Emily Kwon

Ms. Storer
English 3H Block 1
February 19, 2020
Socratic Seminar Reflection on The Great Gatsby
My fourth Socratic Seminar was a chance for me to understand F. Scott Fitzgerald’s
novel The Great Gatsby under new light. Because of the past seminars in which I learned how to
speak up when necessary and hold back when others are sharing their valuable opinions, I could
share my perspective when need be. I also had more things to contribute to the circle and utilize
concrete textual evidence. On the discussion of whether Gatsby’s love for Daisy is genuine or
not, I commented that Gatsby is only attracted to Daisy’s wealth because of his poor upbringing
and a strong desire to achieve success in his life. Daisy is more lovable to Gatsby when he
realizes that others also seek her attention. For a man eager to rise above his background and live
in prosperity, Daisy and success are inseparable concepts, and the outward love of Daisy is in
fact mere obsession for a life of glory. I could share my view on the other side of the discussion
as well when I mentioned how love is a sacrifice. When Myrtle’s death becomes a potential
catalyst that could destroy the life of her killer, Daisy, Gatsby is more than willing to take the
blame. The possibility of the dismantling of his entire career and a successful life that he has
built up for years does not affect Gatsby, who is ready to sacrifice his life for what he values the
most – Daisy. Because my opinions aligned with some of the viewpoints and contradicted others,
I believe the members of my circle could gain a deeper understanding of Gatsby’s true character.
The discussion about the relationship between money and social status was an opportunity for
me to perceive the real meaning of social success. I was surprised to find out that most of the
members, including myself, agreed that Nick’s high social capital is an evidence that money does
not hold significant value in human relationships and personal reliability. Overall, the Socratic
seminar allowed me to appreciate the depth of the novel and comprehend the message of the
author about the definition of success. For the next seminar, I will come up with original ideas
that might contradict the others’ opinion and therefore deepen the group’s understanding.
The inner circle in which I participated in was able to build up on each other’s ideas and
engage in an active discussion on various topics. The conversation rarely stopped, and because
everyone was eager to contribute to the seminar, numerous viewpoints were explored. One of the
most original opinions shared in the discussion was John’s assertion that Gatsby’s determination
and the ability to focus on a certain goal explains his mindset toward Daisy. This allowed me to
think over Gatsby’s attitude throughout the novel while he was trying to get the love of his life
and gain a perceptive insight on his character. I think young Gatsby’s journal that John used as
an evidence was an original evidence. While most people focus on Nick’s narratives or the
characters’ dialogues, John was able to gain an insightful understanding from something else.
Furthermore, Christian’s opinion that the fact that social status means nothing is reflected in
Gatsby’s funeral was helpful for my comprehension.
If I were to write an imaginary essay on The Great Gatsby, my thesis would be “Personal
qualities that set a person apart is a strong foundation of social capital, while money proves
insignificant in the most important times.” The first paragraph would focus on how Nick
establishes a strong social stance among the wealthy people of New York despite his low
income. The next paragraph would discuss how people failed to remain faithful to Gatsby despite
the pleasures they enjoyed with Gatsby’s money. In the last paragraph, I would examine how
reliability and respectable background could have improved Gatsby’s social status.
My imaginary thesis is widely reflected in the world of credit and materialism. Although
it is an undeniable fact that money heightens one’s social status and high social status attracts
more money, this is not the case for all. We often witness the fall of the prosperous due to the
lack of respectability and reproachable social actions. Many times the people of less affluence
gain more honor. This leads to the question of what truly defines the success of human life.