Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And To Kill A Mockingbird

Multiple regularly challenged books have a tremendous educational value that can’t be expressed as profoundly through clean-cut novels. Many challenged novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby are taught as a part of the literary curriculum in schools (ALA). For example, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird has been challenged countlessly for profanity and it’s controversial racial themes, but the extended metaphor of the children’s relationship with Boo Radley throughout the novel is a literary staple that has inspired many books to come. All throughout the book Scout and Jem, the two main children, are scared of Boo Radley, the local “ghost.” They give into a million rumors and are terrified and curious about this mystical being.
Boo is a comparison to the radical racism at the time and Lee’s innocent take on the children being afraid of a “ghost,” reflects how people were afraid of African-Americans in a way that can be understood by all ages. How are we to teach about how to exalt prejudice if we do not show them what it is? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has also been challenged and banned in many areas for language, sexual references, and the “party lifestyle” that are showcased throughout the book (ALA). One of the reasons that The Great Gatsby is taught in schools is because of its astounding symbolism using the weather and color. Multiple colors have a deeper meaning in the novel, but the most substantial may be the color green. The color green is a symbol of hope and greed. Gatsby stares at a green light shining from Daisy’s porch, longing for her undying love. When he eventually receives it, it’s simply not enough; he demands Daisy to say that she never loved her husband, Tom. Gatsby’s greed leads to an argument with Daisy’s husband on the hottest day of the