The Symbolism of Yellow in The Great Gatsby
Necessity and Excess: Unpacking the Meaning of Yellow in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a rich and complex tale of love, greed, and the American Dream. One of the most intriguing aspects of the novel is the symbolism of yellow, which appears throughout the story in various ways. This article will delve into the various meanings of yellow in The Great Gatsby, exploring its significance in the context of the novel.
Background and Motifs
Yellow is a predominantly orange hue in The Great Gatsby, but Fitzgerald deliberately mixes it with orange to create a sense of contrast and tension. This is particularly evident in the opulent settings of Valley of Ashes, where the green grass of the "Valley of Ashes" symbolizes the moral decay of the characters. In contrast, the lavish parties and resorts in the East are depicted as symbols of Gatsby’s elusive American Dream.
The Color of Necessity
In the context of the novel, yellow is often associated with necessity, which is what Gatsby sees in Daisy Buchanan. For him, yellow represents the ideal marriage, the kind of partnership he believes in, where he is the provider and she is the partner. In his mind, yellow is the color of progress and achievement, but for Daisy, it is the color of complacency and boredom. "Gatsby saw that there was just one saying that held true for all who lived on Long Island, that yellow was the color of all that was valuable, the color of the future. He believed that if he could get to yellow, he could get anything." (Fitzgerald 76)
The Yellow Light as a Symbol of Restriction
The yellow light, a prominent feature of Gatsby’s eyes, symbolizes his dream of Daisy. It represents the elusive nature of his goal and the impossibility of achieving it. The light is also a symbol of his need for distraction from the truth about Daisy’s past and her marriage to Tom. "The yellow light is the symbol of the dream. Gatsby believes that the yellow light is because he believes that his chance of gaining Daisy back is more than just a hope" (Fitzgerald 96).
Color and Ambiguity
Yellow is also associated with ambiguity in the novel. "Gatsby wore yellow stockings to parties. He liked to be at party**parties. He liked to be seen. He wanted to be seen." (Fitzgerald 23) This phrase highlights Gatsby’s desire to be noticed and admired by Daisy, which is an illusion. Yellow is also a color associated with societal expectations, and in the novel, it represents the constraints placed on individuals to conform to societal norms.
Green, Pink, and Brown: Exploring Yellow’s Color Meanings
In addition to the symbolic meanings of yellow, it is also used as a color in the novel. Green, pink, and brown are not directly associated with the novel, but they are used to highlight the dichotomy between the green pastures of the East and the orange-hot Valley of Ashes. "In the valley, there were green horses. There were pale pink lanes. There were dark brown rivers." (Fitzgerald 155) These colors serve as a visual representation of the contrasting moralities between the East and the West.
The Politics of Yellow
Yellow also serves as a symbol of politics in the novel. In the context of the Roaring Twenties, yellow represents the tension between the old money elite and the rising middle class. "The yellow partygoers on Neck to poll FoxKinso**—runningher love toFox’s-Gatsby—is only the key totheseventies, to the bellwether ofthe**Wall Street-burdened syndicate— that that works the With spr_{from##headlines as nicely-new casesmarketsrand widening alongcare manages None”.