What Does The Golden Woman Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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The Golden Woman: Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Colors in The Great Gatsby not only create vivid images of the novel’s setting but also represent the intersection between character and theme. Although most colors appear in the novel, the mentions of yellow and gold are significant, particularly in telling the story of wealth and longing that Fitzgerald emphasizes. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald symbolizes yellow and gold as money and materialism, using these very colors to paint the female characters in his novel as possessions in the avaricious society of the Roaring Twenties. By mentioning yellow both in relation to Gatsby’s party and the outfits of the guests in attendance, Fitzgerald draws a compelling parallel …show more content…

Daisy’s marriage to Tom is evidence of her association with money because she married Tom for his wealth rather than for love, and when explaining to Nick why he’s infatuated with Daisy, Gatsby calls her a “golden girl” in reference to her old money background and how that wealth affected the way she speaks and acts (120). Although women were treated differently on the basis of gender during the 1920s, Daisy is objectified due to both her wealth and gender. This obvious association with money influences the way characters in the novel treat Daisy. As a character, her ideas are brushed off due to her objectification which is evident in the way Tom asserts that Nick shouldn’t believe everything Daisy says. This is due to Tom’s knowledge on some level that Daisy stays with him due to his wealth. Also, the way Daisy wishes for her daughter to be “a beautiful little fool” indicates her own recognition that both she and her daughter are solely valued for their wealth and appearance (17). Thus, Daisy’s association with the color gold, and subsequently money, demonstrates her

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