F. Scott Fitzgerald has written the Great Gatsby with a specific attention to detail in mind. Many aspects of his writing convey a deeper meaning and this is especially relevant in The Great Gatsby. In this novel about the american dream during the 1920s, Fitzgerald uses the visual colors as a means to describe attributes of characters and their environments that were not previously alluded to, greatly affecting the interpretation of the narrative.
One of the most prominent colors featured in the novel is white. White is used to represent innocence and purity, and it is most closely associated with Daisy throughout the plot. When Daisy is introduced along with Jordan, 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.
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Jordan describes Daisy in white while she tells Nick the story of when her and Gatsby met, providing that, “She dressed in white, and had a little white roadster…” (Fitzgerald 74). The book shows that Daisy holds a favorable reputation among peers, and white expresses her outward personality as innocent, naive, and pure. These things are not entirely true of her internal nature, but the white is symbolic of her actions towards others and a perceived outward appearance.
Another color of importance to be discussed is green. This color has a strong correlation with vitality. Nick experiences Gatsby staring across the bay at his house and as he, “...glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald 21). This green light is a frequent reminder for Gatsby and symbolizes his sole dream to be with Daisy again. It represents Gatsby’s whole life dream of a future with Daisy, a reality that is right before him but just out of