Color Symbolism in the Great Gatsby

In the novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald there is a lot of symbolism to be found. Fitzgerald’s main tool to represent the true intentions of his characters is the way he foreshadows their emotions with the use of colors. Colors have always been linked to human characteristics; red means passion while blue is associated with wisdom and stability. In the novel the color white represents innocence and purity or it can also be thought of as the illusion of those things as the characters that display these colors aren’t really innocent. Take this quote for example: “An hour later the front door opened nervously, and Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in.” (84) In this quote Gatsby is about to meet Daisy for the first time in five years, before doing so he puts on a white suit in order for daisy to see his honesty and purity. Even the name “Daisy” suggests that she is also pure but as we realize later in the book daisies are white on the outside but yellow (corrupted) on the inside. In the end of the book the symbolism becomes more apparent, and now that I reread passages of the Great Gatsby I can see how the colors are a great insight into the mind of every character.