ipl-logo

What Does The Color White Represent In The Great Gatsby

538 Words3 Pages

Throughout The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald one may see the theme of disillusionment. Many people, when simply perusing the book, do not fully grasp all of its hidden meanings. The colors seen in The Great Gatsby add a new layer of depth to the theme of disillusionment. Some of these colors are white, green, and gold or silver. The color white may seem unimportant to some, but the added meaning one may see when he or she considers the depth the color white adds to the novel is astronomical. The color white represents innocence. The color white is used to reference the character Daisy throughout the book. Her name is linked to the color white, because a daisy is a white flower. F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions that in Daisy used to drive a white vehicle. Jordan and Daisy wore white dresses. “They were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and flutteing . . .”(Fitzgerald 8) The color white adds more depth to the theme of disillusionment, because white implies that Daisy is naive and innocent. Even though white implies that Daisy is naive, one may pick up an undertone throughout the book which makes one consider that Daisy may actually be smart and capable. …show more content…

The color green is associated with hope. In one part of the book Nick sees Gatsby reaching towards a green light across the bay. “. . . he stretched out his arms toward the dark water . . . I glanced seaward - and distinguished nothing except a single green light,” (Fitzgerald 20-21) This green light is at Daisy and Tom’s dock. This green light represents Gatsby’s hope that one day Daisy will be with him. The theme of disillusionment can be seen in this seen in the aspect of how the green light, Daisy, may seem in reach but Gatsby is never fully able to grasp

Show More
Related
1493 Words | 6 Pages

Fitzgerald uses the color white to emphasize the innocence and purity is deceiving and hides the truth of the rich people. “Daisy and Jordan Lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans”. Their white dresses are showing the purity and innocence of them. Fitzgerald also uses the color green in The Great Gatsby to convey the theme of wealth and class. Fitzgerald uses green to symbolize money and the power it has in society.

Read More
485 Words | 2 Pages

Jevin Thomas Mr. Reyes English III/ Period-3 7 March 2017 Symbolism of Colors in the Great Gatsby Color is used as a symbol throughout the novel “The Great Gatsby” in a lot of ways. The most important aspects are characters, setting, & mood. These three aspects have huge impacts on how the novel is shared to the audience throughout the novel. Color is used in the novel to define the characters in a lot of ways.

Read More
417 Words | 2 Pages

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the colors white, black, red, and gold are heavily used throughout the novel to show purity, impurity, love, death, and greed of Daisy’s character. At the beginning of the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Daisy as pure and innocent through the use of the color white. The novel goes on to explain, “They were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house” (Fitzgerald 8). In this instance, white is used to represent purity, that’s why this quote in the novel gives the reader the emotion of purity by portraying a scene in which everything is elegant and tranquil. Towards the end of the story, black becomes Daisy’s main

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, deploys color symbolism in order to further develop characters and the plot. Fitzgerald’s use of color symbolism within The Great Gatsby not only defines the characters but adds depth to them. The most recognized color within the novel is “the single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (26). In addition to the green light, there are many other colors within the novel that embody characters, objects, and ideas. The most significant and memorable colors, other than green, are white and yellow, both of which are intertwined in Fitzgerald’s fictional world of materialism and scandal.

Read More
1311 Words | 6 Pages

First off, Fitzgerald uses the color green to symbolize Gatsby’s money and love

Read More
672 Words | 3 Pages

The Great Gatsby: Color Symbolism A tragic love story, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about two young lovers whose fate was to never meant to be. This is the story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Fay. They both met at a party right before Gatsby went off to war. Gatsby asked Daisy to wait for him until he came back from the war but Daisy could never be with Gatsby because he was poor and could not afford the lifestyle that she lived in her entire life.

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

White is a color that stands for beauty, innocence, and purity. In the book, The way society's views are significantly influenced by color. This is because the author uses symbolism of the color white to differentiate between social classes. One of the author's main characters who wasn't considered from the East Egg,was named Gatsby. He served in World War 1 and now is trying to get back with Daisy Buchanan even though she is married to Tom.

