What Does The Yellow Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

809 Words2 Pages

Symbols are used to give common items a unique meaning. They can be used to express ideas or qualities. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he uses colors to emphasize the purpose of an object. The most prominent symbol in the book is the green light. Gatsby lives in the West Egg district of Long Island and he can see a green light from his house. The light emits from Daisy’s dock. It separates Gatsby and Daisy from each other and it charms Gatsby to reunite with Daisy. Gatsby is wealthy and lives in a marvelous mansion, but the only thing he wants is to reunite with Daisy. Many complications impede his progress like Daisy being married and having a child. The light represents the hazy future for Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby was …show more content…

When Gatsby goes to Nick’s house to meet Daisy, he wears a gold tie. Gatsby wants to show he is wealthy and she should love him instead of Tom. Yellow is similar to gold but it is fake in a sense. It’s for those who want to have gold but can’t obtain it. Gatsby’s car is yellow and it represents his drive to attain Daisy but ultimately leads to his death. By possessing a yellow car, Gatsby wants to be known as someone who is wealthy. Daisy coincides with the color white which represents purity and femininity. But Gatsby dreams of Daisy of being more than she really is. Letting Daisy drive his car leads to his death since she ran over Myrtle and he decided to take the blame for it. Ultimately, Daisy becomes selfish and careless; little does she realize that she takes advantages of others, even if she does not mean to. She doesn’t go to Gatsby’s funeral and decides to stay with her abusive husband Tom, which shows how ignorant she is. The color gray represents lifeless in the Valley of Ashes. Tom Wilson’s face is ashen and white dust covers his clothing. His eyes are pale, but Myrtle expresses herself with colors. The Wilson family is poor, but Myrtle lets Tom buy her items. She wears cheap, colorful clothing that she changes often. This shows that she is disloyal to Tom by having an affair with Tom and spending time with the rich folk. She does not want to live poorly and she wants to be with the rich folk. Fitzgerald

Open Document