Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The classic American novel, The Great Gatsby, was written in 1925 by author Scott Fitzgerald. Created in the Modernist era of art, this story is full of beautifully flawed characters that many can relate to. There is a great deal of symbolism surrounding these characters as well, including but not limited to color.

One of the main characters in this novel is the great Jay Gatsby himself. In chapter five of the story, Gatsby plans to meet Daisy in Nick’s cottage. The text states, “An hour later the front door opened nervously, and Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in.” (Fitzgerald, 84). This is significant to Gatsby’s character because of the colors listed; white, silver, and gold. Starting with white,

Also in chapter five, during her first interaction with Gatsby, the text states, “Daisy’s face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic smile.”(Fitzgerald, 85). The lavender surrounding Daisy as she arrives at Nick's cottage alludes to her purity, grace, and calmness. Throughout the novel, Daisy maintains everyone’s idea of her being graceful and ‘the light’ in their lives. In multiple parts of the novel, Daisy is frequently mentioned in ties with the color white. In one chapter the text states, “She was just eighteen, two years older than me, and by far the most popular of all the young girls in Louisville. She dressed in white and had a little white roadster, and all day long the telephone rang in her house and excited young officers from Camp Taylor demanded the privilege of monopolizing her that night.” (Fitzgerald, 74). In contrast to Gatsby’s symbolization of white, the color tied to Daisy represents a few different things. In her case, it represents purity, humility, silence, and neutrality. This stands to convey Daisy’s relationship with men, more specifically Tom and Gatsby. She is the neutral point between both of the men but is also silent in her feelings throughout most of the book. She does however maintain her purity and being ‘the light’ in the two men’s lives. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald does a wonderful