What Does Green Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
Carlia Williams
Mr. Fitzpatrick
IB Advanced English
Color Symbolism
"Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses" (p.115) Many novels often use colors symbolism similar to the quote to represent characters’ personalities and characteristics. In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the colors green, gold/yellow, grey, and blue to exemplify the characteristics of a person or place The most used color of the whole novel is green. Green symbolizes money. In the story money is the center of the characters’ lives. Gatsby thinks that having a lot of money will win over Daisy. Which he later finds out is not the case. Green in the novel is used to describe new money, the money Gatsby has. Symbols of Gatsby’s money include “his large green lawn and the green ivy growing up his house”. Another possible meaning of green is envy. Gatsby is an envious character. The love of his life, Daisy, married another man for money. He spends every second trying to win her back. Leading one to believe Gatsby is “green with envy” Gold is used to describe old money and contrasts with green, new money. When Gatsby …show more content…
invites Daisy, stated by Nick as “the golden girl” (p.120), to his house he tries to use gold to impress her by buying a gold car, wearing a gold tie, and having gold all throughout his party. At times the gold turns to yellow stating the falsity of his wealth. Yellow kind of imitates gold, so it indicates a sense of fraud or fakeness. Like at Gatsby party there are “two girls in twin yellow dresses” (p.42) meaning they are trying to mimic the wealthy people at the party. Grey is a dull color; it represents things washed-out and lacking life/importance. The Valley of Ashes displays grey symbolism, mostly thru ash. Fitzgerald defines The Valley of Ashes as "...a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys...and ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud...." with “a line of gray cars crawling along....". Meaning the people who live there are the lowest of the classes. Wilson is described with “ashen dust veiled suit and pale hair” (p.26) Expressing that he has no money and there is no hope for him in the future.
The color blue expresses unhappiness, moody, or depression.
Tom and Daisy relationship is hopeless. Their marriage is based around money and not around love. Gatsby’s garden are label a lot as blue. “In his blue gardens men and girls came” (p.41) “ghostly birds began to sing among the blue leaves” (p.144). Although, the gardens had many people passing through them they were blue, expressing Gatsby’s own sadness and loneliness about Daisy. At the graveyard the lawn is described as blue at the Carraway of Gatsby grave. As is the lawn of Gatsby’s home. Blue can also represent hope for the future. “The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic"(p.23). The blue eye contrast with the grey atmosphere of The Valley of Ashes, Wilson sees the eyes as God watching over them. Bringing a sense of hope to the grey land
below.
In conclusion, colors create a significant role in a novel. In the Great Gatsby color is used for most of the symbolism of the book. Without the use of color symbolism the book would lose interest and meaning. Color adds life and emotion to a story. It’s an important part of literature that is often used and will always be a big element to a good novel.
Works Cited
"gatcolor Great Gatsby Essays: Importance of Color." 123HelpMe.com. 08 Dec 2014 <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=4728>.
"The Use of Colors in The Great Gatsby." The Use of Colors in The Great Gatsby. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
"What Is the Significance of Such Colors as Gold/yellow, Green, Gray, and White in The Great Gatsby? - Homework Help - ENotes.com."Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
Mr. Fitzpatrick
IB Advanced English
Color Symbolism
"Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses" (p.115) Many novels often use colors symbolism similar to the quote to represent characters’ personalities and characteristics. In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the colors green, gold/yellow, grey, and blue to exemplify the characteristics of a person or place The most used color of the whole novel is green. Green symbolizes money. In the story money is the center of the characters’ lives. Gatsby thinks that having a lot of money will win over Daisy. Which he later finds out is not the case. Green in the novel is used to describe new money, the money Gatsby has. Symbols of Gatsby’s money include “his large green lawn and the green ivy growing up his house”. Another possible meaning of green is envy. Gatsby is an envious character. The love of his life, Daisy, married another man for money. He spends every second trying to win her back. Leading one to believe Gatsby is “green with envy” Gold is used to describe old money and contrasts with green, new money. When Gatsby …show more content…
invites Daisy, stated by Nick as “the golden girl” (p.120), to his house he tries to use gold to impress her by buying a gold car, wearing a gold tie, and having gold all throughout his party. At times the gold turns to yellow stating the falsity of his wealth. Yellow kind of imitates gold, so it indicates a sense of fraud or fakeness. Like at Gatsby party there are “two girls in twin yellow dresses” (p.42) meaning they are trying to mimic the wealthy people at the party. Grey is a dull color; it represents things washed-out and lacking life/importance. The Valley of Ashes displays grey symbolism, mostly thru ash. Fitzgerald defines The Valley of Ashes as "...a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys...and ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud...." with “a line of gray cars crawling along....". Meaning the people who live there are the lowest of the classes. Wilson is described with “ashen dust veiled suit and pale hair” (p.26) Expressing that he has no money and there is no hope for him in the future.
The color blue expresses unhappiness, moody, or depression.
Tom and Daisy relationship is hopeless. Their marriage is based around money and not around love. Gatsby’s garden are label a lot as blue. “In his blue gardens men and girls came” (p.41) “ghostly birds began to sing among the blue leaves” (p.144). Although, the gardens had many people passing through them they were blue, expressing Gatsby’s own sadness and loneliness about Daisy. At the graveyard the lawn is described as blue at the Carraway of Gatsby grave. As is the lawn of Gatsby’s home. Blue can also represent hope for the future. “The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic"(p.23). The blue eye contrast with the grey atmosphere of The Valley of Ashes, Wilson sees the eyes as God watching over them. Bringing a sense of hope to the grey land
below.
In conclusion, colors create a significant role in a novel. In the Great Gatsby color is used for most of the symbolism of the book. Without the use of color symbolism the book would lose interest and meaning. Color adds life and emotion to a story. It’s an important part of literature that is often used and will always be a big element to a good novel.
Works Cited
"gatcolor Great Gatsby Essays: Importance of Color." 123HelpMe.com. 08 Dec 2014 <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=4728>.
"The Use of Colors in The Great Gatsby." The Use of Colors in The Great Gatsby. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
"What Is the Significance of Such Colors as Gold/yellow, Green, Gray, and White in The Great Gatsby? - Homework Help - ENotes.com."Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.