Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Color Symbolism in Gatsby

For our next class, you'll need to post an explicit or implicit color quote from Gatsby on your blog.  Next, write a one paragraph analysis where you infer Fitzgerald's symbolic intent for the color.  Use your understanding of the color and evidence from the text to support your conclusions.

Also, we will begin The Stranger by Albert Camus next week.  The EVL has limited copies of the text, so please purchase a copy of the book or download an ebook version for free in .pdf here or .epub here.
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2 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 20, 2012 at 11:16 AM

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  2. UnknownAugust 20, 2012 at 11:20 AM

    “...and, as far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock.” pg.20,21

    As we already know, one of the most important symbols in the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald is the distant green light that is visible from Mr. Gatsby’s house. In class, we have discussed how green can mean multiple things like wealth, hope, progress, and so on. But after a while of thinking of other meanings, I realized that green can also mean envy. Jealousy, and the constant crave of East Egg to need more than what they have, is a big part of why the novel does not have a happy ending. In Gatsby’s case, envy is a big part of this green light. His heart has been broken by Daisy, the love of his life, and all he wanted to do since he met her was to have enough money to have her. Now he lived with an envy cloud in his head because she was married to Tom, man who she had learned to love in a way, and there was nothing he could do about it. So in conclusion, it is obvious that during the book, Gatsby has been constantly hurting himself, but keeps that light as a way of consolation. Like a second to forget everything and just stare at the light, stare at Daisy. The thing is, every time he looks at the light, he’s reminded of his mistakes in the past and how much he envies Tom for having the girl of his dreams and not even appreciating it.

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