Color Symbolism in Gatsby
Throughout the course of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a plethora of symbols. Of all of the types of symbols presented throughout the course of the novel, colors are the most diverse. Nearly every color, whether it is used to describe a character’s clothing or the color of their car, has some form of symbolism that helps develop the characters as the plot progresses. The use of varying colors throughout The Great Gatsby reveals certain aspects of each character such as greed, unhappiness, and innocence. A major component of the storyline is money. Many characters throughout the novel, including the narrator, Nick, are working to achieve a better life and achieve the American Dream. Fitzgerald uses the …show more content…
This can be found in the major symbol of the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby had purposefully purchased a house directly across from the Buchanan’s mansion to remind him that Daisy was right there, even though it seemed like he would have to cross oceans in order to get to her. To Gatsby, that lantern represented the potential future he had with Daisy and all of the plans he had made for her. As he begins to develop a relationship with Daisy, he realizes that “the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever” (Fitzgerald 93). In the moment where Gatsby and Daisy are looking out at the green light on Daisy’s dock, he realizes that he no longer has to look at the light as reassurance for the future, but he has already achieved his …show more content…
The main example of this can be found in Pammy Buchanan. In his first physical description of Pammy, Nick refers to her as having a “small white neck” (Fitzgerald 117). Pammy, who does not yet understand the wrongdoings of the people around her, is the purest form of innocence that is found in The Great Gatsby. Daisy also uses the color white when speaking to Nick about Jordan’s past. When talking about times in Louisville, she says “our white girlhood was passed together there” (Fitzgerald 19). In this moment, Daisy is describing a time that was simpler and in which she was more innocent; she is describing a time where she did not have to juggle both her love of Tom and her love of
Throughout the course of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a plethora of symbols. Of all of the types of symbols presented throughout the course of the novel, colors are the most diverse. Nearly every color, whether it is used to describe a character’s clothing or the color of their car, has some form of symbolism that helps develop the characters as the plot progresses. The use of varying colors throughout The Great Gatsby reveals certain aspects of each character such as greed, unhappiness, and innocence. A major component of the storyline is money. Many characters throughout the novel, including the narrator, Nick, are working to achieve a better life and achieve the American Dream. Fitzgerald uses the …show more content…
This can be found in the major symbol of the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby had purposefully purchased a house directly across from the Buchanan’s mansion to remind him that Daisy was right there, even though it seemed like he would have to cross oceans in order to get to her. To Gatsby, that lantern represented the potential future he had with Daisy and all of the plans he had made for her. As he begins to develop a relationship with Daisy, he realizes that “the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever” (Fitzgerald 93). In the moment where Gatsby and Daisy are looking out at the green light on Daisy’s dock, he realizes that he no longer has to look at the light as reassurance for the future, but he has already achieved his …show more content…
The main example of this can be found in Pammy Buchanan. In his first physical description of Pammy, Nick refers to her as having a “small white neck” (Fitzgerald 117). Pammy, who does not yet understand the wrongdoings of the people around her, is the purest form of innocence that is found in The Great Gatsby. Daisy also uses the color white when speaking to Nick about Jordan’s past. When talking about times in Louisville, she says “our white girlhood was passed together there” (Fitzgerald 19). In this moment, Daisy is describing a time that was simpler and in which she was more innocent; she is describing a time where she did not have to juggle both her love of Tom and her love of