FAQ About The Great Gatsby

The color yellow is used throughout "The Great Gatsby" to represent a range of meanings and emotions. Here are a few examples of the significance of the color yellow in the novel:

• The Yellow Car: The car that Gatsby drives when he and Daisy are together is yellow, and it represents Gatsby's wealth and his desire to impress Daisy with his material possessions. However, the car is also involved in the hit-and-run accident that kills Myrtle Wilson, which ultimately leads to Gatsby's downfall.
• The Yellow Cocktail Music: The music played by the orchestra at Gatsby's parties is described as "yellow cocktail music," which suggests the artificiality and superficiality of the partygoers' lifestyle.
• The Yellow Dresses: Daisy wears a yellow dress when she meets Gatsby for the first time, and the color symbolizes her allure and her unattainability. Later in the novel, Myrtle also wears a yellow dress, which represents her desire to escape her lower-class life and be part of the wealthy elite.
• The Yellow Leaves: In the novel's final scene, Nick describes the falling leaves as "yellow and rotting," which symbolizes the decay and corruption of the American Dream and the moral decay of the wealthy elite.

The use of the color yellow in the novel is complex and multi-layered, and it adds depth and richness to the story. The color represents both the allure and the superficiality of the upper class lifestyle, as well as the moral decay and corruption that underlies it.