The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald captures the ideals of a society obsessed with wealth and status. Set in the 1920s during prohibition, the story is narrated by a young man named Nick Carraway. Nick meets Jay Gatsby, who is young, handsome, rich, and appears to have it all. However, he yearns for the one thing that will always be out of his reach, the love of Daisy Buchanan.
One of the beautiful things about stories are their underlying lessons, morals, or critiques. Teaching students to identify these hidden messages brings greater depth to their literary experiences, and storyboarding is a great way to teach these concepts. It allow the visuals or symbols to tell the stories, making the ideas easy for students to comprehend.
Examples of symbols in The Great Gatsby | Symbolism in Literature
Storyboard Text
EAST vs WEST
THE GREEN LIGHT
OVERLOOKING EYES
The division of East Egg from West Egg separates the newly rich from the historically wealthy families. In a way, east and west divides the upper class in two.
The green light symbolizes many things, principally, Gatsby's quest to obtain Daisy. The color of the light could be symbolic of the envy that Gatsby has over Tom, who has Daisy.
These all-seeing eyes watch the characters in the novel and ultimately act as a judge of their deeds.
THE VALLEY OF ASHES
"The Great Gatsby" Symbolism
OMINOUS WEATHER
The Valley of Ashes is a barren wasteland that separates the Eggs from New York City. It symbolizes the moral and social decay of America, portrayed through the working class.
Throughout the novel, various types of weather are used to foreshadow important events.