Symbolism is a widely used literature device that helps the author indicate a symbolic meaning beyond the object’s original meaning. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, by applying different colors that represent varying personalities, Fitzgerald characterized his characters not only by their actions but also by their imageries of color. One could never forget the wealthy Gatsby in gold nor the white coated Daisy of purity. However, neither Gatsby’s properties come from a proper way nor Daisy remains pure as what Gatsby imagines. Instead of using applying the commonly perceived definition of a color, Fitzgerald symbolizes the color in an ironic and indirect way that is beyond its original definition.
Admittedly, many literary critics believe that the color in the story is patterned and suggestive. In their minds, color functions as an universal symbolism that reveals only the superficial meaning of the color, like dark as the evil and bright as the goodness (Elmore 427-428). For example, the two dominant colors in The Great Gatsby are yellow and white; they respectively represent the two groups characters from the two eggs -- the white Buchanans of East Egg and the yellow Gatsby from the West Egg. Therefore, readers who hold the belief that color only provides superficial explanation will interpret white only as honor, purity and innocence while yellow and gold only as money. However, from Fitzgerald’s reference to religion in color, Fitzgerald’s use of color symbolism is beyond the superficial definition of a color.
In The Great Gatsby, White and its near synonym silver appear more frequently than any other single color. This color is strongly attached to the Buchanan family. While applied to the Buchanan family, the first impression white gives readers is honor and wealth. Readers can feel the Buchanan’s prosper simply by imagining the “a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion” (Fitzgerald 6), or Dai...