Color Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby,” symbolization is extremely prominent in multiple sections through the entirety of the piece. Symbolization is one of the most utilized literary device in Fitzgerald’s piece of fiction through colors, clothing, cars, biblical allusions, and weather. Describing and including the colors of intimate objects in the novel is exceedingly evident. Fitzgerald applies symbolism to represent a deeper meaning into seemingly dull and common objects. Colors in his fictional piece especially assist the audience in understanding abstract personalities and dreams behind characters. There are multiple color symbolism that “The Great Gatsby” is distinguished by, like green in the light at the Buchanan’s residence; however,

The color of white usually symbolizes innocence and purity. When Nick first reunites with Daisy and he meets Jordan, the girls “were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering…” (Fitzgerald 8). Their dresses were characterized as white to exemplify their naiveté. Daisy is the character most often to be described with the color white, her body and face is conveyed as white numerous times. Nick, the narrator, states “his heart beat faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own" (Fitzgerald 107). The use of the shade white was also utilized to convey Gatsby's innocence when his house is described as the windows being “ajar and gleaming white” (Fitzgerald 13). Nick has also been characterized wearing white, as stated he was “dressed up in white flannels..." (Fitzgerald 41). However, these three characters lost their innocence through this piece of fiction. Daisy became portrayed as malicious and mischievous when she left at the end, leaving Gatsby the blame of murdering Myrtle. Gatsby was murdered after lying about the car crash. Throughout the novel, Nick slowly became a heavy drinker, when before he only got drunk once in his life. Fitzgerald applies the color of white heavily

The symbolism of blue can be depicted as dreams and illusions, and also stability. Shortly after Gatsby was brutally murdered, Nick conversated with Meyer Wolfsheim where they spoke about Gatsby and his past. Meyer Wolfsheim showed Nick a journal written by Gastby when he was just a boy. It included a schedule organized by hours and his procedure for reaching his dreams to be wealthy to get daisy back. Even Meyer Wolfsheim stated that “‘Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something.’” (Fitzgerald 173). Gatsby was an inspired achiever to reach his goals, and one day he did reach his goal of being good enough and rich enough for Daisy. In this novel, some of these materialistic items that he acquired were represented by the color blue. Gatsby's residence has been characterized blue, it is stated “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 39). Gatsby also owned servants who Fitzgerald characterized as wearing blue, as shown in the follow quote, “a chauffeur in a uniform of robin’s-egg blue crossed my lawn early that Saturday morning with a surprisingly formal note from his employer…” (Fitzgerald 41). When Daisy and Gatsby reunited and Gastby gave her a tour of the house, he was throwing clothes on top of her that had “monograms of Indian blue” (Fitzgerald 92). Many of Gatsby’s