How do I revise The Great Gatsby for Edexcel A-Level?

Plan your essay around a clear line of argument that directly addresses the question; avoid pre-prepared responses.

What exam tips are there for The Great Gatsby? (2)

Use short, embedded quotations as part of your analytical sentences rather than long block quotes followed by paraphrase.

What exam tips are there for The Great Gatsby? (3)

Link context to the text explicitly: show how a contextual factor illuminates a character's action or a narrative choice.

What mistakes should I avoid in The Great Gatsby?

Confusing Nick Carraway with Fitzgerald or treating Nick as a transparent, wholly trustworthy narrator.

What are common errors in The Great Gatsby exams? (2)

Reducing the novel to a simple love story without engaging with its social critique.

The Great Gatsby

EDEXCEL

A-Level

This subtopic focuses on F. Scott Fitzgerald's seminal novel 'The Great Gatsby', examining its intricate narrative structure, symbolic depth, and incisive critique of the American Dream within the context of the Roaring Twenties. Students will engage with the text through close analysis of language, form, and structure, while also considering relevant social, historical, and literary contexts. The study equips learners with the skills to construct coherent, well-evidenced critical arguments suitable for the A-Level examination.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award credit for consistently relevant and analytical exploration of the question, using precise textual evidence.
Credit demonstration of understanding of form and structure, e.g., Nick Carraway's retrospective narration and its manipulation of reader sympathy.
Reward integration of context (historical, social, literary) to enhance interpretation, rather than bolted-on facts.
Mark positively for exploration of alternative interpretations and critical perspectives.
Credit sophisticated vocabulary and critical terminology appropriate to the analysis of prose fiction.

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award credit for consistently relevant and analytical exploration of the question, using precise textual evidence.
Credit demonstration of understanding of form and structure, e.g., Nick Carraway's retrospective narration and its manipulation of reader sympathy.
Reward integration of context (historical, social, literary) to enhance interpretation, rather than bolted-on facts.
Mark positively for exploration of alternative interpretations and critical perspectives.
Credit sophisticated vocabulary and critical terminology appropriate to the analysis of prose fiction.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡Plan your essay around a clear line of argument that directly addresses the question; avoid pre-prepared responses.
💡Use short, embedded quotations as part of your analytical sentences rather than long block quotes followed by paraphrase.
💡Link context to the text explicitly: show how a contextual factor illuminates a character's action or a narrative choice.
💡Demonstrate awareness that the novel is a construct by commenting on Fitzgerald's methods—narrative gaps, symbolism, structural patterning.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusing Nick Carraway with Fitzgerald or treating Nick as a transparent, wholly trustworthy narrator.
Reducing the novel to a simple love story without engaging with its social critique.
Describing symbols (e.g., the green light) without linking them to thematic development or character.
Using historical context superficially, e.g., mentioning Prohibition without explaining its relevance to the plot or themes.
Over-relying on summary of events rather than analysis of language and method.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

The corruption of the American Dream

Illusion versus reality

Social class and status

Narrative reliability and perspective

Symbolism of place and object

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic

The Great Gatsby

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Key Terminology

Ready to test yourself?

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