Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, set in the post-World War I era. The novel evinces the major themes through the use and explanation of many diverse colors. Jay Gatsby, the most significant character in the story, leads a very materialistic lifestyle.
Hoping to gain back his old love, Daisy, Gatsby uses his money to impress her, hopefully leading to their settling down together. Daisy’s second cousin once removed, Nick Carraway, is the link that helps to connect Gatsby and Daisy. Nick “deliberately… Here, Gatsby tries to show himself to Daisy as a pure person while the gold attempts to give hints that he has money.
Gatsby also mentions to Daisy, that from his window, her green dock light visibly illuminates her house. The arrangement of this reunion between them, after so many years, shows that he desires and decides to begin a new life with Daisy. They began an affair with each other and attempt to hide as much from Tom as possible. Prior to reuniting with Daisy, Gatsby arrives at Nick’s house ready to go have lunch, and Nick comments on Gatsby’s gorgeous cream colored car complete with green leather. This tips readers off that Gatsby may be corrupted, but he still has money.
As they head to the city, George mentions to Tom that he has become aware of his wife’s situation. They all get to the Plaza Hotel and get a suite where Tom finds out that Gatsby and Daisy participate in an affair with each other. Everybody’s true colors are revealed, and all affairs are made known of. Tom sends them home as Daisy cannot bear the argument of who has her heart, but as Daisy drives back to West Egg, Myrtle and George are also fighting.
As Myrtle leaves George, Daisy hits her in Gatsby’s yellow Rolls-Royce and continues to drive. Had Myrtle and Tom stopped their affair, they would not have risked this accident, but their inability to remain with their own partners figuratively and literally signifies their way of “running the red light”.
