The Colorful American Dream Symbolism in The Great Gatsby
Uploaded by lmmu on Jun 03, 2007
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is the complex story set to the scandalous background of 1920s New York City. It tells the tale of Jay Gatsby, a young man who bootlegs and gambles to achieve wealth, only to impress his first love, a whimsical spoiled girl named Daisy Buchanan. Daisy, unfortunately, is married to a hulking brute of a man, Tom Buchanan. Gatsby’s one goal—his soul purpose for living—is to have Daisy, despite her marriage; he truly believes that he can erase the last five years and live like he was seventeen with Daisy. Fitzgerald paints the picture of the inevitable demise of Gatsby’s perverted dream with symbolism. By using the colors gold/yellow, silver, white, and green, the reader comprehends the true contrast in characters and the American dream.
The first, and most prominent of the colors is yellow or gold which Fitzgerald uses to represent money and wealth—a thing most of his characters have since they are superfluously wealthy. For instance, Gatsby tends to throw wild, extravagant parties, which attract a number of the idle rich. Two such guests remain nameless but are referred to as the “two girls in twin yellow dresses” (42). Like most of his guests, the girls do not know Gatsby, but are at his house dancing, drinking, and flirting, with no intentions to demonstrate any responsibility for any bad action—something rich snobs are raised to do. Another example comes when Fitzgerald uses color to describe Daisy Buchanan’s prodigal childhood. She went to parties and engaged in general spoiled snobbery “while a hundred pairs of golden and silver slippers shuffled the shining dust” (151). Her whole life has been a series of parties, people, and purposelessness—with countless wallowing in their wealth.
Another color Fitzgerald uses is silver which also represents money, but heaven as well. An interesting contrast between Gatsby and the other affluent characters is that Gatsby is only rich for an innocent purpose to love a girl, while the others love their money more than any person besides, maybe, themselves. Gatsby is painted to be more pure of heart than the others. When Nick, Daisy’s cousin and Gatsby’s eventual lone friend, first encounters Gatsby, he sees him standing on his lawn under “the silver pepper of the stars” (20)—the beautiful clear night that displays heaven. Later...