摘 要

斯科特·菲茨杰拉德于1925年写作的小说《了不起的盖茨比》是他职业生涯的最高成就。色彩象征主义的概念在此书中很突出。菲茨杰拉德充分发挥了他的想象力，使用象征主义和其他艺术手法来描绘人物，鲜明而生动地展现了色彩象征的魅力。本文主要讨论颜色如何与情绪以及角色关联从而影响场景气氛。为了更好地理解象征主义在文学作品中的意义，本文从象征主义的角度分析《了不起的盖茨比》中作者所使用的颜色象征及其含义，从而加深对作者的写作意图和作品社会价值的理解。

在对象征意义进行简要说明的基础上，本文通过分析小说中不同颜色的象征意义来探究小说中人物的命运并揭示小说的主题，以及不同文化背景对颜色代表的涵义的影响。以《了不起的盖茨比》为例子，结合颜色的自然特性、象征意义和文化价值，讨论西方文化背景对文学作品中象征意象的影响，并与中国文化背景下的颜色象征意义作对比，研究不同文化背景下颜色象征意义的差异。

关键词：《了不起的盖茨比》；象征意义；颜色

Abstract

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. The concept of color symbolism is prominent in the novel. Fitzgerald gave full play to his imagination, used symbolism and other artistic techniques to depict the characters, and showed the symbolic charm of color incisively and vividly. This thesis discuses how the color relate to emotions and characters, thus affecting the atmosphere of scenes. In order to better understand the significance of symbolism in literary works, the thesis analyzes the typical symbols used by the authors in The Great Gatsby and their meanings, and explores the significance of using symbolism which let the reader better understand the writer's intentions and the deep social value of his work.

On the basis of a brief explanation of the symbolic meaning, this thesis explores the fate of the characters in the novel and reveals the theme of the story by analyzing the symbolic meaning of the different colors, as well as the influence of different cultural backgrounds on the symbolic meaning of colors. Taking The Great Gatsby as an example, and combining the natural characteristics, symbolic meaning and cultural value of color, the thesis discusses the influence of Western cultural background on symbolic images in literary works, and compares it with the symbolic meaning of colors in Chinese culture, and studies the difference in the symbolic meaning of colors in different cultural backgrounds .

Key Words: The Great Gatsby；symbolism；color

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Literature Review 3

3 Symbolic Meanings of Specific Colors 4

3.1 Symbolic Meanings of Green 4

3.2 Symbolic Meanings of Golden and Yellow 6

3.3 Symbolic Meanings of White and Red 7

3.4 Symbolic Meanings of Blue and Gray 10

4 Compring Color Symbolism in Chinese Culture 12

4.1 Red Color and White Color 12

4.2 Yellow Color and Green Color 13

4.3 Other Colors 14

5 Conclusion 15

References 17

Acknowledgements 19

Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

1 Introduction

The Great Gatsby is a representative work of American novelist Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald and occupies an important position in the history of American literature. Since its publication, Fitzgerald's masterpiece has become a touchstone for generations of readers and writers, many of whom reread it every few years as a ritual of imaginative renewal. In the 1920s, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he was influenced by the modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, particularly Ernest Hemingway. In spring 1924, Fitzgerald and his family moved to France, where he would begin writing his third novel, which would eventually become The Great Gatsby. Although his novel was widely praised after publication, it was not a commercial success for Fitzgerald during his lifetime, but this lyrical novel has become an acclaimed masterpiece read and taught throughout the world.

The story takes place in the fictional towns of West Egg and East Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922, primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic passion and obsession with the beautiful former debutante Daisy Buchanan. Nick Carraway, as the narrator of the story, he moved to Long Island and became with Jay Gatsby. Gatsby always holds luxury parties at his mansion, feasting guests, showing off his wealth, and his purpose is to attract Daisy’s attention. Daisy was his former lover, but she married Tom Buchanan when Gatsby served in the military service. However, Daisy’s married life is not happy. With the help of Nick, Daisy and Gatsby get back together again. Although Daisy is no longer a naive girl, and she is only interested in Gatsby’s money and status, Gatsby ignored this. Later, Daisy crushed Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson, while driving Gatsby’s car. Then Tom blamed Gatsby on purpose, causing George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, to break into Gatsby’s house and shoot him. The story of Jay Gatsby's desperate quest to win back his first love reverberates with themes at once characteristically American and universally human, among them the importance of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past.

Symbolism is a literary and artistic movement that originated in France at the end of the 19th century. Symbolism literature began with The Flower of Evil by French poet Charles Baudelaire in 1857. The decades after the First World War were the prosperous period of symbolism in the literary world. As a writing technique, symbolism is used widely in various literary works, especially novels. Symbolism is to express abstract thoughts and emotions with concrete things in the objective world. In Fitzgerald's works, the use of symbolic artistic techniques has made a great contribution to the success of his work, combining images and emotions to present readers with more beautiful language pictures and deeper literary connotations.

