Analyzing Word Choice: Grade 12 ELA

Analyzing Word Choice: Grade 12 ELA

Read the following passage carefully. Then, answer the questions that follow, paying close attention to the author's word choice and its impact on the text.

Passage from 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald:

''And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer. There was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away. This responsiveness, which had nothing to do with the flabby impressionability of the professional dream-holder, was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again. No—Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.''

1. What is the primary connotation of the word 'gorgeous' as used to describe Gatsby?

2. The phrase 'foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams' primarily suggests:

3. Analyze the impact of the simile 'as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away' on the reader's understanding of Gatsby's 'heightened sensitivity.'

4. How does the juxtaposition of 'abortive sorrows' and 'short-winded elations' contribute to the overall tone of the narrator's reflection on human experience?

5. The word 'flabby' in 'flabby impressionability' suggests a lack of   or substance, contrasting with Gatsby's genuine responsiveness.

6. By describing Gatsby's hope as a 'romantic readiness,' the narrator implies a profound and almost   anticipation of life's possibilities.

7. The phrase 'life was beginning over again with the summer' indicates a pessimistic outlook on life's cyclical nature.

8. Discuss how Fitzgerald's choice of descriptive language throughout the passage establishes a complex and nuanced portrayal of Gatsby's character, particularly in relation to his dreams and the societal context of the novel.