Study Questions to Accompany

“Apogee of Fitzgerald’s Mythopoeia”

By Neila Seshachari

Complete the following tasks in your Source Book.

Define the following terms:

1. apogee

2. mythopoeia

3. apotheosis

4. avatar

5. votary

Answer the following questions:

6. What do you understand “The American Dream” to mean (in your own words)?

7. According the Seshachari, what is the difference between the traditional American Dream and Gatsby’s quest?

8. In what way does the author argue that the yacht is mythic?

9. In what way is the “girl” (Daisy) mythic?

10. Seshachari states that “Gatsby’s death in his swimming pool thus symbolically become the scene of his rebirth and apotheosis . . . Gatsby truly rises to the stature of a mythic hero.” In your opinion, in what ways might Gatsby be “reborn”?

11. Why is Jay Gatsby “great”?

12. What are two additional questions or ideas that you have after reading this article?