(Sandra) Examining Color Representation: Emerging Themes and Motifs

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s repetitive color imagery is evident. More than anything else, the author utilizes the symbolism of white. Ash, white, and colorlessness are always referred to as being pure and clean. When the author is not passively being racist, he says outright and blunt statements. For example, “A small, flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril. After a moment, I discovered his tiny eyes in the half darkness.” Similarly, “… in which sat three modish negroes, two bucks and a girl. I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry.” In both of the aforementioned instances, the protagonist is describing the passersby, which, given the context, leads the reader to assume that this is also the view of the author. However, Fitzgerald’s racism was not far out of line with the average Caucasian of the time… in fact, it directly correlated with the national prejudices. Is racism a prominent theme in the book, or is it a thread that appears only on occasion?