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Color Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Decent Essays

Symbolism is often used by authors in many genres to reveal more important themes and meanings. In the novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, symbolism is used to show colors and their different meanings. All of the characters in the book are related to a specific color that shows how they live their lives. Fitzgerald uses colors like gold, green and white. Gold is meant to represent wealth while green is meant to show hope. Also, white is used to portray innocence and purity for the wealthy. Overall, F. Scott Fitzgerald used color symbolism as a tool to show the different social classes and what they were like during the 1930’s
Gold and yellow are used interchangeably throughout the novel. In an article written by Zhang Haibing, …show more content…

Green is the most important color in the novel because it is referenced many times that relates to Gatsby’s uprising and downfall. Zhang Haibing writes about this color by saying, “ the green color runs throughout the whole novel, and it is closely related to Gatsby’s short life. So it symbolizes Gatsby’s original dream and hope, his ceaseless pursuit of his dream and even the corruption of his dream and life”(Haibing). This hope went all the way back to when he was a little boy as a part of a poor family from the midwest. Gatsby had hoped that he would become rich. Green is a prominent example, showing up in a variety of contexts throughout. One example of green being used to symbolize hope is the light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock. Jennifer Brozak explains how the green is, “prominent throughout the novel as the green light at the end of the Buchanan dock”(Brozak). What readers should know is that besides Gatsby believing in himself, he also hopes for a future with his former love, Daisy. Since Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, it is the perfect place for the light because of Gatsby’s neighboring house. Even Nick could see the light because he was neighboring the dock also. Nick says, “I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing but a single green light”(Fitzgerald 26). As Brozak says, “not only does green symbolize new money and greed”(Brozak), but it also shows the hope for Daisy, represented in the dock light. For example, a character who comes from a rich family like Tom Buchanan would be represented by gold. A character like Jay Gatsby who is new money even though he pretended to be old money, would be represented by green. These two lifestyles were similar but different at the same time, so much so that it causes major conflict between Tom and Gatsby. In the end Gatsby truly based his life upon hope and lived a green filled life. After Gatsby dies, his best friend, Nick Carraway, said

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