by Sarah Bradstreet

Created on: August 20, 2009   Last Updated: February 28, 2011

Colors are an integral part of the world around us. They can convey messages, expressing that which words do not. Gentle blue tones can calm a person and bright yellows can lift the spirits. Without one word, a driver approaching a red traffic light knows to stop. Colors are representative of many things. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses color symbolism throughout as a major device in thematic and character development.

Gatsby "stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, trembling" as he reached for the green light at the end of a dock across the bay. That dock belonged to Daisy Buchanan, the object of Jay Gatsby's affection. He had longed for her for so long, and now, he felt as if he could almost touch her. She was just across the bay, and yet still so far away. He felt compelled to go after her. The color green is symbolic of Gatsby's drive-his drive for Daisy, as well as his drive for wealth and the American Dream. On a traffic light, green means "go," and this green light told Gatsby to go for his goals, to keep on trying to win Daisy again. He did everything in his power to achieve that. He amassed great wealth in order to impress her. He moved to the East and bought a house just across the water from the one she shared with her husband. Every weekend, he held lavish parties, full of strangers that neither had interest in him nor interested him in any way, all in hopes that by some slight chance Daisy would enter his doors one Saturday evening. He had determination, and to him, that green light was an encouragement to keep on going, to continue working toward that dream of being with Daisy. Gatsby also had great determination in acquiring his fortunes, and the color green naturally accompanied these pursuits. Starting at a young age, he did everything he could to get his money, legal or otherwise. When he first met his inspiration for all of this, Dan Cody, Gatsby wore a green jersey.

The color green also represents rebirth. Each spring, trees that had been bare and lifeless through the winter months suddenly renew themselves with green buds that promise a beautiful future. In the same way, when Gatsby looked at the green light on Daisy's dock, he was hoping for rebirth in their relationship. He refused to believe that it was over between them. He had such a perfect, idealized picture of her and of their past life together in his mind that all he wanted was to be able to live that over again. Nick once told him

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