In this article, you’ll find Quick Write prompts for each chapter of The Great Gatsby and The Hate U Give. These prompts can help you check students’ understanding and support analysis and reflection as you work through a novel in class.

Here are the types of novel-based prompts we offer:

Analyze	Standards-aligned questions on the key ideas and craft choices in a chapter for students to analyze and support with evidence. Questions deepen students’ understanding of a novel and allow teachers to assess student understanding.
Reflect	Accessible questions that invite students to make personal connections or think more deeply about one part of a chapter.
Argue	Prompts that ask students to take a position on an idea from the chapter and develop a short argument, supporting their response with evidence from their text.

If you have feedback on the prompts or would like to request prompts for other novels, please use this form!

The Great Gatsby

Click each header to view and assign prompts for that chapter.

Chapter 1

Reflect: Though readers do not meet Gatsby in Chapter 1, several characters refer to him. Describe your initial impression of Gatsby, using details from the text to explain your thinking. (Assign)
Argue: At the start of the novel, Nick explains that he tries not to judge others. In your opinion, does he successfully avoid judgmental thoughts in Chapter 1? (Assign)
Analyze: The Great Gatsby opens with the narrator, Nick Carraway, reflecting on how advice from his father has affected his life. Read the excerpt from the start of the novel. What do these paragraphs reveal about how Nick sees himself? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: How does Nick feel about wealthy individuals like Tom Buchanan? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: Choose either Nick Carraway or Tom Buchanan. How does this character’s home reflect his personality? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: When describing her dreams for her young daughter, Daisy says, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” What does this comment tell readers about Daisy’s view of the world? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)

Chapter 2

Reflect: Readers see the trip to New York through Nick’s eyes. How might this chapter be different if it was told from Tom’s perspective? Explain at least three details that you think Tom would describe differently. (Assign)
Reflect: What advice would you give Myrtle at the end of this chapter? (Assign)
Analyze: Fitzgerald starts this chapter in a new setting: the valley of ashes. How does this setting contrast with the suburban area of East and West Egg? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: Nick describes how Myrtle acts with her her husband and with Tom. Explain one way Myrtle changes when she goes to New York. (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: What does Tom’s behavior in New York City reveal about his character? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: At the party in New York, Nick comments that he is “simultaneously enchanted and repelled” by what he witnesses. Find one place in the text where Nick feels “enchanted” and one place where he feels “repelled.” Explain how these moments show Nick’s conflicting feelings about the party guests’ lifestyle. (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)

Chapter 3

Reflect: Would you enjoy being a guest at one of Gatsby’s parties? Why or why not? (Assign)
Analyze: In this chapter, Nick attends one of Gatsby’s extravagant parties for the first time. Does Nick present the upper-class guests in a positive or negative light? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: Nick describes Jordan as “incurably dishonest.” According to Nick, why does Jordan lie? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: Readers don’t meet Gatsby until the end of this chapter. How does Fitzgerald build suspense around Gatsby’s introduction? (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)

Chapter 4

Reflect: Towards the end of the chapter, the narrator remarks,“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.” Which of these descriptions do you think applies to Gatsby? Why? (Assign)
Analyze: In this chapter, readers learn that Gatsby and Daisy had a relationship several years ago. How has Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy shaped his life since then? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details (Assign)
Analyze: How does Nick’s opinion of Gatsby change over the course of the chapter? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: This chapter includes a flashback from Jordan’s point of view. How does the use of a flashback help readers understand Daisy and Tom’s relationship? (RL.5: Text Structure) (Assign)

Chapter 5

Reflect: In this chapter, Nick does Gatsby a favor and invites Daisy over for tea. Why do you think Nick goes along with Gatsby’s plan? (Assign)
Analyze: Gatsby and Daisy’s reunion is told from Nick’s point of view. How does this perspective affect the reader’s understanding of their meeting? (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)
Analyze: How does the weather in this chapter reflect Gatsby’s and Daisy’s feelings for one another? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: In this excerpt, Nick questions where Gatsby’s money comes from. Explain what Gatsby’s answers suggest about his past. (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: In this excerpt, Gatsby shows Nick and Daisy his shirts. What causes Daisy’s emotional reaction to the clothes? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)

