Green Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald is an author renown for his clever uses of symbolism and implied meaning. There are heavy amounts of symbolism used in all of his works, most notably, the use of colors in the The Great Gatsby. Colors play a very key role throughout the novel, as Fitzgerald uses them to paint images of not just settings, but personalities and characteristics of the characters and the world around them. They often have more inflection than just describing a scene, by using them to connotate feelings and moods without having to directly say it. One of the biggest examples of this is the use of colors describing and revolving around Jay Gatsby, one of the lead characters in the novel. Gatsby is often visualised with precise uses of greens, reds and pinks, and yellows and creams, used to convey his hopes, power, and wealth, respectively.

Green plays a very prominent role in throughout the novel, as it serves an important role in describing Gatsby. Green symbolizes the hopes of Jay Gatsby and James Gatz, as both the passion for Daisy and a future, and the desire for wealth and success. Gatsby’s main drive in his life is his desire for Daisy. When he returned from the war to find she had moved on, he made it his purpose to get her back, knowing he needed substantial wealth to do so. Green takes a key role here by symbolising Gatsby’s hopes. These hopes are shown in a very literal way, as Gatsby is seen reaching toward the green light at Daisy’s, like he is actually reaching towards his goals. This is one of the biggest scenes in the novel, in terms of symbolism, as this is the first time the reader sees Gatsby. The very first impression the reader gets from him is that he desires something so strongly that he is physically outstretched, reaching towards a green light serving as a symbol of whatever he wants so badly, which the reader later find out, is