The Great Gatsby Color Analysis

The contrast of colors can influence the emotion of people in the world. Different colors can put different emotions into people. Colors cannot only put a happy and uplifting mood but can actually show sadness and depression. Colors set a theme or setting and change the mood in a scene. While colors like green can display hope, and white show innocence, each color describes a certain description about someone. In The Great Gatsby, colors represent certain characteristics about Gatsby and other characters, as well as set the mood for events that take place throughout the story. The use of color in The Great Gatsby sets a mood for what is going on in the book. For example, when Gatsby is sad the “ten square feet of light volleying into the soft black morning” (Gatsby 114) expresses Gatsby’s time of despair. Furthermore, the “soft black morning” gives the reader the emotion of sorrow. While Gatsby is sad, black displays how his world is in a state of grief. The reader always feels the emotion of the scene by what colors Fitzgerald uses to …show more content…
When Nick explains Jordan’s appearance “Her grey sun-strained eyes stared straight ahead” revealed the dullness that was in her at the time (Fitzgerald 63). This image Fitzgerald puts helps the reader understand the truth about the character. While many colors can represent the corruption and dullness of characters, colors like white can illustrate their innocence. Fitzgerald generally used colors that Gatsby wore to indicate the truth of his life. “Gatsby in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold colored tie hurried in” (Fitzgerald 89). The way Gatsby is dressed for Daisy demonstrates how he tried to put off a wealthy and innocent illusion. Until the color is changed, the reader can appropriately see how Gatsby is a wealthy man who is trying to win over Daisy with his