Chapter 6

Reflect: Readers learn more about Gatsby’s past in this chapter. Does knowing the truth about Gatsby’s earlier life change your opinion of him? (Assign)
Argue: Nick tells Gatsby, “You can’t repeat the past.” Gatsby replies, “Why of course you can!” Which character do you agree with, and why? (Assign)
Analyze: At the start of the chapter, the reader learns about Gatsby’s earlier life as James Gatz. How did Gatsby’s early experiences impact the choices he made later? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: Tom says, “I may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me.” How do Tom’s words show that he is hypocritical? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)
Analyze: How does Fitzgerald foreshadow conflict between Tom and Gatsby? (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)

Chapter 7

Reflect: Why do you think Daisy ultimately chooses Tom over Gatsby? (Assign)
Reflect: At the end of this chapter, Nick looks through a window and sees Tom and Daisy in their kitchen, talking. Imagine the conversation between Tom and Daisy. What do you think they are saying? (Assign)
Analyze: Several secrets are revealed in this chapter. Choose one of the secrets and explain how it impacts the novel’s plot. (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: What causes Gatsby to stop throwing parties? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: How do Fitzgerald’s descriptions of the weather create suspense in this chapter? (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)

Chapter 8

Reflect: Gatsby’s death scene has very little description. Why do you think Fitzgerald chose to provide so few details about this important moment in the plot? (Assign)
Argue: In your opinion, which character or characters are most to blame for the tragedies in this chapter? (Assign)
Analyze: Re-read George Wilson’s conversation with Michaelis. What do the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg represent for Wilson? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: In this chapter, Gatsby tells Nick the truth about his past. How does this final interaction affect Nick’s feelings towards Gatsby? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: As Nick leaves Gatsby the morning after the accident, he remarks, “They’re a rotten crowd.” Who are “they,” and what does Nick mean by this? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)
Analyze: Writers use irony to create suspense or humor. A situation is ironic if what actually happens is different from characters’ expectations. Often, writers create irony by letting readers know something a character doesn’t. What is one reason that Gatsby’s death is ironic? (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)

Chapter 9

Reflect: Was this chapter a satisfying ending to the novel? Why or why not? (Assign)
Analyze: The chapter ends by revisiting the green light at the edge of the Buchanans’ dock. What does this light represent? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: Choose either Wolfsheim or Klipspringer and examine his reaction to Gatsby’s death. What does this reaction reveal about that man’s relationship with Gatsby? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: What motivates Nick to return to the Midwest? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)

The Hate U Give

Click each header to view and assign prompts for those chapters.

Chapters 1–2

Reflect: Do the events of Chapter 2 remind you of any stories you’ve seen in the news or heard from people you know? Briefly describe what you were reminded of, and explain how it connects to the story. (Assign)
Analyze: Why does Starr struggle to fit in with her peers in Garden Heights? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 1, Starr suspects Khalil is selling drugs. Why does she come to this conclusion? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: Chapter 2 includes flashbacks to Starr’s father giving her advice about how to behave around the police. How do these flashbacks build tension throughout the chapter? (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)

Chapters 3–4

Reflect: In Chapter 4, Starr and her family discuss getting justice for Khalil. Choose one of the following questions to respond to:
- Option 1: Based on what you’ve read so far, what would justice look like to Starr? Write a paragraph describing what you think Starr hopes will happen next.
- Option 2: What fears might Starr have around justice being served? Why? Write a paragraph explaining what you think Starr fears will happen next. (Assign)
Analyze: Why is Starr so bothered by the sympathy she receives from people in her community? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Note: Students can answer this prompt using evidence from either Chapter 3 or Chapter 4.
Analyze: In Chapters 3 and 4, Starr always refers to the police officer who shot Khalil using his badge number, “One-Fifteen,” even after learning his real name. What is one reason that Starr calls the officer “One-Fifteen”? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)
Analyze: Choose either Maverick or Uncle Carlos. How has this character’s life experience shaped his views on the police? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Note: Students should answer this prompt using evidence from Chapter 4.

