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Symbolism is significant in many novels to allow readers to go beyond what the words are saying and find a new meaning to the story being told. In his book The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses symbolism to add depth and allow the readers to view and analyze the story from different angles. Fitzgerald uses the colour white to symbolize the wealth and higher class of various characters in the novel. He also uses the colour grey to symbolize moral decay and dullness, specifically in the Valley of Ashes. Lastly, Fitzgerald uses green throughout the entire novel to symbolize the hopes and dreams of Gatsby. All of these symbols show significance in The Great Gatsby, the use of colors is a great example of how symbols allow readers to view a novel from …show more content…
Fitzgerald uses grey to symbolize dullness, moral decay and lifelessness. Grey is used mostly to describe the Valley of Ashes, a location in between the East and West egg in The Great Gatsby, and those who live there. The Valley of Ashes is where the poor reside, those who do not come from money. Fitzgerald demonstrates how the poor are covered in grey and dust however; even being around the rich can make them shine again. Fitzgerald writes, “A white ashen dust veiled his dark suit and his pale hair as it veiled everything in the vicinity – except his wife, who moved close to Tom” (Fitzgerald, 26). In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the colour grey to describe the valley of ashes, a place no one wants to be, a place that symbolizes lifelessness and moral decay. Fitzgerald explains, “This is a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of ash-grey men, who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald, 23). Fitzgerald also uses the colour grey to symbolize dullness. In a conversation between Gatsby and Nick, Fitzgerald writes, “We talked for a moment about some wet, grey villages in France” (Fitzgerald, 47). Alike grey, Fitzgerald uses green as a symbol in The Great …show more content…
Fitzgerald uses the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock to symbolize Gatsby’s hopes and dreams with Daisy that were so close yet so far away, as well as Gatsby being stuck in the past and never really moving forward with his life. Fitzgerald writes, “I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of the dock” (Fitzgerald, 22). Fitzgerald uses the green light as a way of showing his readers that Gatsby was stuck in the past, stuck on Daisy, stuck on the green light. He was not moving forward, only staying still. This green light represents his dream with Daisy but also his inability to move forward. Fitzgerald writes, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further… and one fine morning – So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald, 184). The colour green is of great significance in the novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald used these colours as important symbols throughout the
Fitzgerald makes this very peculiar image of a green light. These scenes of color imagery indicate that the color green is significant in this passage. “… I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world.” Fitzgerald is conveying the image of the conquest of the Dutch in the new world. He states that green was widely seen across the continent meaning trees. The color green is revealed as a light, which Gatsby used to watch at the night to demonstrate his desire and want for Daisy. “I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock.” The image of the green light was Gatsby’s desire to reunite with Daisy and it was also a sign of hope that Gatsby had by looking off into the water to see the other
In literature, colors are often purposefully chosen for different characters to represent the character’s personalities. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the colors green, yellow/gold, and gray are used to represent the attributes of the colored person or place.
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us”(Fitzgerald 171). Whenever Gatsby looks at Daisy’s green light, he thinks of a bright future with his love of his life. The color green symbolizes Gatsby’s desire for a future with Daisy. Green also symbolizes Gatsby’s desire for great wealth. Nick describes Gatsby’s car as a “green leather conservatory” because the interior is green (Fitzgerald 64).
Green is a major symbol used in The Great Gatsby. This first example of Gatsby reaching out on his dock for the green light symbolises Gatsby trying to reach out for something he cant have; Daisy, old money, Tom’s
Colors can be a symbol that many people overlook. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses color imagery to describe the characters. Nick's neighbor, Jay Gatsby, is a mysterious man that lived in the past. Gatsby and Daisy have always loved each other, but Daisy also loves her brutal husband Tom. In a twist of events three people die and some you never hear from again. The Main character, Gatsby, is described using various colors including gold, pink, and blue.
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel based on Gatsby’s dream and hope. In order to enrich the story, symbols are used to emphasize what the author is saying and they create a curiosity in the reader as they are frequently used throughout the story. These three symbols – green light, valley of ashes and the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg are not connected to each other but each of them represents important things in the story.
