Use of color in literature
Max Kaufman
Mrs. Lori Overmoyer
English 11 Honors
18 September 2014
Chapter 1-4 Essay In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, there are many examples of symbolism, showcased in a variety of ways. One kind of symbolism in particular is that of using colors in the descriptions of characters, places, objects, etc. to convey a characterization of said object. Certain colors are used repetitively to emphasize a particular idea, associated with various parties all throughout the novel. To begin, one of the more prominent colors used in references to a time or idea is the color white. When Nick first visits Daisy and Tom, Daisy explains how she knew Jordan Baker and says, “ From Louisville. Our white girlhood was passed together there. Our beautiful white, “ (Fitzgerald, 19). In this particular scenario, Daisy uses white to describe her and Jordan’s teen years, living with their wealthy families. The color white is associated heavily with luxury and the upper class. In a dissection of dialogue, in using the word white to describe her and Jordan’s early years in wealthy homes, Daisy solidifies the idea that white is tied to the upper class. During Nick’s first venture to Daisy’s abode, Fitzgerald describes the scene and the two girls, “ … on which two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon. They were both in white,” (Fitzgerald, 8). Seeing how Fitzgerald simply puts it, Daisy and Jordan Baker both have donned gowns of white, which again, stands as a symbol for their wealth and poise as the upper class. Later on in the story, Nick’s acquaintance from college takes him to meet his mistress in the valley of ashes. Fitzgerald goes on to describe the desolate land and states, “ Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to a rest, “ (Fitzgerald, 23). Among the inhabitants of the rainbow, this color is an outcast. Gray is a color used more than a few times in The Great Gatsby,
Mrs. Lori Overmoyer
English 11 Honors
18 September 2014
Chapter 1-4 Essay In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, there are many examples of symbolism, showcased in a variety of ways. One kind of symbolism in particular is that of using colors in the descriptions of characters, places, objects, etc. to convey a characterization of said object. Certain colors are used repetitively to emphasize a particular idea, associated with various parties all throughout the novel. To begin, one of the more prominent colors used in references to a time or idea is the color white. When Nick first visits Daisy and Tom, Daisy explains how she knew Jordan Baker and says, “ From Louisville. Our white girlhood was passed together there. Our beautiful white, “ (Fitzgerald, 19). In this particular scenario, Daisy uses white to describe her and Jordan’s teen years, living with their wealthy families. The color white is associated heavily with luxury and the upper class. In a dissection of dialogue, in using the word white to describe her and Jordan’s early years in wealthy homes, Daisy solidifies the idea that white is tied to the upper class. During Nick’s first venture to Daisy’s abode, Fitzgerald describes the scene and the two girls, “ … on which two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon. They were both in white,” (Fitzgerald, 8). Seeing how Fitzgerald simply puts it, Daisy and Jordan Baker both have donned gowns of white, which again, stands as a symbol for their wealth and poise as the upper class. Later on in the story, Nick’s acquaintance from college takes him to meet his mistress in the valley of ashes. Fitzgerald goes on to describe the desolate land and states, “ Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to a rest, “ (Fitzgerald, 23). Among the inhabitants of the rainbow, this color is an outcast. Gray is a color used more than a few times in The Great Gatsby,