The Great Gatsby

1. The Great Gatsby Literary Notes - Colors

2. gold • wealth, especially unattainable items • Jordan – golden arm • food at Gatsby’s party • Daisy’s gold pencil

3. yellow • imitation of gold • girls in yellow dresses who admire Jordan • Daisy’s daughter has yellow hair • corruption • Description of Gatsby’s car – from cream to yellow • Eckleburg’s glasses

4. white • For Gatsby, innocence • white duck pants, white suit • For others, implies corruption under the surface • Daisy and Jordan’s white girlhood • Daisy and Jordan wear white • Bright light usually reveals debauchery or corruption • passed out woman in white foreshadows end of Jazz Age and impending economic crash

5. green • hope, new life • green light • green new world • green lawn at Daisy’s house (in the beginning) • Sickness • Wilson’s green face • Green Sound, stagnant in the heat

6. blue • dreams (think sky) • Dan Cody buys Gatsby a blue jacket • Gatsby’s blue gardens • Eckleburg’s eyes – God or dream corrupted by the yellow rimmed spectacles

7. silver • dream and reality • silver stars = romantic hope • nickel on Gatsby’s car = wealth which corrupts the dream • Dan Cody – makes money on silver fields of Nevada • Ch. 7 Jordan and Daisy “like silver idols”

8. grey • reality corrupts the dream • Valley of Ashes • Jordan’s grey eyes • Dan Cody’s grey face

9. pink • dream colliding with reality (red) • pink clouds when Daisy and Gatsby reunite • Gatsby’s pink suit

10. red • brutal reality beneath dream • Gatsby’s rubies – dream • Gatsby on Buchanans’ “crimson rug” • blood (both Myrtle’s and Gatsby’s) – brutal destruction of dream

11. lavender • indulgence • Myrtle’s lavender cab (grey interior!) • Daisy’s hat when she reunites with Gatsby • lilac tree Daisy parks next to • rooms in Gatsby’s house • one of Gatsby’s shirts

12. variety of colors • wealth, attempt to impress Daisy • multicolored lights at Gatsby’s parties • Gatsby’s shirts brought out to impress Daisy