Dracula Literature Group

Dracula Literary Group

Hello everyone! Welcome to Dracula Literary Group! I am so thrilled that you will be joining us! We meet Friday from 7:30-8:30 pm (Kyiv time). Dracula was published in 1897. Many themes and topics in the novel remain relevant today. There are several options for reading: the original and the graded (simplified/easier) versions. We will read approximately fifty pages a week for eight weeks.

Original text (B2/C1 Upper Int/Adv): https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200041h.html

Easier version (B1/B2 Int/Upper Int): https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/paul-nations-resources/readers/mid-frequency-graded-readers/The-Great-Gatsby-Simplified-4000-Version.pdf

Easiest version (Elementary/A2: To buy online):

https://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Readers-Level-Gatsby-Graded-ebook/dp/B0891SHNSN

Chapter summaries (If you want support with reading the novel or don't have time to read the chapter): https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/section1/

Audio book (Original version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9U43te3ZFw

Audio book (Easier version): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eayuRBrYN3k

Google Meet (To join online):

More information about your facilitator Laura: https://auroraenglish.wixsite.com/english

Week One: Friday, June 5: 5-6 pm

Introductions and Setting

1) Introduce ourselves and the literature we enjoy.

2) What is the geographical, historical and physical setting of the novel? You can do some research online.

3) What do you know about the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald? His wife Zelda?

4) What do you know about the Jazz Age? The Roaring Twenties?

5) What is the same and different from 1922 when the novel takes place? Think about Afghanistan, North America and the world.

6) Why is The Great Gatsby considered a great American novel?

6) What are your thoughts about the novel and the book club?

Here are some extra resources:

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARN6agiW7o

The 1920s: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AnCVV3Xr6qE

F. Scott Fitzgerald: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XvIXvD3AXz0&pp=ygUMRml0emdlcmFsZCBm

Week Two: Friday, June 12: 5-6 pm

Chapter One Discussion Questions

Try and answer the discussions questions. You do not need to answer every question.

1) What advice does the narrator's father give him? What does this tell us about the narrator?

2) What does the narrator say about Gatsby?

3) What is the narrator's name? Where is he from? What has he done? Where does he move to? Why?

4) What are East and West Egg?

5) Who are Daisy and Tom? Describe them.

6) Who is Jordan Baker? Why does she say "You live in West Egg" contemptuously (p. 11)?

7) What secret is revealed during dinner? What does this tell us about Tom and Daisy's relationship?

8) What does Daisy say about her daughter? Why?

9) What do we learn about Nick's love life? Why doesn't he get married?

10) Who does Nick see at the end of the chapter? Why doesn't he talk to him?

11) What is the purpose of the first chapter?

12) What are your thoughts about the book so far?