Read More
495 Words | 2 Pages

White symbolizes purity and innocence but later in the novel it turns into false purity and innocence. Fitzgerald used “white” often when Nick arrived at Tom and Daisy's house for the first time, “The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house”(Fitzgerald 8), this sentence also connects the color green with daisy by saying the grass seemed to grow a way into the house. In chapter 1, Fitzgerald describes Daisy in an innocent way, “Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget … hour” (Fitzgerald 9). The thought of white being pure eventually turned into false purity, the characters were not actually pure and innocent. For example, when Gatsby wanted to meet Daisy for the first time in five years, “he wore a white suit as if to show that he was good and pure, when in reality he was not” (Wallace).

Read More
930 Words | 4 Pages

The author uses the green light to show Gatsby’s journey and progress of pursing his hopes and dreams. At the end of chapter one, Fitzgerald writes, “Involuntarily, I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away”(21). The excerpt shows that Gatsby continues to long for his dream of being with Daisy, though it is far away. The green light appears again, as Gatsby gets closer to Daisy, proving to her that he is financially able to give her a happy and luxurious life. Gatsby states, “you always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock”(94).

Read More
854 Words | 4 Pages

The symbolism of the color white appear several times in the book. But, there was one scene that stood out. The author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about the color of white in the scene where Nick is visiting Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald described what happens when Nick was going on a trip with Gatsby in his car, “-only half, for as we twisted among the pillars of the elevated I heard the familiar “jug-jug-spat!” of a motor cycle, and a frantic policeman rode alongside. “All right, old sport,” called Gatsby.

Read More
951 Words | 4 Pages

It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… . And one fine morning —” (138). Gatsby’s belief in the green light can create a sense of hopelessness for the reader. Gatsby keeps on chasing Daisy with the belief that she is in his grasp, but to no avail. His green light helps symbolize the American dream he has which will never be fulfilled.

Read More
725 Words | 3 Pages

The green light is used to represent multiple things. The first thing it represents is Gatsby’s desire, his dream which is Daisy. To win Daisy would help Gatsby accomplish his American dream. The first time the green light is seen in the novel is when Nick sees Gatsby for the first time, Fitzgerald describes it as, "he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling.

Read More
1148 Words | 5 Pages

Gatsby’s life is filled with various colors which signify the messages Fitzgerald is trying to convey. Color symbolism plays an important role through the novel, The Great Gatsby. In the novel, the color green detonates Gatsby’s hopes and dreams, but in other characters it represents envy, jealously, and money. When Nick returns home from his cousins house, he spotted Gatsby outside on his dock: “—he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way…I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing but a green light, that might have been at the end of a dock” (Fitzgerald 21).

Read More
764 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald continuously references a green light that Gatsby keeps on reaching for. The green light was significant by representing the theme of greed, being a symbol of Gatsby’s desire for Daisy, and serves as a motif for the American Dream. The color green in itself already illustrates the idea of greed and money. Gatsby already has everything anyone could dream for counting a house in West Egg, fame, and fortune, but still he is chasing after this light or in other words, chasing after the love of his life, Daisy. The light is a literary metaphor for Daisy since during the novel, once Gatsby reunites with Daisy the light begins to fade and reframes from reaching out for it.

Read More
1029 Words | 5 Pages

He also uses this symbolism of the color white to indicate high-class people. Fitzgerald reveals how Daisy and Jordan “were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house”(8). When these characters were introduced to Nick Carraway, the narrator, they wore white dresses which symbolize virginal purity to Nick. These women come off as airy and innocent during their initial interaction with Nick, but later on, we find out that this is not the case. Jordan and Daisy’s white dresses also affirm their place as wealthy ladies in a high social class.

Read More

More about What Does The Color White Represent In The Great Gatsby

Related Topics

Open Document