Sparknotes vs. CliffsNotes: Analysis of 'The Great Gatsby'

When students use their skills to analyze literature, they must annotate to look for the main plot points or literary devices, locate the theme of the novel, and determine if the novel is an allegory. Even though analyzing a book is often confused with summarizing a book, they are entirely different things. While summarizing a book is just writing a few sentences about the most important points in the plot, analyzing a book requires you to look deeper into the story and find what the author’s purpose is. One technique students can use when to analyze literature is annotating. Annotating is a process in which students highlight or make a note of any literary device in the book, important plot points, or connections between the plot/characters to the real world.

Comparing the book to the movie you can clearly tell what certain things are different. For example, Sydelle Pulaski worked for Mr. Westing in the movie but only talked over the intercom. This not only caused a lot of drama but more depth to the plot. Also, Crow didn’t go to jail but they did talk about most of the consequences of her going to jail. This made a little bit more serious and emotional instead of just letting it go.

Like I said before, there are major differences between these two. Some are very visible; the names of the characters. There are others that even though are minor, they are completely unnecessary. This minor differences are small details that we remember from the book, and we were expecting to

The 1920s in America, known as the "Roaring Twenties", was a time of celebration after a destructive war. It was a period of time in America characterised by prosperity and optimism. There was a general feeling of disruption associated with modernity and a break with traditions.The Roaring Twenties was a time of great economic prosperity and many people became rich and wealthy. Some people inherited "old money" and some obtained "new money". However, there was the other side of prosperity and many people also suffered the nightmare of being poor. In the novel,The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a wealthy character

The Norton Field Guide to Writing covers topics about writing and composing. Several of which I was already familiar with. In chapter 2, Bullock and Weinberg express how “Many readers find it helps to annotate as they read…” (16). I have become very familiar with annotating over the years. I often use this writing method to help me understand and summarize text I come across.

An example would be the bombing of Baba-Levy's house. In the book, the bombing occurred while Marjane was at the mall on her way to her house. The movie showed this scene close to the last section of the first half of the movie and didn't mention her at the mall. The text however, showed a clear description of her reaction to the news of the bombing and running to her house for fear of her neighbors and her family's safety. In total, the text summarized and transitioned the plot better than movie.

The first major difference between the movie and the book is how quickly the movie reveals some of the flaws of the main character Socrates Fortlow. In fact the movie starts with Socrates appearing

The novel has more detail than the movie because in the novel it showed more of the characters backstories it doesnt talk about Ponyboy’s school or about Dally’s past life was like before he moved and how Johnny got beat up by the Soc while the movie skipped all of that. Another is that in the novel you can hear the character’s thoughts you could hear what Ponyboy was thinking throughout the whole story and because the novel was in first person and the movie was in third person so you couldn't really hear what the character was thinking in the movie.

Both share the same plot, and there are very little differences between the two. These are a few of the differences that I was able to notice between the book and the movie. There are several others throughout the story, but they are all just as minute and in the end they have no effect on the outcome of the story. Overall, I was very impressed with the movie and it was very true to the book. I have seen my share of movies that were adaptations from books that did not do the book justice, but this one is almost exactly like the book, so it was very

Dreams are a compelling force in people’s lives. They are what propel them forward each and every day in an effort to reach something better. The American Dream has been sought after by millions all over the world for hundreds of years. This country was founded on the belief that anyone could achieve their dreams. However, in the 1920s these hopes and aspirations began to splinter until they ultimately shattered. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism, setting, and theme to depict the unattainability of the American Dream.

Print. Offers a new perspective of The Great Gatsby, and claims that most readers are too young to understand the main concept of the book. Clarifies the meaning of The Great Gatsby and brings out unpopular ideas that have never been heard. Encourages the reader to reevaluate the story, and to see it from a new perspective, the author’s perspective. Critiques the differences of class, gender, and classes that are portrayed in the story.This is a credible source because the author is a known book critic, as she is the “critic in residence for Georgetown University, and has won the Edgar Award for criticism.

In The Great Gatsby, the author, F Scott Fitzgerald depicts the post - war roaring 20’s, a time of overwhelming prosperity and a new found sense of hope for the future. While this novel is often perceived as a romance, it is also a criticism on the devastating nature of the elusive american dream. The story of Jay Gatsby is a representation of what had become the values of the individual at the time. With the progression of the early 1920’s the vision of the perfect life, or the american dream, had been skewed. It was replaced with greed, and an abundance of reckless spending in which the wealthier individuals placed their misguided ideas of happiness. In the Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald chooses to expose the hidden truth behind the illustrious concept of the American dream. Through his use of literary devices such as, symbolism, metaphor, and, irony the central idea of the truly unattainable American dream is supported throughout the novel.

Annotating fiction means “to add critical or explanatory notes to a text” (Encarta). Specifically, it requires you to do the following types of things:

The reading of other texts contributes to creating meaning for other texts. An example of this is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this novel is more easily understood when it is compared and contrasted to other literature works, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The aspects of the two novels that can be compared and contrasted are the plot development, characterisation, setting, narrative point of view, writer's context and themes and issues.

Another difference between the book and the movie is that the movie has some added scenes. In the movie, when Chance is forced to leave the house he lived in, he is runs into a group of black people. When Chance asks them for directions, they pull out a knife and threaten him. They think that some guy named, Raphael, sent Chance there for something. The man with the knife tells Chance to bring back Raphael a message, which was explicit. Later in the movie, Chance sees another black person, and he asks him if he knows Raphael because he needs to give him a message. In the book, as soon as Chance is leaves the house, he is hit by the limousine.