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Color Symbolism:1) Gray is the color for dreariness.It symbolizes the lack of life and/or spirit. It is the place of no hope, no future.In the book this place is called the valley of ashes where everything is covered in gray dust-even the people. This would not be a place where you would want to be.
Color Symbolism • 2) White is the color that has the deeper meaning of false purity or goodness. • Daisy and Jordan are always seen in white. • Also, Gatsby, when he wanted to meet Daisy again for the first time in five years, he wore a white suit as if to show that he was good and pure. • (Don’t write): Everyone likes to say that white in The Great Gatsby means innocence, probably because (1) that's easy to say and (2) everyone else is saying it. But come on – Daisy is hardly the picture of girlish innocence.
Color Symbolism • 3) Green represents so many things in this novel. • One thing is that it means is something to hope for, to reach out for, and a hope of new. Like the green light that is at the end of Daisy and Tom’s dock. In the first chapter Gatsby is reaching out for the light. He is reaching out for his hope of Daisy and a life with her. • It also represents wealth and prosperity. And both of these meanings correlate with each other because in the book, wealth is something to hope for and to reach out for.
Color Symbolism • 4) Red represents blood and death.
Color Symbolism • 5) Gold represents wealth, but, more so, the show of wealth. • Gatsby tried to win Daisy back by his parties and the show of wealth.
Color Symbolism • 6) Yellow in general means corruptness and things that go bad. Yellow is fake gold; it's veneer and show rather than substance. • We see that with the "yellow cocktail music" at Gatsby's party • and the "two girls in twin yellow dresses" who aren't as alluring as the golden Jordan • Yellow leaves represent decay and corruptness. • The yellow of Gatsby’s car represents corrupt dishonesty and deception.
Color Symbolism • 7) Blue is a bit of a mystery. • It could be Gatsby's illusions -- his deeply romantic dreams of unreality. • Blue may represent alternatives to reality. • Most of Gatsby’s house is described as blue. His, blue lawn, blue garden, and blue shirts, chauffeur in uniform of blue that invites Nick to his party, a blue dress sent to a woman who ripped hers at one of his parties, symbolize that everything about Gatsby is an illusion – a persona made up by him
