Now that we know Gatsby’s story… or do we? Let’s start changing our focus back to that green light. What does it mean? Is is showing us any other colors in the novel?
At the beginning of the novel, we discussed that characters are going to exist in color families… start looking. Family points for ideas. Choices for color families are: winter, spring, fall, summer, glitter, jewels, neon, neutral, Americana, Primary, etc.
500 points for each character that you match to their color with an explanation of why you think so.
For yellow being the color of Gatsby’s car, it could symbolize confusion. As Nick and Gatsby first rode together Nick was confused by Gatsby’s story and didn’t feel he was telling the truth. Likewise, Tom drove the yellow car to the Plaza and was confused as to how Gatsby new Daisy and felt that maybe his American Dream of having a wife would die. Gatsby and Daisy drive home in the yellow car while Daisy is confused which man she should end up with while Gatsby also feels his American Dream of Daisy slipping away. White was the color for Daisy as she wore a white dress the first time we saw her and she rode a white car with Gatsby when they were in Louisville 5 years ago. White symbolizes purity and rarity as she is a delicate flower that is most prized in all men’s eyes making her a sort of jewel standing out like a bride on her wedding day.
Myrtle:
I think the Myrtle’s color is yellow, because like Myrtle the color yellow may seem nice at first, but the more it ages and the more it is worn, the more the color erodes and is ugly as well as ruined.
Daisy:
I think Daisy was a neutral color like white, because she was didn’t have much depth to her character and was very self-absorbed and worried about
money.
Gatsby:
I think Gatsby’s color was green, because like the light he symbolized the American Dream. He was the one who at this point had actually achieved his dreams and proved that the American Dream really exists.
Nick:
I think that Nick’s colors are neutral as well, because he himself didn’t have a lot of depth to his character.
Gatsby:
Gatsby’s color is green. Green symbolizes envy and jealousy, both emotions Gatsby felt toward the extravagantly wealthy as a child and an grown man, as well as towards Daisy, in that he was jealous and envious that Daisy “belonged” to Tom. Green also represents Gatsby’s wealth; however, because green is associated with paper currency rather than real and valuable gold, it highlights the reality that Gatsby’s wealth was a meaningless association with his social status compared to the “real” and “true” wealth and social status of the the golden East Egg inhabitants
Jordan:
Jordan is gold because of her ties and origins to Old Money and the way Nick describes her in chapter 3 with “slender golden arms”. The old-monied, themselves are represented as gold in that true wealth is measured by the value of authentic and traditional gold one owns, not the green paper currency of the new-monied.
George Wilson:
George Wilson is gray due to his residence in the valley of ashes and as a member of the middle class. Gray is often associated with a lacking in life, just as George Wilson had a lack of self control and morality in his life when he chose to murder Gatsby in a fit of revenge and proceed to commit suicide.
Myrtle:
Myrtle is yellow because at first it may seem beautiful, but as time goes on it become ugly and unpleasant to gaze upon. Though Myrtle is “beautiful” in the eyes of Tom in the beginnings of their affair, her ugly personality becomes evident as it continues, as seen through her relentless calling to the Buchanon residence and complaining, ungrateful attitude she shows towards her current life and status. Yellow is also associated to fake gold, or fool’s gold, showing that despite the lavish treatment Tom bestowed upon her like her new clothing, apartment in the city, and fine jewelry, it was only a high profiled facade to cover her low social status.
Daisy:
Daisy’s color is white to symbolize the purity, innocence, rarity and perfection, she once was as a young girl in Louisville, longing to marry her true love and live a perfect life. However, white is also a color of an object that reflects all colored light of the visible spectrum. Daisy is a mixture of all the colors, such as green, her desire to experience Gatsby’s new-monied lifestyle, yellow, her appearance as a traditional treasure to Gatsby when she was truly a nightmare, gold, her ties to the traditional and authentic wealth of the old-monied, green, her jealousy towards Myrtle for ruining her “relationship” with Tom.
Tom:
Tom’s color is red. Red is associated with anger, wrath, a short temper, and blood. Tom’s personality is characterized by anger, wrath, and a short temper as seen when he punches Myrtle in the face for mentioning Daisy’s name, and aggressive demeanor and tone when interacting with those he believes are below him as well as with his friends and family. His initiation of an affair with Myrtle is a direct result of her violent and bloody death, and his anger and wrath towards Gatsby for adding turbulence to his his marriage is an indirect result of Gatsby’s death.
Nick:
Nick is white in that he is pure and innocent in life, Nick has little experience with harsh reality other than his time in the Midwest and is premature in his opinions of others, often being unable to see the corruption that entails life itself, at first.
Wolfsheim:
Wolfsheim’s color is black. Black is the absence of color and since color is most often associated with feelings and emotions, Wolfsheim’s virtual absence feelings and emotions most closely relates to the color black. Wolfsheim’s inability to feel emotions allows him to continue to partake in his illegal endeavors without fear of consequences and dispose of Gatsby’s friendship and loyalty, merely using him as a pawn.
Mr. Gatz:
Mr. Gatz can be associated with the color blue. Blue is often associated with the ocean, a dark, deep, vast expanse of water of which little is known about. Similarly, little is known about Mr. Gatz in that Gatsby never disclosed that he had had an living members of him family, and his abrupt presence at Gatsby’s funeral leaves little to be told about him. Blue is also associated with sadness, a feeling that Mr. Gatz felt losing his son.
Michaelis:
Michaelis, the greek restaurant owner can be associated with orange, a symbol of warning. Michaelis’ presence in the novel is most evident at Myrtle’s death and the ensuing events after, one being a conversation with a vengeful and suicidal George Wilson, which can be seen as a foreshadowing or warning of possible fatal events later to come (Gatsby’s murder).