What Does The Color White Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

Red, yellow, blue, green, white; for as long as mankind has existed, the complexity of color has been discussed, debated, and heavily used to portray important distinctions. From color’s importance in history, to it’s symbolism in artwork and literature, one always stops to examine a deeper meaning. In one such novel, The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald plays around with the use of concrete colors to deliver crucial meaning about the lives of his characters. Set in New York during the roaring 1920s, Nick Carraway, the protagonist, finds himself admiring, and occasionally disapproving of, his wealthy neighbor Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby lives through a series of untold truths and the desire to feel love once again from Daisy Buchanan, a

woman married to an abusive and cheating husband. Daisy, despite having allure and charm, is noticed by Nick as to be almost careless, flaunting herself in a white dress and sardonic attitude. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald makes use color, particularly the presence or absence of white, to depict differences within class, purity and innocence contrasting with superficial ideals, and the loss of honesty and character in main roles throughout the story line.
In weddings, stories pertaining to religious beliefs and during other important ceremonies, the color white has always been used to symbolize purity and innocence. At first, it appears that Fitzgerald does not differ from this trend, as when Daisy and her friend, Jordan Baker, are first introduced, Fitzgerald makes a prominent statement about them by drawing attention to the color white, ¨The only… stationary object… was an enormous couch, on which… they [Daisy and Jordan] were both in white, their dresses rippling and fluttering.” (Fitzgerald 8) Here, white represents the purity of the situation, Tom Buchanan, Daisyś husband, has not yet cheated, in the eyes of the reader, and Daisy is not involved in conflicting emotions with Gatsby. Though, despite having this air of peacefulness and virtuousness, Fitzgerald utilizes white to contrast with Daisy’s true personality, “Then she [Daisy] added irrelevantly: ‘You ought to see the baby.’”(Fitzgerald 9) Daisy does not seem to care much about her family, as seen through her lack of enthusiasm and pressure to introduce her child, deeming it as “irrelevant.” Fitzgerald portrays this pure and honest image as a way to contrast with her true personality and vain ideals. Later in the novel, Nick comes to terms with the idea that although Daisy has innocent looks, “They [Daisy and Tom] were careless people... they smashed up things.. And then... retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness.” (Fitzgerald 179) This contrast between white purity and their true careless nature is key in understanding their true skin-deep aspirations. Anyone can look full of legitimacy, but it is essential to find their true personality.
A great deal of literature includes the different views between classes, but it is another thing to simply examine the moral distinctions in a single caste, the rich.

Fitzgerald uses white to identify these divisions, white being closely associated with the Buchanans, and other colors such as pink and green are associated with Gatsby. Through the color white, moral differences can be noticed, “‘Her [Daisy’s] voice is full of money,’ he [Gatsby] said suddenly... that was the inexhaustible charm... High in a white palace of the king’s daughter.” (Fitzgerald 120) Having a voice of money can be described as shallow, only seeming to care about something materialistic. Daisy married to Tom because of money and she is constantly described with owning white items, such as her clothing and cars. Daisy’s love of white is first associated with material items, and secondly associated with things that have a negative connotation, lack of intelligence and real values. Gatsby, on the other hand, is known for having dreams of Daisy’s love, and only wants money so he can be on same level as Daisy is. Daisy’s whiteness correlates to her money and empty mind, but Gatsby differs from her in a way the shows he only wants riches to feel love. Although they remain in the same class, the color white, or lack of white in Gatsby’s case, can represent the differences in their morals and

goals.