Examples Of White Blue In The Great Gatsby

The Roaring Twenties, so they call it, was a period of economic prosperity marked by lavish parties, daring ventures, and urban frenzy, seemingly appearing as the pinnacle of American opportunity. However, with the people’s growing confidence in achieving economic success, the American Dream was distorted into a primarily materialistic achievement, rather than an individualistic one. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the effects of the deteriorating morality of the 1920’s through the life of an ambitious young man by the name Jay Gatsby. The employment of colors to symbolize purity, romanticism, and corruption delineates the conflicting aspects within Jay Gatsby’s American Dream. Despite chasing a wholesome, white

After returning from the war, Gatsby amasses a large fortune, and continues his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan. He buys a mansion on West Egg, directly across the bay from his love interest. Throughout the summer, he holds grand parties that attract people from all walks of life, and it is later revealed that those parties held the purpose of catching Daisy’s attention. Hence, when Nick heard “music from [his] neighbor’s house,” he expressed that “[i]n his blue gardens men and women came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (39). The use of the color blue to describe Gatsby’s garden reveals how his parties were a step towards his goal, as well as his childish belief in actually being able to reach those desires. The dreamlike tone, created by the description of the whisperings, champagne, and stars, gives off an impression of youthful fantasy, also hinting at Gatsby’s blue romanticism. Therefore, the color blue is further suggestive of Gatsby’s naive and innocent

Tom and Gatsby’s confrontation in New York ends with Gatsby and Daisy to riding home together in Gatsby’s yellow car. Meanwhile, Myrtle Wilson is arguing with his husband George Wilson. Just as Gatsby’s yellow car drives by, Myrtle runs into their path, thinking it was Tom, and is instantly killed. The next day, George Wilson is in shock from his wife’s passing, and comes to the conclusion that his wife was purposefully murdered. He looks out of the window, into the “blue and gigantic” eyes of T.J. Eckleberg, who dons “a pair of enormous yellow spectacles” (23). He concludes the eyes to be the eyes of God, and assumes God’s role by passing judgement on Gatsby. He then travels to Gatsby’s house and shoots him dead. Eckleburg's influence on Wilson indicates Wilson’s embodiment as a beacon of morality. Eckleburg's blue eyes, like Gatsby’s simple love for Daisy, are fair and pure. His yellow-colored spectacles illustrate his ability to perceive the hidden corruptions and evils of society. Hence, when Wilson killed Gatsby, it was for he violated God’s morals. Gatsby’s fall from corruption is likewise elucidated in the evolving description of his yellow car. At the first appearance of the vehicle, Nick described it as being “a rich cream color,” a glittering mix of white and yellow (64). Then, Gatsby’s dream was still fused with economic greed, but closer to the side of