Color In The Great Gatsby Analysis

The use of color plays a very important role in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, Great Gatsby. Throughout the novel, the reader may observe countless, subtle, descriptions of the colors relating to the environment and the characters alike. To the untrained eye, these seemingly minor illustrations of color may seem like an average addition to the setting. However, in this case, that is untrue. Fitzgerald, in his brilliance, carefully coordinated the presence of color to coincide with specific events or the mood/tone of the story. Each color has its own meaning and place in the events of the novel.
The overall meaning of the color gold in the story is quite easy to ascertain. As you progress through the novel, it becomes clear that gold represents “old …show more content…
It represents illusion, depression, unhappiness and things of that nature. Trent Lorcher’s article on Bright Hub Education also agreed in the fact that blue represents illusion in the story. A quote near the end of the book assists in proving this fact. Referring to Gatsby’s death and burial, Nick says at the end of the novel that, “he had come a long way to this blue lawn” (pg. 180). Nick uses the word “blue” in its most widely known meaning when referring to an emotion. Nick considered Gatsby to be an amazing individual throughout the story and he ends up in such a sad place so the term “blue” can easily perceived as sad, gloomy and unhappy. In another mention of Gatsby, Nick says that, “in his blue gardens men and girls came and went” (pg. 41). The parties held at Gatsby’s house and in his gardens were all illusions, covering up a plan and a hope that Daisy would wander into one of them. The term “blue gardens” would be easily interchangeable with the term “unreal gardens”. They were just a façade. While at Gatsby’s house, Nick noticed that, “ghostly birds began to sing among the blue leaves”. At the same time, Gatsby was talking to Nick, saying that Daisy never really loved Tom and that she didn’t know what she was saying earlier that day. He is simply caught in an illusion that he built over the course of many years of longing and planning. The birds singing in the blue leaves are a representation of Gatsby happily enveloped in …show more content…
At one moment, Gatsby throws his shirts, “"and covered the table in many colored disarray ... in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange, with monograms of Indian blue" (pg. 89). This mess of color is created to represent all of Gatsby’s success and everything he has to offer. He has a great deal of wealth, influence, and luxury, which is all shown in this multicolored display. At another point, Daisy is described to be, “high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl” (pg. 115). The color white is clearly used to outline her perfection and innocence. The color gold is obviously used to even further emphasize her perfection, power, and extreme value in the story. Lastly, in the last meeting between Gatsby and Nick, Nick notices about Gatsby that, “his gorgeous pink rag of a suit made a bright spot of color against the white steps” (pg. 154). This intricately crafted moment is used to display Gatsby’s newfound passion and his fresh, new beginning (or so he thought). The pink is used to represent his new passion, excitement and hope for a new beginning. The pink suit is cast over the white steps to indicate that he is morally unblemished, honorable and perfect. The whole image is painted to give Gatsby a remarkable look and feeling towards him. This is used as an illusion because shortly after this instant, Gatsby is killed