In other words, blue symbolizes Gatsby’s expansive loneliness and his sorrowfulness, much like his expansive blue lawn. The color ‘blue’, in this case, symbolizes the depression and isolation that Gatsby endures through his journey. As the narrator, Nick is wrapping up the novel, and is giving a brief conclusion, in which he states that Gatsby “ come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dreams must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (180).
The color blue shows up a few times throughout the book, but one of the more meaningful times is during the last few paragraphs of the novel. For example, the color blue symbolizes Gatsby’s loneliness and isolation. In this particular case, green symbolizes Gatsby’s unachievable dreams, and yellow symbolizes Gatsby’s fruitless attempts at chasing said dreams.Īnother reason why color symbolism is so crucial to this novel is that it reveals many unique character traits. They both symbolize the intentions of a character and how they plan to achieve those intentions. In short, the colors green and yellow runs throughout the novel and complements each other. Furthermore, it reveals why Gatsby involves himself in bootlegging and what his intentions are with the money he earns. Gatsby’s impulsiveness emphasizes his love for Daisy, and this clearly shows his ambitions. Gatsby clearly attempts to appeal to Daisy through the means of wealth, buying a mansion right across the bay from Daisy’s house. For example, Jordan Baker, a friend of Nick’s, explains that “Gatsby bought house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (78). Gatsby knows that the only thing Daisy loves is money, and he goes to extreme ends to build up his wealth.
SIGNIFICANCE OF SYMBOLS IN THE GREAT GATSBY FULL
While Gatsby was conversing with Nick, he even says, “ voice is full of money” (120), and Nick agrees, describing Daisy as a “golden girl” (120).
Knowing that Daisy enjoys herself in a luxurious lifestyle, Gatsby uses his immense wealth to impress Daisy. For example: his yellow car, yellow tie, and yellow toilet set. The color yellow symbolizes money and wealth, which Gatsby epitomizes. Not only does color help reveal Gatsby’s intentions, it also reveals how Gatsby attempts to fulfill those intentions. Although this quote is short, the symbolism gives it a much deeper meaning, as Gatsby’s main goals and intentions are revealed. It can also be predicted, and later revealed, that his hopes and dreams were unattainable, or as Nick describes it, ‘minute and far away’. As a matter of fact, the dock actually belongs to Daisy, with whom Gatsby is infatuated with, and the “single green light” symbolizes the hopes and dreams that Gatsby has envisioned for himself and Daisy. Nick glances across the bay to see what Gatsby was looking at, but Nick saw “nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (21). When Nick is on his way back from dinner, he sees Gatsby on his own lawn peering across the bay that separates East and West Egg. In fact, the first time the color green is mentioned in the novel is at the very end of chapter one. From the beginning of the novel, Gatsby’s sole pursuit is to get back in love with his previous lover, Daisy. In the Great Gatsby, the color green runs throughout the novel and symbolizes Jay Gatsby’s intentions and goals. We will write a “The Great Gatsby Symbolism” specifically for you! Want to get an original essay on this topic? The use of color symbolism is one of the most important aspect that defines this book, as the hues itself often reveal a character’s intentions, exposes traits unique to a character, and expresses the inner thoughts of characters without explicitly stating so.
Color runs throughout the novel, and it represents a much deeper meaning than most people see. Fitzgerald is famous for his use of colors as symbolism in the novel. Nick lives in a modest home next to an enormous mansion owned by a man named Jay Gatsby, who Nick befriends and helps with getting back with a long-time lover, Daisy Buchanan. The story is told by the narrator, Nick Carraway, who moves to West Egg from the midwest in hopes of seeking a fortune in the bond business. The Great Gatsby takes place in two fictional towns, West Egg and East Egg, in New York in the summer of 1922. This was the setting in which one of the greatest classics in literature, The Great Gatsby by F. During this decade of economic prosperity, America went through a dramatic social and political change. “Gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession” was how the New York Times described America during the roaring ‘20’s.