Originally published in the Hope College Blog by Rachel Leep.
In the last 100 years, The Great Gatsby has shot up to be one of the most popular books taught in high school English classrooms. Yet time and time again it is used in the same way, discussing symbolism of the green light and pursuit of the past. While this book is a great gateway to these conversations and others, teaching the book in a way that feels relevant to your students is an important step in getting them to really engage with the text. Here are some ideas of how you can add in some modern and personal elements to get students excited about some of these themes in The Great Gatsby.
The American Dream:
The pursuit of The American Dream and what it costs to get it has been a theme commonly talked about with The Great Gatsby. As Gatsby strives to get the social status and wealth, he thinks will help him succeed and be happy in life, he runs into a few bumps in the road along the way (pun intended). The novel reveals the dream’s flaws, as Gatsby’s success never grants him acceptance into “old money” society. The contrasting fates of Tom, Daisy, and the Wilsons also underscore how class barriers limit access to the dream and how wealth alone does not ensure happiness.
To bring this into a modern setting, start off this conversation by looking at who didn’t/doesn’t have equal access to an “American Dream,” or see if students can think of examples of people who have to try a lot harder to get to the same level of success that others seem to get much easier. You can connect this theme to modern ideas of success tied to education, homeownership, and financial stability. Students can explore the concept of “the American Dream” as it appears in news articles, interviews, and documentaries about student debt or housing affordability. Asking students to learn about their family members or community members’ examples of reaching for the American Dream could also open up some opportunities for authentic assessment.
Another approach is to have students create “dream boards.” This can be used for both characters and be applied to their own lives as well. Students can create a Pinterest board or create an Instagram account where they create a view of what each character is striving for and by what means they are accomplishing it. Students can either connect to a piece or two of their character’s or be challenged to create their own and talk about what they would need to do to accomplish their own “American Dream.”
Economic and Social Divides
The differences between East Egg, West Egg, and the Valley of Ashes has oftentimes been used to talk about social and economic divide at the time, especially through the lens of the consequences of the actions of characters in each section. The novel highlights how wealth and privilege shield the wealthy from consequences while the poor face disproportionate hardships.
The difference between the working class characters, the new money, and old money characters can be used to talk about historical and modern views of financial gain and the boundaries in the way of truly escaping social or financial classes.
One interactive way to get students thinking about this is to play “Gatsby Monopoly.” Rig a board game to have wealth and privilege affect the rules. You can split your class into East Egg, West Egg, and Valley of Ashes citizens and have corresponding cards that give certain rewards or punishments on each space. East Egg players might have special privileges, like skipping penalty squares, while Valley of Ashes players face stricter rules or have to pay out more for each penalty. After playing the game, discuss how it mirrors inequalities around class and privilege and connect it to a few modern examples of modern wealth inequality.
Another way to get your students to think interactively about the divides and the implications of each on the characters is to have them consider the unwritten rules of each section. Using textual evidence, have them write down the rules each character has to follow according to their social and economic status, and challenge them to find examples of where some characters break those rules.
Love versus Corrupted Obsession
At the heart of The Great Gatsby is the love story between Gatsby and Daisy. However, Gatsby’s obsessive love for Daisy is rooted in an idealized image of her, rather than the real woman. His pursuit of Daisy is tied to his desire for a perfect life, one in which he can recapture the past. The theme of illusion is also seen in other relationships, including Tom and Daisy’s marriage, which is built on convenience and mutual self-interest rather than genuine affection.
To make this discussion a bit more modern, bring in a lesson on toxic relationships. It can serve as a bit of SEL education to show examples of what is healthy in all types of relationships and what is not. To add a fun section to it, have students create advice columns or podcasts where they discuss whether Gatsby’s actions reflect love, obsession, or control. One fun take on the book that has become popular in the past year is to compare posting a Snapchat or Instagram story in hopes of just one person seeing it as a modern-day example of Gatsby throwing all the parties in the hopes that Daisy would show up to one. Using that you can pair this discussion with modern media portrayals of love and obsession in TV shows, movies, or social media trends.
Morality and Justice
One of the most fascinating parts to reading this book a few times is seeing how corrupt each character is at one point or another throughout the book. As I reread it recently, I found myself really realizing how hypocritical Nick is throughout the beginning. Throughout the novel, characters engage in morally questionable behaviors, often without facing any consequences. Tom’s infidelity, Daisy’s recklessness, and Gatsby’s illegal activities all reflect the moral decay at the heart of society in the Jazz Age. This can be a great area to bring up how pursuits of wealth, love, or status can turn corrupt when you are willing to do anything for them. This one can also be a great tie in for others above like the American Dream or social/economic divide.
For an activity about morality, have students research modern examples of wealthy individuals or celebrities avoiding consequences (e.g., celebrity scandals or corporate misconduct). Students can create case studies comparing real-world figures to Tom and Daisy to discuss fairness, justice, and privilege.
You can also have students act as characters and “go to court” for their actions. Each character is charged with a “crime” (like Tom’s infidelity, Daisy’s recklessness, or Gatsby’s illegal business dealings), and students must argue for or against their guilt. Students can fight against their charge with reasoning from the book or accept their guilt and explain why they know it is wrong. Have a jury of students decide whether or not the characters are guilty.
The Past
One of the most famous lines from the book: “Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!” spoken by Gatsby is used commonly as one of the most popular themes of the book. Gatsby believes in the possibility of recapturing his perfect moments with Daisy, and many of his motivations stem from this want to return to those moments. However, Fitzgerald suggests that time moves forward, and the past can never be fully reclaimed. Gatsby’s inability to accept this is a major factor in his downfall, as he fails to recognize that both he and Daisy have changed over the years.
To make this connect to modern times a bit more, have students think about nostalgia culture in society and media. From videos romanticizing different eras to reboots of classic TV shows hoping to continue a good thing, there are lots of examples of how our society yearns for some things to go back in time. Have students create a presentation on how modern society’s obsession with nostalgia mirrors Gatsby’s fixation on his past. Discuss how this affects mental well-being and the desire to “relive” better times instead of focusing on the present or creating new things.
Have students do a quick write about one embarrassing or good moment in the past they would like to redo/ have another chance of living. Have them think about the consequences of wanting to change the past instead of living in the future or how their lives would change if they could actually redo or live in the past. You can also tie this activity into Gatsby’s life. Have them write a scene in which Gatsby does get a chance to rewrite the past. Have them predict how this change would affect the events of the story, especially the ending.
These are just a few of the many themes within the book but thinking about activities that will allow students to connect themes to modern culture or their lives can help them get excited about a book that is 100 years old!
The post Bringing the Themes in The Great Gatsby to Life appeared first on Big Read Lakeshore.
