The Colors of Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgeralds Famous Novel

F. Scott Fitzgerald is famous for the detail with which he crafted the quintessential American novel, The Great Gatsby. With his well-chosen words, Fitzgerald painted a fantastic portrait of life during the Roaring Twenties in the minds of his readers, a picture rich with color and excitement. Four colors: green, gold, white, and gray played key roles in the symbolic demonstration of ideas and feelings which, woven together seamlessly, made The Great Gatsby a world-renowned work of literary genius. Some of the most well-known and intriguing symbolic imagery in The Great Gatsby comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of the color green. Fitzgerald used green primarily to represent two human traits in Gatsby: longing for things beyond one’s†¦show more content†¦As described by Carraway, â€Å"The front [of the house] was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with the reflected gold†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (6). Fitzgerald included this description of the mansion to provide a contrast between the Buchanans and Gatsby. Although the Buchanan house was red and white, Carraway described it as almost radiating a golden aura. This golden sheen of the Buchanan palace represented what Tom and Daisy considered to be the inherent dignity imbued in them as gentility. Gatsby lacked this air of wealth and power as a member of the Nouveau riche. Fitzgerald used the color gold in this instance to represent the status and position in the pantheon of the American rich that Gatsby desired but could not achieve due to his humble beginnings. Although Gatsby desired to achieve his childhood goals by reaching the maximum degree of American opulence, he sought much more than that to win the hand Daisy Buchanan. Growing up in Louisville, Daisy was pursued by countless eligible men; only one was successful in winning her affections. The narrator described her as â€Å"†¦High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (120). Fitzge rald’s characterization of her as â€Å"the golden girl† was no mistake. He used the color gold to describe her immense worth in the eyes of Gatsby. After a short but passionate relationship, Daisy was forced to cease contact with Gatsby due to his low social standing. GatsbyShow MoreRelated Use of Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay1326 Words   |  6 Pagesin any novel of literary merit. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbols to portray events, feelings, personalities and time periods. Throughout the narrative, Fitzgerald uses strong contrasting symbols such as West Egg and East Egg. His superior use of other predominant symbols such as color and light are also evident throughout the novel. The story begins as the narrator, Nick Carraway, describes his arrival to West Egg. One can immediately spot new-money Gatsby and no-moneyRead MoreViews of Entitlement in the Great Gatsby1596 Words   |  7 PagesGreat Gatsby as Fitzgerald’s explanation of an American Reality which contradicts the American Dream That was always my experience—a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boys school; a poor boy in a rich mans club at Princeton.... However, I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works.   —F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters, ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli. New York: Scribners, 1994. pg. 352. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott FitzgeraldRead MoreEssay on The Great Gatsby Research Report1248 Words   |  5 PagesI. Introduction In 1896 F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. After growing up in Minnesota he moved to start a career and marry Zelda, the girl he loved. He published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920; the novel was a success and Fitzgerald quickly became one of the most famous young writers of the time. â€Å"F. Scott Fitzgerald eagerly embraced his newly minted celebrity status and embarked on an extravagant lifestyle that earned him a reputation as a playboy andRead MoreThe Use of Creative Color Throughoutout F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby600 Words   |  3 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald creatively utilizes colors throughout his novel, The Great Gatsby, not only to provide the reader with a rich visual image of the scene taking place, but also to convey certain symbols within the story. To begin with, one must understand what each color symbolizes. Green symbolizes hope, blue symbolizes illusion, red means violence or love, yellow illustrates wealth or deat h, white is innocence, and gray or black symbolizes corruption. The reader can see that color symbolism isRead MoreA Fluid Mosaic Of Color1171 Words   |  5 PagesJacob Knauer Mr. McMahon English 10H Block 1 10 March 2015 A Fluid Mosaic of Color F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, follows the story of Jay Gatsby, a man who personifies the American Dream. The narrator of the novel is Gatsby s neighbor, Nick Carraway, who is connected with all the main characters and has the ability to see the good in Gatsby. Through the focus of Nick, a man with a fairly nondescript background, a story of corruption, illusion and desperate desire unfolds.Read MoreResearch Paper F Scott Fitzgerald2343 Words   |  10 Pagesattained. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald has had an unprecedented impact on America. His novels contain recurring themes that establish the facets of modern American society with which he avidly disagrees. His characters Jay Gatsby and Armory Blaine both portray men in American society who have through various ways acquired wealth, but their wealth has not brought them happiness, which is what they had truly longed for. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels, The Great Gatsby, and This Side of ParadiseRead MoreEssay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1217 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream today is the goal of the US nation; to have the opportunity for anyone of any race, religion, color, or creed to come to America and, if they work hard enough, become successful and live a prosperous life. This dream is obviously still a dream today with the oppression, racism, and many obstacles standing in the way of success. However the US has made progress in recent years. In the 1920s, there was an incredible amount of obstacles in the way of success. One of the biggest beingRead MoreLoneliness in the Great Gatsby1398 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the unfortunate reality of loneliness consumes the lives of the majority of the characters. The time period portrayed in this novel, the 1920’s, had brought about several changes for people. It was highly common for large groups of people to join together for parties with endless drinking, dancing and celebrating. However, when the night was over and the festivities finished, most people were forced right back into their regular everyday lives feelingRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Passage Analysis1289 Words   |  6 PagesWhen concluding his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald composes a final passage of narrator, Nick Carraway, reflecting on the story of Jay Gatsby following his sorrowful passing. He comments on the concept that in chasing a future dream, individuals are only to be mired back into the past. As the novel ends, Fitzgerald displays powerful utilization of eloquent diction and images of the past to highlight his most essential idea of hopes and dreams; ultimately, Fitzgerald delivers a critiqueRead MoreMaterialism in The Great Gatsby Essay515 Words   |  3 Pages We are living in a material world. This famous line in one of Madonnas songs entitled Material Girl will never outgrow itself. Ever since the beginnings of monetary means, the main focus of living is getting more money and to be as successful as possible. This became a huge issue during the 1920s. In this era, people made money from the stock market, illegal bootlegging and so forth. With these people hitting the jackpot, this then created a new rank called `new money. This rank, however