Color Symbolism

            The colors mentioned in The Great Gatsby each have an important underlying meaning. One of the first examples of color symbolism is the color of the shutters on Daisy and Tom's house."Their house was more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay." The red represents the corruption/hostility in their marriage. In chapter two Myrtle shows a new side to herself. " Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume some time before, and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-colored chiffon..." The cream color is close to white but not completely, in the same way Myrtle tries to disguise her impurity. The color of Gatsby's suit shows what he is trying to convey in chapter five. Upon meeting Daisy for the first time in years he dresses to impress her. "-Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in."The silver and gold represents the wealth he has obtained to become a part of Daisy's lifestyle. Daisy on the same day also dresses according to her lifestyle. "Daisy's face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat..." The color lavender is seen on Daisy many times to show her fairytale way of life.

#1 Dust in Gatsby

•         On page 2, the dust shows his past feelings for Daisy that still linger in his dreams. 
•         On page 25, the dust covers an abandoned old Ford in George Wilson's garage. The dust rests on the car to show the way his interests are a part of the past. He doesn't care about his dreams anymore.
•        On page 66, the character leaking sawdust represents Gatsby. Gatsby is fake and now his stories are falling apart.
•        On page 151, the shining dust that the golden and silver shoes shuffle through are all part of Daisy's world. Her dream to get married to a wealthy man is still shining.
•        On page 116, the powder that rose from her bosom into the air is a symbol of her fake personality. Daisy tries to cover her true self the same way "the powder covers Jordan's tan fingers" mentioned a few sentences before.
•        On page 137, Myrtle's blood mixes in with the dust in the ground to show that her body is now a part of the past just like her dreams to be with a man like Tom.
•       On page 148, the romances are not musty in Daisy's house. Everything is laid away in lavender. Daisy wants to live her life like a fairytale.

       Dust can show past dreams or aspirations that were not accomplished. It shows what no longer exists. The same way dust covers things that aren't in use anymore or just sit still. The dust can also show lack of character or genuine personality. It's mentioned while Gatsby's telling the untrue stories of his past. Its also mentioned to describe Daisy. This tells us that Daisy is not a genuinely decent person.