preview

Examples Of Color Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

Good Essays

Michael Piniella
English 1011
Professor Brosh
23, September 2017

Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

Symbolism is arguable one of the most important literary devices in all of literature. Not only is it used to help explain key plot points in a story, but it is also used to highlight certain aspects in a story you might not have noticed originally. In the novel The Great Gatsby, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism through color to express mood, different characters, and a variety of themes though the story. Colors like white, yellow, and blue each have their own meanings to be explored by not only the readers of the paper, but the readers of the book.
The color white traditionally is a symbol of purity in most cultures around the world. Women dress in white during a wedding ceremony because of this color symbolism. However in The Great Gatsby the symbol white appears to have a similar meaning, but the color’s true implications are not what it seems. In the article “Color-Symbolism in The Great Gatsby”, the author Daniel J. Schneider says “ The white Daisy embodies the vision which Gatsby (who, like Lord Jim, usually wears white suits) seek to embrace-but which Nick, who discovers the corrup admixture of dream and reality…”(Schnider .p146) Characters in The Great Gatsby like Daisy, are synonymous with the color white and are implicated to be pure and incorruptible. The point Schneider makes is that Daisy is not as innocent as she seems. The color white truly

Get Access