All content and examples in this section from the official MLA Style Center.
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In-text citation
While the green light in The Great Gatsby might be said to chiefly symbolize four main things: optimism, the unattainability of the American dream, greed, and covetousness (“Describe the symbolism”), arguably the most important—the one that ties all four themes together—is greed.
Works-Cited-List Entry
“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by
F.Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023,
chat.openai.com/chat.
In-text citation
When asked to describe the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby, ChatGPT provided a summary about optimism, the unattainability of the American dream, greed, and covetousness. However, when further prompted to cite the source on which that summary was based, it noted that it lacked “the ability to conduct research or cite sources independently” but that it could “provide a list of scholarly sources related to the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby” (“In 200 words”).
Works-Cited-List Entry
“In 200 words, describe the symbolism of the green light in The Great
Gatsby” follow-up prompt to list sources. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version,
OpenAI, 9 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.