The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Lexile
- 1070L
- Grade range
- Grades 10–12
- Age range
- Ages 15–18
- Pages
- 180
- First published
- 1925
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780743273565
About this book
Narrator Nick Carraway moves to 1920s Long Island and becomes entangled in the world of his wealthy, mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby. The novel tracks Gatsby's obsession with Daisy Buchanan, the wife of an old-money rival, against a Jazz Age backdrop of decadence and moral emptiness. Widely studied for its prose style, symbolism, and critique of the American Dream.
Themes
- American Dream
- wealth and class
- obsession
- illusion and reality
- Jazz Age
- unrequited love
Content notes
- infidelity
- alcohol use
- vehicular death
- domestic violence
Common Sense Media recommends age 14+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
- required· 11th gradesource: AP Lit — commonly cited in free-response question 3
- recommended· 11th gradesource: AP Lit summer-reading expectation — rising AP Lit student
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 11th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 11-CCR exemplar
- recommended· 11th grade · Massachusettssource: MA ELA Framework aligned reading
- recommended· 11th grade · New Yorksource: NY Next Gen Learning Standards aligned reading
- recommended· 11th grade · New Yorksource: NYC DOE grade 11 ELA core text
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is The Great Gatsby?
- The Great Gatsby is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 10–12, with a Lexile measure of 1070L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Great Gatsby?
- The Great Gatsby has a Lexile measure of 1070L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign The Great Gatsby?
- The Great Gatsby appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Great Gatsby banned in schools?
- The Great Gatsby does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does The Great Gatsby explore?
- Central themes in The Great Gatsby include American Dream, wealth and class, obsession, illusion and reality, Jazz Age. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.