Chapters 5–6

Argue: In Chapter 5, Starr reveals that her friend Hailey unfollowed her on social media. Starr comments, “Unfollowing me is the same as saying ‘I don’t like you anymore.’” Do you think it’s true that Hailey doesn’t like Starr? (Assign)
Analyze: How is “Williamson Starr” different from the other Starr? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Note: Students can answer this prompt using evidence from either Chapter 5 or Chapter 6.
Analyze: In Chapter 5, Starr’s friends describe their spring breaks. What does this conversation reveal about how their lives are different from Starr’s? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: What role does The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air play in Starr and Chris’s relationship? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: At the end of Starr’s interview at the police station in Chapter 6, Starr’s mother asks the detectives: “Are y’all putting Khalil and Starr on trial or the cop who killed him?” Re-read the interview, paying attention to Detective Gomez’s questions. How do her words put Khalil and Starr “on trial”? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)
Analyze: When Starr is interviewed by the police in Chapter 6, her narration switches between what she says out loud and her own internal monologue. Choose one moment in the interview where what Starr says differs from what she thinks. Explain what the difference reveals about her feelings. (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)

Chapters 7–8

Reflect: In Chapter 7, after Khalil is called a “suspected drug dealer” on the news, Starr reflects, “‘Drug dealer’ is louder than ‘suspected’ ever will be.” What does this comment suggest about how people see Khalil? (Assign)
Reflect: In Chapter 8, Starr encounters Just Us for Justice, a fictional organization. Compare Just Us for Justice to an individual or group that campaigns for racial justice in the real world, and write a paragraph explaining how the two are similar or different. (Assign)
Analyze: What does Starr and Uncle Carlos’s conversation in Chapter 7 reveal about their relationship? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 8, why doesn’t Ms. Rosalie want King and his gang to pay for or attend Khalil’s funeral? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: Why does Starr feel like she’s being “phony” about her friendship with Khalil? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Note: Students can answer this prompt using evidence from either Chapter 7 or Chapter 8.

Chapters 9–11

Reflect: Imagine you’re Starr’s friend and she asks you if she should tell Chris about Khalil’s death. What advice would you give her after reading Chapter 9? (Assign)
Reflect: In Chapter 11, Starr is upset that Hailey’s brother started a “Justice for Khalil” protest just to get out of class for a day. However, Starr also thinks some students at the school might genuinely care about Khalil’s death. In your opinion, was it right or wrong for other students to join the protest? (Assign)
Analyze: How are DeVante and Khalil similar? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Note: Students can answer this prompt using evidence from either Chapter 9 or Chapter 10.
Analyze: In Chapter 9, during the protests, Starr calls Garden Heights a “war zone.” Why does she describe the neighborhood this way? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 10, how does Starr’s father use his own history with gangs to help DeVante? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: How does the Williamson High protest affect Starr in Chapter 11? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)

Chapters 12–13

Reflect: Why do you think Starr starts her Tumblr blog about Khalil in Chapter 12? (Assign)
Analyze: At the end of Chapter 12, Starr decides to testify to the grand jury. How does Natasha’s death influence Starr’s decision? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: By the time Starr’s father meets Chris in Chapter 13, readers already know a lot about Starr and Chris’s relationship. How does this knowledge help readers understand Starr’s feelings during Maverick and Chris’s introduction? (RL.6: Purpose & Point of View) (Assign)
Analyze: Near the end of Chapter 13, Starr reflects on why DeVante and Khalil sold drugs: “Neither one of them thought they had much of a choice. If I were them, I’m not sure I’d make a much better one. Guess that makes me a thug too.” What does this suggest about Starr’s opinion of “thugs”? How has her opinion changed since the beginning of the novel? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)

Chapters 14–15

Reflect: In Chapter 14, Starr feels guilty for laughing at Hailey’s racist joke about Maya’s family. She notes: “That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us.” Consider Maya and Starr’s experience and your own experiences with similar comments. Choose one of the following questions to respond to:
- Option 1: Why do you think it is hard for some bystanders to speak up when they hear racist comments?
- Option 2: When someone is the target of racist comments, why could it be hard for that person to speak up? (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 14, Starr watches a TV interview with the police officer’s father. The interview uses positive stereotypes to describe the White officer and anti-Black stereotypes to describe Khalil. Choose two of the stereotypes in the interview. Explain how these stereotypes influence viewers’ understanding of the shooting. (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 15, Starr and her father discuss her relationship with Chris. Choose one word or phrase to describe how Maverick feels about Starr’s relationship. Explain how this word or phrase captures Maverick’s feelings. (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: At the end of Chapter 15, after Seven says he’s going to the local community college so he can stay with his mother and sisters, Starr points out that Seven always calls his mother’s place a “house,” not a “home.” What does this suggest about Seven’s feelings towards his family? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)

