Symbolism Of Blue In The Great Gatsby

Superior Essays
Life is equivalent to a box of crayons. Colors of all shades cover our world with hidden meanings. Just as a mood ring changes color by how we feel, life can significantly change by the presence of a wide array of colors. Oscar Wilde, one individual who clearly perceives color in a unique way once stated, “Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” Whether it goes unnoticed or not, countless notions of life can be represented by some form of distinct color that symbolizes more than one may initially think. In F. Scott FitzGerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, colors of all kinds represent the ways of life in the 1920’s where materialism, extravagant parties, and even moral decay seemed to have been the new normal. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, is surrounded by people and a society that is relatively different than his own. Daisy Buchanan is the acclaimed love interest for Jay Gatsby and plays a symbolic part in his aspirations, perception of life, and ultimately his death. From people, to gardens, to the glasses on a billboard, and even a green light, stand for something beyond itself. In The Great Gatsby numerous situations of all sorts are represented by color in an underlying way which is why color symbolism plays an essential role in the novel. The story initially takes place where the color white is nearly described by everything symbolizing purity and innocence. Nick’s first glance within the Buchanan’s house consisted of two ladies, Daisy and Jordan, who “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). Daisy is often associated with white to easily convince people she is flawless, innocent, and beautiful but, especially to serve as a captivating dream for Gatsby (Zhang 42). In this case, the portray of white is used to mask Daisy’s true personality of being selfish, hollow, and influenced solely on money and greed. White also takes part in describing the setting where “The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside” enhancing the idea of pure cleanliness (Fitzgerald 8). The color white is mainly associated with Daisy where she is compared to a white flower with a golden center (Schneider 3). As her physical appearance may come across as pure, her way of life completely revolves around money which symbolizes the rich color of gold. (Samkanashvili 32) Wealth was a major status symbol in the time period of The Great Gatsby. Gold primarily represents the rich and luxurious life styles displaying a high social status. In addition, gold is also associated with old money where green is considered to be new money due to the new form of currency not necessarily backed by gold. (Samkanashvili 31). A high status figure like Jordan Baker is described by Fitzgerald to have a “slender golden arm” enhancing the idea of higher class. (Fitzgerald 43). Well-known old money families like the Buchanan’s even have a home that was …show more content…
That holds true for the symbolism of blue in The Great Gatsby. Despite the high class and riches Gatsby is affiliated with, his life is fanciful, lonely, and full of sorrow. Blue stands for the ultimate fantasy of Gatsby’s life that is mistaken for the reality (Schneider 5). His illusion of a perfect life becomes apparent as his blue gardens are displayed during his parties. After these ravish parties a sudden emptiness falls within the house displaying Gatsby’s real loneliness. The color blue is mentioned in Gatsby’s graveyard enhancing the impression of his sorrowful life and ultimate death of a fanciful dream. The idea of an endless dream is additionally recalled by silver, giving off a more hopeful promise of this dream. Silver embodies the promise and romantic hope that govern Gatsby’s life (Samkanashvili 32). He is seen observing “the silver pepper of the stars” longing for his dream that seems to be unreachable (Fitzgerald 20). In this case, the use of color displays Gatsby’s intuition of his goals despite the true reality in which he faces. Though he obtains dreams that seem to be already behind him, his endless hope never fades

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