Name

Expository Writing
Ms. Johnson
May 5, 2017

The Great Gatsby Essay Self-Assessment

Literary Analysis Research Paper

1. Write a brief summary describing the main point of your essay.

My essay is explaining the opinion that The Great Gatsby is a satire making fun of the idea of
the American Dream. I support my thesis with several points, including the importance of the themes of
self-improvement, money and power, and the rich people of the 1920s.

2. Is your thesis strong? Why or why not?

I believe that my thesis is strong and supported by facts. I use several pieces of evidence in my
story that backs up my opinion. I also clearly vocalize my opinion and use logic to make the reader view
the story as I do.

3. What is the most well-developed part of your essay? Explain why its so fantastic.

I believe that the most well developed part of my essay is the second body paragraph in which I
talk about the importance of money on society and people in the 1920s. I think that this is the best part
of my essay not only because it is compelling, but also because, in it, I use the most evidence to support
my claims.

4. How do you transition and tie your ideas together?

I tried to transition between every point I made, whether it was a broad one from paragraph to
paragraph, or chaining together a set of points in a paragraph. I made sure to tie all ideas to the main
thesis whenever I made a transition which I feel is a good quality in my essay.

5. Why should the reader believe what you have to say? What makes you reliable?

In my essay, I support my opinions with facts and research. Readers will always trust someone
who is well-informed or just acts it. However, for this piece I actually believe that I knew enough about
the subject matter to form an opinion on it and compare it with others.
6. How does your conclusion tie up your main ideas? How does it leave the reader thinking?

My conclusion is formatted so that the main ideas and points of the piece are summarized. This
serves as a recap for the reader of all that they have witnessed throughout my essay and the main points
that I want everyone to see from it. It leaves the reader thinking not by asking a question, but by
suggesting that the reader re-read the story to gain more information about why my hypothesis is
correct.