then tell how that would affect
Gatsbys actions.
Modifying a Conversation. You can identify a conversation between two characters that you believe is
important and either rewrite that conversation or eliminate it.
o Example. You could write the tea party as though Nick is part of the conversation between Daisy and
Gatsby, meaning that he didnt excuse himself while they spoke.
Conflict Again when it comes to conflict, you can add a new conflict to the dynamic or modify an existing one.
New Conflict. If you are going to create a new conflict, you must establish who is in conflict and what happens
because of it.
o Example. Daisy and Jordan may disagree about Daisys time spent with Gatsby.
Modify an Existing Conflict. You can either change who is involved in the conflict or change the outcome.
o Example. Tom may not have given Wilson Gatsbys name. (However, you would need to establish why
he chooses not to do so).
Plot Plot events can be either eliminated, added, or altered.
Eliminating Events. These are what if situations where you tell what would have happened if certain events
were omitted.
o Example. Nick never attends Gatsbys party, so that Gatsby must find him another way.
Adding Events. This would be adding a certain events to the story that alters what happens after.
o Example. Wilson finds Myrtles diary and confronts Tom about the affair.
Modifying Events. This is taking an event from the novel and changing the outcome or reason.
o Example. During his conversation with Jordan at the party, Nick might confess his attraction to her.
Theme The theme can mostly be modified by altering the final chapters of the book. Essentially, you would need to
change the outcomes for different characters.
Establishing a New Theme. You would need to alter the story in a way that the message would be different.
o Example. Instead of being shot by Gatsby, he and Daisy run away together. (This redefines the theme,
saying that you can escape into your past and achieve you American dream).

Secondary Story Elements: These elements can be modified without dramatically changing the plot. You must choose
one or more of the following to alter your rewrite. Again, you must only choose one of these methods for rewriting, but
all of these elements should be present in your draft. For instance, you might change the setting but maintain Nicks
point of view, but you are still expected to include figurative language and symbolism in your draft.
Point of View When developing the point of view which will tell you story, you have the following options:
First Person. The Great Gatsby is told in first person. You can elect to maintain this as told by Nick, or you can
choose to have a different character tell this portion of the story.
o Example: Myrtle could tell about the party at the apartment.
Third Person (Limited). This point of view is told from an outside source, but that source can only follow one
character. This point of view uses they, he, she, etc.
o Example: The story could be told from an outside source, but we only read what happens immediately
around Gatsby. We would be able to know what Gatsby is thinking, but not Daisy.
Third Person (Omniscient). This narrator is all knowing, meaning that they hear all and see all. Any characters
thoughts and actions can be seen.
o Example: Your rewrite could be told from the perspective of the eyes of T.J. Eckelberg.
Setting In your rewrite, you can change a location for certain events to transpire or introduce a new location that isnt
mentioned in the novel.
Changing the Location. You can have the same event transpire in a different place. Your rewrite would then
show how the outcome might be different based on that change in setting.
o Example: The argument between Gatsby and Tom could take place during a party at Gatsbys house.
New Location. You can introduce a new setting for an event of the story or a new situation of your creation.
o Example: You could create a speakeasy setting for Tom and Myrtles party.
Symbolism When modifying symbolism for you rewrite, keep in mind that you will likely need to modify something
else. To base your rewrite on symbolism, you can either create a new symbol or change a symbol is created.
New Symbol. In between events from the novel, you might include a scene in which a new symbol is developed.
o Example. You might include a scene with Gatsby standing on the beach. While describing the setting,
you might observe a weathered piece of driftwood. Later in your rewrite, your narrator might note that
the piece of driftwood remained there for years to come. (The symbolism would be that Gatsbys love
for Daisy has been worn and weathered, but it still remains).
Change a Symbol. This means taking what the symbol represents and changing the physical symbol.
o Example. Instead of the green light representing Gatsbys link to Daisy, you might describe how he has
kept her hair ribbon tied around his wrist.
Figurative Language Rewriting figurative language is very small scale. This only works for rewriting if you are copying a
section of the text word for word. Then you would be able to insert your own examples of figurative language in place of
what Fitzgerald wrote.

Prewriting Graphic Organizer:

Use the organizer below to plan out the different elements of your rewrite. Be detailed and use this document as you
are drafting to ensure that you are developing all story elements.
Plot: (What incident are you changing? How will that
impact the plot?)

Point of View: (Who or what is telling this part of the

story? Why did you pick them?)

Create a timeline of events that will occur in your rewrite.

Setting: (Are you keeping the setting the same or

changing it? List the settings you will use in your rewrite).

Character: (Which characters will be present in your

rewrite? Will you develop any new characters? List the
characters appearing in this rewrite).

Dialogue: (What important conversations will you show in

this rewrite? Identify any major conversations).

Theme: (What theme of the novel are you going to

further develop in your rewrite?)

Conflict: (What conflict will be evident in your rewrite?

Identify them).
_________________ vs __________________
_________________ vs __________________
_________________ vs __________________

Symbolism: (What is one example of symbolism that you

will create in this chapter rewrite?)

Figurative Language: (Identify three types of literary

device that you will use in this rewrite).

Authors Note:
Please write a brief description of what you have changed and a rationale for why you have changed this particular
element in the text. Use examples and elaboration to develop strong reasoning.
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Peer Comments: Please offer the author of this rewrite three recommendations. This can be either suggestions about
the planning of their rewrite or revisions to what they havae listed.

1.
2.
3.