Literary conflicts are another major element often taught during ELA units. Building on prior knowledge to achieve mastery level with our students is important. An excellent way to focus on the various types of literary conflict is through storyboarding. As students read The Great Gatsby, have them choose an example of each literary conflict and depict it using the storyboard creator!
In the storyboard above, each cell contains a particular type of conflict. For the example, the kind of conflict is displayed and visually represented as well as an explanation of the scene and how it fits the particular category of conflict.
Gatsby and Tom's fighting over Daisy
Nick's moral confusion at being an accessory to Tom’s infidelity.
Nick is overwhelmed by grief and irritation when no one will attend Gatsby’s funeral.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in The Great Gatsby.
Ask students to identify the central themes in the story. Themes can be identified by focusing on the plot, main characters, and their actions. The moral of the story is also an important element in identifying themes.
Help students in identifying the types of literary conflicts occurring throughout the story. As already mentioned, the key conflicts can be of several kinds such as Man vs Man, Man vs Self, Man vs Society, Man vs Fate, etc.
Ask the students to draw connections between each struggle and the main themes or ideas in the narrative. Talk about how these concepts are highlighted and reinforced by the conflicts.
Introduce students to the concept of providing textual evidence. They can suggest specific quotes said by any of the characters and use the author's intentions to convey certain themes.
Teachers can encourage students to convert certain literary conflicts into illustrations or other forms of visual arts. This can help in finding underlying lessons and messages.
The struggle between the individual and fate is essential to the tragedy of "The Great Gatsby." Gatsby could not fight his fate and this sort of conflict always results in the success of fate. Gatsby’s fight against fate was one of the main events that led to his terrible demise.
The way all sorts of conflicts are handled in "The Great Gatsby" contributes to the book's message on the transience of dreams and the results of upholding false ideals. The sad results of the fights highlight the futility of the protagonists' goals.
The conflict between character and society is a major theme in the book, as characters like Gatsby and Myrtle attempt to transcend their social standing and assimilate into the upper class. Their quest for acceptance and recognition in a culture that prioritizes status and wealth gives rise to conflict. The use of the American Dream throughout the novel also tells the audience how important it is for people to achieve that sort of standing in society.
The Great Gatsby presents many universal themes and common difficulties faced by every human being. Hence the modern audience can still relate to the novel's examination of money, love, and identity is still pertinent in today's world.