The Great Gatsby: A-Level

Course Overview

This course carries out a full overview of the story, themes and contexts of F Scott Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby', with a view to fulfilling the assessment objectives required to succeed in A-Level examinations. These objectives are: informed and creative responses to literary texts (i.e. coherent and well-expressed ideas), analysis of the ways in which texts shape meaning (i.e. ‘close reading’ and knowledge of the techniques used by the author), an understanding of historical contexts, an appreciation of literary contexts and finally, demonstrable knowledge of critical contexts and textual interpretations. By using this framework, students of this course will be exposed both to the rich and rewarding experience that reading and studying this novel offers, and to the skills and techniques required to use that experience in order to excel in A-Level literature examinations.