Great Gatsby Symbolism

Interpretation of Literature

Major Paper Assignment #1

F. Scott Fitzgerald is regarded as one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. “The Great Gatsby”, his most popular novel set in New York during the decadent and volatile 1920’s, is most well known for its vivid color content and symbolism woven into the text. You'll notice throughout the novel that Fitzgerald goes out of his way to describe and define the lighting and the color because it helps symbolize emotion and energy, many things readers need to fully understand the complexities of a novel like this. From beginning to end, Fitzgerald's use of color in The Great Gatsby, whether subtle or obvious, creates a vivid sensory experience for the reader as the characters and theme develop.

Symbolism, or the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, is shown through a multitude of examples in The Great Gatsby, so many that it would be difficult to list them all. The prominent symbolism that is maintained throughout the book, however, is his focus on color. It emphasizes how Fitzgerald uses his words very carefully and strategically to set the scene for the reader. Every color expresses its own array of emotions or feelings that words cannot. Red, for example, is known to portray love, power, strength, and danger. Throughout the novel, there are examples of every color you can think of, and in this paper I will examine Fitzgerald's use of color and how he transforms the readers journey through this messaging.

One of the first colors we encounter in this book is the color green. Green is used continuously throughout this novel. Green is a color that can convey an assortment of things, from greed, to envy, to money to growth.

At the beginning of the novel, Nick's first encounter with Gatsby is when Gatsby is out late at night at the edge of his property. "But I didn't call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone - he stretched out his arms...