The Color Red In The Great Gatsby

Lindsay Talemal
9/26/14
The Fire in Tom and Gatsby’s Eyes Burns Red with Zeal;
Colors in The Great Gatsby

The color red is usually known for its association with passion and love, but in The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald, red symbolizes power, in this case of the wealthy class, and also great rage. Fitzgerald uses the boldness of the color red to contrast with the dimmer whites, yellows, and grays of the novel in order to demonstrate the stains of corruption and violence within the “perfect” lives of the rich.
The realm of the rich is first presented to the reader as a saintly place, full of innocence and pureness, which is described through the character of Daisy and her “white” aura. The peaceful whites seen in Daisy are disrupted,

however, by the presence of Tom, her husband, whose frequent color is an irate red because he is a constantly enraged and aggressive person. The house he and Daisy occupy is a "red and white Georgian Colonial mansion,” (9) which greatly represents the white of Daisy and the red of Tom. Its sparkling interior is white, with the exception of a "crimson carpet” (123) and a few other small details of red. The elegance of the white is opposed by the crisp color of the tints of red in the home, presenting an atmosphere that feels somewhat hazardous and risky. When Nick first enters the world of the Buchanan’s, he is in awe of their massive white house and he notes its bright red interior. This description symbolizes how pure and clean the upperclass appears on the outside but how twisted and corrupt they are inside, with personalities such as Tom’s.
Tom’s "red" disposition is again presented by the audacity of his affair with Myrtle. The apartment he has in New York City with her is white as well, not necessarily meaning what he is doing with her is pure, but rather that everything for the moment is at peace. The crisp bathroom towels are white as well until Tom, in a fury, lashes out at Myrtle and breaks her nose. Then there were “bloody towels upon the bathroom floor,” (41) once again providing an example of a scene where Tom spoils a perfectly white site with his associated “red” and acts of aggression. Red seems to provide this seemingly horrific image of death in the minds of readers as well. The “thin red circle in the water” (162) is one of the last vivid images seen in the novel. This pool of blood around Gatsby’s body signifies the last needed depiction into the gruesome lives of the affluent.
Tom Buchanan embodies the color red because of his intense emotion, but also because of his attachments to the aristocracy and powerful upper class.

Gatsby, however, does not embody this color and constantly strives to be such as Tom in a way. Red expresses the true elite society, and Gatsby wishes he could embody the color like Tom in order to have a likeness of “old money”. This is seen through the imagery in the story when “Gatsby stood in the center of the crimson carpet and gazed around with fascinated eyes while Daisy watched him and laughed” (123). Since Gatsby does not have this ora of red, he stands out against its vivid vibes whenever he encounters or is around the people that do possess these. This society gives off a dreamy “rose” color, giving hope to those less fortunate that they can achieve the american dream, although, this is false. Gatsby refers to himself as a collector of jewels, "chiefly rubies" (71), in order to forget his past and obtain what he believes will give him this red energy. He is noted as the main character that has achieved this American dream, and has compromised much to do so, but is still not accepted as part of the higher society. Nick says that he “saw him opening a chest of rubies, with their crimson-lighted depths, the gnawings of his broken heart,” (72) in order to reveal the truth that with all the hard work and commitment Gatsby has gone through to acquire a position in the aristocracy, he has still failed in his attempt. In the

end, he is only left with a few rubies to mirror the life he has always dreamed about, and his broken heart.
Overall, red in The Great Gatsby signifies the anger and demise of the upper class along with its false hope to those less fortunate. Fitzgerald details that just as the upper class uses white to seem pure and innocent, the elite also use red with the intention of pulling attention to the boldness of the colors and giving optimism to those aspiring to achieve the American dream. This demonstrates that the color red is very luring to the eye just like red roses are beautiful from the outside, however, try to obtain one for yourself and you will feel the thorns.