Color Symbolism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby- Color Symbolism

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby depicts the uses of color symbolism through the use of color, the effect of color, and the meaning of color. The meaning of color differs from color to color. The effect of color is based on the meaning of the color. The use of color is based on how the author wants the color to effect the story.

In The Great Gatsby many different colors are used, including green, yellow, white, grey, blue, and red. Green is the color that stands out at first. “The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock—that symbol of the orgiastic future, the limitless promise of the dream Gatsby pursues to its inevitably tragic end” (Schneider). Green is most recognized by the green light at

“Red is associated with blood, so it is the symbol of violence, danger and rage” (Zhang). At the end of The Great Gatsby there is a lot of violence. Gatsby’s death, as well as the death of Myrtle affects the usage of the color red.

Blue is another color that affects Gatsby. “The romantic blue is obviously associated with the promise, the dream, that Gatsby has mistaken for reality.” (Schneider). Gatsby allows his dream to overtake his life. His dream to marry Daisy becomes super real to him, but in reality it was all just his dream. Blue affects Gatsby simply because of his dream that one day he can be with Daisy.

All the colors that are used have different meanings. The color green is mostly known for the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. The color green means hope. Gatsby had hope that one day he would be able to marry Daisy. Gatsby stood on his dock and stared at the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock in hope that he would marry her one day.

Yellow is a color that means wealth. Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy all had wealth. Money was never a problem for them, but they lacked a good inner self. Nick could be represented by the color yellow as well. He was not wealthy like Gatsby, Tom, or Daisy, but he was happy and successful. Yellow also means happy, successful, and

Scott Fitzgerald uses color symbolism throughout his entire novel, The Great Gatsby. His use of several different colors with numerous meanings affect the story, by bringing the story line together the way he imagined it. Color symbolism has the ability to add a new meaning to something so simple, including a light on a dock or the color suit somewhere wears. The use of color allows the reader to see how a certain color affects the character and the character’s thoughts and actions.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Infobase Publishing, 2010.

Hoffman, D. (1979). The Harvard guide to contemporary American literature (pp.118-206). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Schneider, Daniel J. "Color-Symbolism in The Great Gatsby." Critical Insights: The Great Gatsby. Ed. Morris Dickstein. Hackensack: Salem, 2009. n. pag. Salem Online.

Yang, X. C., & Huang, X. C. (2007). Symbolism in the great Gatsby. Journal of Lanzhou Petrochemical College of Technology, 7(3), 75-77.

Zhang, H. B. (2015). Symbolic Meanings of Colors in The Great Gatsby. Studies in Literature and