2 Literature Review

Although The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald's most influential work, its acceptance history in the United States and China is tortuous. After being published in the United States, the novel received rave reviews, but the good times did not last long. Due to the criticism of Fitzgerald's life style, this work was neglected or even completely rejected in the United States. After Fitzgerald's death, the novel was remembered by the American people again, and it was again valued. The English version of the novel was brought to China by Chinese scholars in the 1950s, but due to the special political climate, it did not attract attention in China. In the early research of The Great Gatsby in China, scholars paid more attention to "capitalist decadent lifestyle" based on class culture. After the 1980s, with the changes in the domestic environment, Chinese scholars' enthusiasm for the study of The Great Gatsby has gradually increased, and the research horizon has also expanded. Today, the study of The Great Gatsby in China has yielded fruitful results.

Symbolic art can be viewed almost everywhere in The Great Gatsby, so it is not surprising that the academic community has paid great attention to it. However, the problems in this area are apparent. Scholars have paid more attention on the theme and artistic skills of novels, but less on comprehensive and interdisciplinary research. Undoubtedly, The Great Gatsby is a profound classic. It provides good materials for us to understand the American society of the 1920s, and even the economic structure, consumption patterns, and social situations of western capitalist society as a whole. It is still an important subject for future research in the academic field to constantly explore the hidden artistic achievements and cognitive value of this work from a new perspective.

3 Symbolic Meanings of Specific Colors

F.Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, exposes the corruption and greed of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald is able to captivate readers' attentions through his employment of color symbolism, and he portrays important messages in the novel by his symbolic use of colors. Colors play an important role in Fitzgerald’s descriptions of the lives of Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway and many of the other characters in the novel. Fitzgerald uses the colors white, yellow, and green to express certain sentiments to the reader, commenting what is going on in the story. Therefore, in order to better understand the author’s intentions, it is important to study the symbolic meaning of different color.

3.1 Symbolic Meanings of Green

Green has been mentioned the most frequently in the novel. The word green runs through the whole story, and is closely related to Gatsby’s life. Traditionally, green is associated with spring, growth,hope etc. In early year, when Gatsby met Meyer Wolfsheim(Gatsby’s Jewish friend and mentor), he was wearing a green jersey. At that time, the green color of his outfit reflects Gatsby’s simplicity, youth and vigor. He is full of expectations and confidence about the future. Green symbolizes the yearning for dreams and happiness. In the novel, the green light at the pier that lasts forever appears three times. At the beginning of the novel, Gatsby always stood alone in the night and looked into the distance, trying to touch the green light on the other side. As we continue to read, we will find that the green light in Daisy’s house at the end of the pier, which symbolizes Gatsby’s goal and desire. The green light is the fantasy of the beautiful world in Gatsby's heart, the epitome of Gatsby's dream, not the cheap and void feelings brought by money. The green light appeared for the second time in Chapter 5, Gatsby finally met with Daisy again with Nick’s help. He kept showing off his wealth to get Daisy’s favor. He expressed his love to Daisy, telling her that he can see the green light on Daisy's pier. At this time, the green light stands for his love for Daisy. This green light has an inseparable relationship with Daisy. The green light appears for the last time at the end of the novel, when Gatsby has passed away, and through Nick’s narrative the author highlighted the profound image of green again. The dream and love symbolized by the green light deteriorate in reality, and the gap between dream and reality brings a trace of loss and confusion to Gatsby in trance. The gap between the beautiful ideal and reality reveals the cruel nature of the American dream, laying the foundation for Gatsby's love, dreams and even the demise of life.

In addition to the green light, there are other green images in the text, as green has been mentioned 18 times in the novel. It is also used to convey envy. Gatsby is thus shown to be an envious character as he is jealous of the fact that Daisy belongs to another man, and although Gatsby has become a wealthy man, he cannot compare with Daisy's husband Tom, Tom’s wealth comes from family inheritance, and his upper social status is beyond Gatsby's reach. Green symbolizes Gatsby's efforts to pursue wealth and enter the upper class, which shows the worldliness of Gatsby's dream, and the love of Daisy shows the purity of Gatsby's dream. A combination with secularity that makes Gatsby more real.

Besides, green is the color of the dollar,and Greenback has become synonymous with banknote. Therefore, green symbolizes Gatsby's relentless pursuit of material wealth and high society. Visible, in reflecting the theme of the novel, the role of green cannot be underestimated. Green is the symbol of wealth and economic strength. The ivy on the walls of the Gatsby and Buchanan homes set off their mansions and wealth, and their degree of density also hints at the new rich and aristocratic families who are among the noble wealth disparity. Although Gatsby is rich, because Gatsby's wealth was obtained through improper means, he can never win the old rich. In the end, Daisy chose Tom with a more solid foundation of wealth and hid behind the money.