Many students get assignments to write essays papers, personal reflections, or reviews on specific books to learn how to organize their thoughts based on the readings. In most cases, tutors assign many papers on the book “The Great Gatsby” due to controversial themes discussed in this work by F. Scott Fitzgerald and force students to follow the rules of MLA citation. Hence, people need to learn how to create the Great Gatsby MLA citation to write good papers. Basically, students need to mention the name of the author and the page number where the paraphrased information was taken. Hence, this article serves to help students to organize their papers with the proper MLA citation for the Great Gatsby book with themes and characters’ aspirations.
Reading the Book “The Great Gatsby”
The book “The Great Gatsby” demonstrates individual struggles to achieve their dreams. By following the Great Gatsby MLA citation, Wolfsheim confesses how he aided Jay Gatsby to gather riches after he participated in World War I and explains why he would not attend the funnel (Fitzgerald 182 ). Basically, Wolfsheim’s confession illustrates that Jay does not accumulate his riches while serving the nation as a soldier, as he had earlier claimed. Moreover, Nick’s determination in education and Jordan’s attempt to be considered the best in sports illustrates their aspirations to succeed. Therefore, it is essential to read the book because this work shows how individuals strive to achieve their ambitions.
MLA Citation for the Great Gatsby Book
When citing the book, writers should consider using the MLA citation format due to the availability of editions. In the Work Cited page, one should consider writing the author’s name, book’s title in italics, publisher, and publication year. If there is a link, students need to provide a link to the book for readers to easily access the text in that order. In turn, since the book is published after 1900, there is no need to use the citation of the publication by considering the Great Gatsby MLA 9 Citation. Therefore, one must use the appropriate MLA format on the Work Cited page.
Basic MLA Book Citation Format for The Great Gatsby on the Works Cited Page:
Formula: Surname, Name. Book’s Title. Publisher, Publication Year.
Example: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribner, 2004.
Example of the Work Cited entry with the link: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925, www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/the-great-gatsby.pdf. Accessed 8 June 2020.
MLA In-Text Citation for the Great Gatsby
Considering that the book is divided into pages, individuals should include the surname of the author and the page number in the in-text citation for readers to find the cited information in the original source. In this case, to avoid plagiarism, individuals provide in-text citations, covering the rules for the Great Gatsby MLA citation. Therefore, one must provide in-text citations with page numbers appropriately to avoid plagiarism.
In MLA 9, direct quotes must be in parentheses:
For example, “my family have been prominent, well-to-do people in
this middle-western city for three generations” (Fitzgerald 4).
In MLA 9, paraphrased evidence must not match directly and must be cited without parentheses:
For example, his family was wealthy for three generations in the middle-western part of the city (Fitzgerald 4).
Major Themes in The Great Gatsby and Examples of MLA Citation
The Theme of Society and Social Class
In the book, the dominant issue involves the different kinds of society and the impact of social class. Between East and West Egg, there is a valley of ashes, where George resides and can be easily described with rising smoke (Fitzgerald 26). In this case, the valley illustrates the differences experienced in societies, such as variations in activities and structures. It is because of disparities in social class. Thus, the description of life in West Egg, East Egg, and that of Valley of Ashes helps the audience in understanding society and influences of social class.
The Theme of Love
The idea of love is prevalent in the book. Fitzgerald uses Jay as the primary protagonist, who is later killed due to involvement in a love triangle with Daisy. For example, Jay explained to Nick that Daisy was the first upper-class girl she dated, but she was married to Tom Buchanan (Fitzgerald 158). Basically, Jay’s story illustrates that he struggles to acquire wealth, to an extent using wicked ways, to win Daisy back, although she is the one who contributes to his death. Therefore, the author develops the theme of love by narrating how Jay made an effort to acquire riches to please Daisy.
The Theme of Money
Fitzgerald develops the issue of money by illustrating the powers and luxury that accompany wealthy individuals. By considering the MLA citation for the Great Gatsby reading, Nick narrates how Jay held parties every weekend, inviting many men and women in an attempt to please Daisy (Fitzgerald 43). In turn, Jay was denied an opportunity to marry Daisy. Basically, he would not meet her needs, and this aspect motivated him to use all means to build up riches. Hence, money was considered a powerful tool since it influenced Daisy to marry Tom, although she did not love him.
Characters’ Aspirations In Achieving Ambitions
Jay Gatsby:
- served in the military in an attempt to make more money;
- involved in unethical business activities to accumulate wealth;
- held parties at his mansion every weekend to please Daisy in an attempt to win her back.
Nick Carraway:
- was a graduate of Yala University;
- wanted to become a bond trader after graduation.
Jordan Baker:
- tried to cheat in a competition to be awarded as a winner as a professional golfer.
Summing Up on The Great Gatsby MLA Citation
The reading “The Great Gatsby” illustrates how ambitions influence individuals to work hard. To organize good papers, students need to create proper MLA entries for the book on the Works Cited page. Also, they must provide MLA in-text citations with the surname of the author and page numbers appropriately. It is important to avoid plagiarism by following the rules of the Great Gatsby MLA citation. In turn, Fitzgerald develops the theme of love, money, society, and social class in his book by considering the characters’ aspirations in achieving ambitions.