Throughout history, colors have been used as symbols in literature. When people see or hear certain colors, they automatically associate them with symbols and feelings. For example, red is love, blue is sadness, and purple is royalty. Many of these symbols are universal. You could go anywhere in the world and ask someone how yellow makes them feel, and they would say happy. Some great examples of color symbolism are in the novel The Great Gatsby. Well-known symbols as well as new meanings are used to enrich the story. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, he used the colors gold, white, green and blue to symbolize deeper meanings.
Symbolism can mean and represent a wide variety of ideas, moments and memories in everyone's lives. In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, colors, names and objects symbolize different personalities, and ideas of the characters. Some of the symbols are more obvious and easier to pick up on than others.
The Great Gatsby is full of symbolism, colors, for example. Throughout the book the author uses them to represent different themes of the novel. Some of these colors are white, yellow, grey, green, pink, red and blue. However, I picked white and green for my commentary because I think these colors have a special meaning different from the others. White is mainly used to describe the character’s innocence, fakeness, and corruption. While green represents Gatsby’s hopes, ambitions, and dreams. In addition, sometimes green symbolizes the jealousy of certain characters.
Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby & nbsp; Colors can symbolize many different things. Artists use colors in their paintings when they want you to see what they are trying to express. Like if an artist is trying to express sorrow or death. he often uses blacks, blues, and. grays. Basically he uses dreary colors. You automatically feel what the artist is trying to express. When the artist uses bright colors you feel warm and you feel happiness. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald is like an artist. He uses colors to symbolize the many different intangible ideas in the book. He uses the color yellow to symbolize moral decay, decadence, and death. Then he uses the color white to symbolize innocence. He also uses the color green to express hope. Fitzgerald's use of the color green the strongest.
The Great Gatsby is full of symbolism. Colours, for example, are used to represent many different things; some even represent a theme of the novel. White, yellow, grey, green are just some of the colours which Fitzgerald uses in a special way, because each of these colours has a special meaning, different from the ones we regularly know or use.
Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism and colors in The Great Gatsby is prominent in every chapter of his novel. To fully understand the meaning of his color use, a reader must recognize the situations in which these colors are used. Throughout the novel Fitzgerald uses the color green. Green has many possible interpretations, and its’ use to reveal insight into Gatsby’s character is probably the most meaningful.
Grey is a dull colour to begin with, so naturally it would make sense if Fitzgerald utilized that colour to symbolize as corruption. In The Great Gatsby is a place called The Valley of Ashes. “The ‘Valley of Ashes’…symbolizes the human situation in an age of chaos. It is ‘a certain desolate area of land’ in which ‘ash-grey men’ swarm dimly, stirring up ‘an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight.’” (Dyson 113). Nick thinks of the place to be “a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills into grotesque gardens” (Fitzgerald 23). And that is exactly what it is, since it’s a barren land of human waste. In The Valley of Ashes live Wilson and his wife Myrtle. The Valley of Ashes resembles something dark and lifeless. As a result of fire ashes stand for destruction and death. Furthermore the death of Myrtle Wilson in the Valley of Ashes stands for the pain and the corruption associated with this valley and the death of Myrtle Wilson. Also...
F. Scott Fitzgerald used the imagery of colors in his masterpiece The Great Gatsby. The colors are used very frequently as symbols, and the hues create atmosphere in different scenes of the book. White is a clean and fresh color, but the author shows how it can be tainted as well. Next, yellow illustrates the downfall of moral standards of the people of West Egg. Lastly, green, the most dominant color in the book, symbolizes wealth and Gatsby's unattainable dream.
Colors are an essential part of the world around us. They can convey messages, expressing that which words do not. Gentle blue tones can calm a person and bright yellows can lift the spirits. If an artist is trying to express sorrow or death he often uses blacks blues, and grays basically he uses dreary colors. Without one word, a driver approaching a red traffic light knows to stop. Colors are representative of many things. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses color symbolism throughout as a major device in thematic and character development. He uses colors to symbolize the many different intangible ideas in the book. Throughout the book characters, places, and objects are given "life" by colors, especially the more prominent ones.