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Michael Lopez

Ms. Storer

English 3H Block3

March 2, 2020

Hidden Meaning

Colors are the most effective way of conveying messages without saying anything. In

The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald uses color as a way to convey many different messages

without directly stating them. Throughout the story, the color yellow is used many times

throughout the story because yellow symbolizes Daisy being the ideal woman, it shows the

wealth and greed of the time period, and it communicates a message of youth.

Many men often are infatuated with a woman in their life. In the case of Tom and Gatsby,

she is the “golden girl”. While thinking about Daisy, Nick says “That was it. I’d never

understood before. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it,

the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.... High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden

girl....” (Fitzgerald 128). Nick is talking about Daisy and realizes just why Gatsby has been so in

love with Daisy. In the eyes of many, Daisy has an aura that gives her the edge compared to

other women and it classifies her as the “golden girl.” Nick also states “Her face was sad and

lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth—but there was an

excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing

compulsion, a whispered ‘Listen,’ a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while

since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour” (Fitzgerald 12). This

line shows the aura that daisy has. It also further exemplifies the fact that she is able to
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infatuate men by just being herself; hence the reason why she is the “golden girl.” Along with

portraying Daisy as a special woman, the story also highlights the wealth of the time period.

In this roaring ‘20s society, people wanted to have nice things and Tom is no exception.

While talking to Mr. Wilson about Gatsby’s car, Tom says “‘It’s a nice yellow one,’ said Wilson,

as he strained at the handle” (Fitzgerald 131). Even though the car does not belong to Tom, he is

still being complemented on it. In the story, objects that are yellow are expensive and the coupé

that Tom is driving is a symbol of Gatsby’s wealth since no other cars were not painted this

extravagant color. While Nick is in Gatsby’s bedroom, he states “His bedroom was the simplest

room of all—except where the dresser was garnished with a toilet set of pure dull gold”

(Fitzgerald 98). Nick is surprised to see that Gatsby’s bedroom is plain and simple except for the

set of gold. The average person does not have the inclination to buy elaborate, golden items, but

Gatsby has enough money for items like that which also means that he has the money to afford

it. In addition to wealth being apparent, characters were “young and dumb.”

When people are young, they are not able to make the best of choices especially when it

is about someone, they are interested in. While spending time with Tom, Gatsby, and Daisy,

Nick heard Daisy saying something astounding and states “She had told him that she loved him,

and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His mouth opened a little and he looked at Gatsby

and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as someone, he knew a long time ago”

(Fitzgerald 126). While Daisy is the “golden girl,” she is still young and decides to make the

bold move of telling Gatsby that she loves him. Wats significant about this is that Daisy says that

in front of her husband which shows that she is reckless with her love. Gatsby is no different

than Daisy as proven by Nick stating, “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go
to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you’” (Fitzgerald 118). Gatsby, also being young, wanted Daisy

to be attracted only to him and nobody else. The problem with Gatsby’s mentality is that one

cannot simply tell a person who they can and cannot love. He has a strong, loving connection for

Daisy, but he is reckless in the fact that he wants to choose who she loves. The way Fitzgerald

uses yellow allows for a deeper meaning of the story.

Using color allowed for the story that could be interpreted by many. Throughout the

story, Fitzgerald is able to show the “golden” aspect of Daisy, the wealth of the time period, and

convey a message of youth, all by using thr color yellow. If one color was able to summarize

society today, what would it be?

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Works Cites

Fitzgerald, F Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York City. Charles Scribner, 1953. Print