Chapters 16–17

Reflect: In Chapter 16, Starr argues that “if bravery is a medical condition, everybody’s misdiagnosed me.” Do you think Starr is brave? Why or why not? (Assign)
Analyze: Why does Starr’s father change his mind about moving out of Garden Heights in Chapter 16? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 16, Starr compares her news interview to a fist fight. For example, she calls one of her answers “a hook straight to the jaw” and another a “jab to the mouth.” How do these descriptions help readers understand Starr’s feelings during the interview? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)
Analyze: Why is Chris upset with Starr in Chapter 17? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: During her fight with Chris in Chapter 17, Starr reflects: “As much as I say I don’t have to choose which Starr I am with Chris, maybe without realizing it, I have to an extent. Part of me feels like I can’t exist around people like him.” Why does Starr feel this way? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)

Chapters 18–19

Reflect: In Chapter 19, Starr’s mother says that bravery means “you go on even though you’re scared.” Does this definition of bravery remind you of any experiences you’ve had or stories about other people? Describe a memory the text brings up for you. (Assign)
Analyze: How does Starr overcome her fear in order to speak before the grand jury? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)

Note: Students can answer this prompt using evidence from either Chapter 18 or Chapter 19.
Analyze: In this excerpt from Chapter 18, why does Maverick make Starr recite the Black Panthers’ Ten-Point Program and Malcolm X’s objective? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: As Starr arrives at the courthouse in Chapter 19, she has a flashback to a different experience at the same place. Read the excerpt. How does this memory help readers understand Starr’s feelings about going to court? (RL.5: Text Structure) (Assign)

Chapters 20–21

Reflect: In Chapters 20 and 21, the characters are waiting for the grand jury decision. What do you think the verdict will be? Why? (Assign)
Reflect: Hailey’s father argues that Starr and Seven “started” the fight with Hailey and Remy. Who do you think started the fight? (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 20, Starr looks at two pictures of Khalil: his police mugshot and a picture from Starr’s 12th birthday. Read the excerpt. Based on her reaction to the photos, how has Starr’s understanding of Khalil changed since the start of the novel? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: Why does Starr’s father meet with the gangs in Chapter 20? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 21, Seven has a heated argument with his mother, Iesha. Why is Seven so angry with his mother? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: The author ends Chapter 21 with this line: “Good days don’t last forever though.” How does this line influence readers’ understanding of the plot? (RL.5: Text Structure) (Assign)

Chapters 22–23

Argue: In Chapter 23, Starr notes: “People say misery loves company, but I think it’s like that with anger too.” In other words, when some people feel sad or angry, they want others to feel the same way. Do you agree that this is true? Why or why not? (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 22, why does Starr say that she and Chris “shouldn’t be together”? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: How does Starr’s opinion of Iesha change in Chapter 22? Why? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: Compare Chris’s reaction to the grand jury decision to Seven’s, DeVante’s, and Starr’s reactions. How is Chris’s reaction different? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: At the start of Chapter 23, Starr wants to riot over the grand jury decision. However, after she joins the crowd on Magnolia, she starts to change her mind. Find one place in the text where Starr feels conflicted about the riots. Quote the line and explain what it shows about Starr’s feelings. (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)

Chapters 24–26

Reflect: At the end of Chapter 25, Maverick invites Chris to the boxing gym and says, “You can learn a lot about a man at a boxing gym.” What do you think will happen when Maverick and Chris go to the gym? What will they talk about? (Assign)
Reflect: In the last section of Chapter 26, Starr lists the names of Black people who have been killed by police, and then she says that she believes “it’ll change one day” because “people are realizing and shouting and marching and demanding. They’re not forgetting.” Do you believe that these realizations, marches, and demands will lead to change? Why or why not? (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 24, April Ofrah say that Starr’s voice is her “biggest weapon.” How is Starr’s voice a “weapon” in this chapter? (RL.4: Vocabulary & Language) (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 25, multiple people in Garden Heights tell the police that King was the one to burn Starr’s father’s store down, and DeVante decides to become a witness. What do these actions show about how Starr’s community has changed? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: How does Maverick’s opinion of Chris change in Chapter 25? (RL.3: Connecting Ideas) (Assign)
Analyze: In Chapter 26, why does Starr decide to end her friendship with Hailey? (RL.2: Main Ideas & Details) (Assign)
Analyze: At the end of the novel, the author lists the names of real people who have been killed by police. What message does the author send by including this list? (RL.5: Text Structure) (Assign)

Looking for more writing prompts? Check out our assignment library.

Return to top

Was this article helpful?

Prompts for analyzing novels (by chapter)