Instructions

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s best known novel is in part a description of America in the 1920s – the Jazz Age.  A tragic, horrible war has just ended and the country is obsessed with having a good time. The self-made, corrupt millionaire Jay Gatsby typifies the period’s obsessions: money, pleasure, and, according to Fitzgerald, the endless reaching for an “orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us.” Gatsby never achieves his dreams, just as many Americans lose their way toward the American Dream by embracing hollow values.

Write a short essay describing a well-known person, group, or event that is inherently interesting but even more interesting when thought of as symptomatic of a trend in society or a period in history. Think of a dominant impression that expresses the essence of your subject and support it with sensory and vivid details and examples.

Use the following tips to help you complete the assignment:

– Narrow your topic to a single person, group, or event. Focus on the dominant impression for your subject. Include examples and details that support that dominant impression.

– Organize your essay logically. Description essays are typically organized in spatial order, in general-to-specific order, or in specific-to-general order, but you can use any organization that works best.

– Use vivid details and examples to help your reader visualize your subject.

To expand the essay, you might imagine something surprising that could happen involving your subject in the near future. Continue to support your dominant impression with vivid details and examples.