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Article

Open Access

Conflicts of Colors in The Great Gatsby

Author(s)

TANG Shizhang

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DOI:10.17265/1539-8080/2023.12.008

Affiliation(s)

University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT

The Great Gatsby showcases Fitzgerald's expert writing techniques and is considered the quintessential novel for revealing the extravagant and hedonistic society of its time. With the burgeoning film industry reshaping people's lifestyles to focus on sensual enjoyment, traditional books could no longer meet the needs of the average consumer. To address this shift, Fitzgerald infused his works with cinematic settings and a rich palette of colors. Numerous colors were employed to convey emotions, personalities, and social status. In the novel, red signifies Tom's aggression, white represents Daisy's innocence, green symbolizes hope, yellow stands for wealth, gray denotes poverty, and blue characterizes the old aristocracy. These colors visually draw lines, infusing different scenes and characters with distinct attributes, intensifying the conflict between the traditional aristocracy and the nouveau riche. Interestingly, the same color carries both positive and negative connotations in various scenes. For instance, blue also conveys sadness and loneliness; yellow signifies death and decay; white indicates shallowness and ruthlessness; and green represents greed. The multiple meanings assigned to each color enrich character images and emphasize emotional changes. Initially, vibrant colors depict extravagant parties, opulent attire, and magnificent structures. As the novel unfolds and conflicts between characters intensify, colors are increasingly used to express negative emotions, paving the way for the novel's central themes and the tragic fates of Myrtle and Gatsby. This analysis explores the novel's use of color symbolism to distinguish and highlight characters. Fitzgerald employs these vivid images to portray a society consumed by excess, materialism, and class divisions, where conventional values like morality, wisdom, hard work, and self-improvement fail to bridge the class gap.

KEYWORDS

The Great Gatsby, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, colors, symbolism, imagery

Cite this paper

US-China Foreign Language, December 2023, Vol. 21, No. 12, 512-517 doi:10.17265/1539-8080/2023.12.008

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