Monday, June 29, 2020
The Use of Color Throughout The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath - Literature Essay Samples
In both The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath, color is used in order to reflect the atmosphere or mood. This allows Fitzgerald and Steinbeck to illustrate the events in a more sophisticated style and intensify the clarity of actions; therefore allowing the audience to envisage the episodes in a very refined manner. Whilst the use color is equally effective in both novels, itââ¬â¢s function in ââ¬ËThe Great Gatsbyââ¬â¢ tends to be mainly for materialistic features in order to reinforce the theme of conspicuous consumption throughout the book, yet in ââ¬ËThe Grapes Of Wrathââ¬â¢ color is used more to describe the atmosphere or the time of day, rather than objects. Nevertheless, certain colors (notably white and grey) still have alike connotations and create a similar mood in both of the novels. The purpose of color in ââ¬ËThe Great Gatsbyââ¬â¢ is often for describing objects and highlighting certain aspects of their appearance. The use of color in this way strengthens the theme of materialism and highlights the shallow nature of the characters and particularly Nick as it is he who narrates the tale and constantly uses color in his descriptions. One of the key examples is the use of the colors gold and silver, which often represent wealth and prestige, as at one of Gatsbyââ¬â¢s parties itââ¬â¢s noted that the turkeys are ââ¬Ëbewitched to a dark goldââ¬â¢. This indicates his great wealth, as itââ¬â¢s implied that his richness is so excessive to the extent that itââ¬â¢s almost magical his money effectively transforms his food into gold. Gatsby is also said to possess ââ¬Ëgolden and silver slippersââ¬â¢ which again hints at his sophisticated bourgeois lifestyle, as even the smallest, most inane objects that one would not usually associate with we alth, are still a symbol of his affluence. In contrast, the use of color in ââ¬ËThe Grapes of Wrathââ¬â¢ is less focused on physical objects, and more concentrated on the description of the surroundings. For example, Steinbeck uses different colors in order to capture the mood at different stages of the day; in the morning ââ¬Ëthe sun was as red as ripe new bloodââ¬â¢. This provides the reader with a sense of hope and conveys a sort of freshness for the sunrise, as a new day often signifies promise. Nevertheless the use of the color red may also be interpreted as a warning sign, and therefore creates a sense of uncertainty, as itââ¬â¢s unclear as to what danger may lay ahead in the course of the day. The landscape of Oklahoma is often described with golds and yellows; ââ¬Ëthe yellowing dusty afternoon light put a golden color on the landââ¬â¢. This conveys a sense of warmth and comfort but it could also be viewed that the reference to gold links to money as if the land is reminding the reader of how rich, lush and profitable it used to be. Despite the difference in use of colors in each of the novels, both Fitzgerald and Steinbeck use certain colors to create similar effects. In ââ¬ËThe Great Gatsbyââ¬â¢ white is often used to reflect purity and innocence it is normally associated with Daisy, ironically. She lives in a ââ¬Ëwhite palaceââ¬â¢ and when Nick first meets her and Jordan they are ââ¬Ëboth dressed in whiteââ¬â¢. Daisy also refers to her ââ¬Ëwhite girlhoodââ¬â¢ with Jordan. All of these examples hint at the supposed virtue of Daisy and the integrity of both her and Jordan.The fact that Daisyââ¬â¢s home is white and even her youth is white highlights her perfect, idealistic background and therefore adds to the irony of her immorality. At the end of the novel Fitzgerald suggests that all innocence is lost as on the ââ¬Ëwhite stepsââ¬â¢ of Gatsbyââ¬â¢s house there remains ââ¬Ëan obscene word, scrawled by some boyââ¬â¢. This reinforces the idea of corruption as itââ¬â¢s clear that the once flawless, white life of Gatsby and Daisy is now soiled. Likewise in ââ¬ËThe Grapes of Wrathââ¬â¢, white symbolizes peace and purity as Ma imagines ââ¬Ëlittle white houses in among orange treesââ¬â¢ in California. This dreamlike description highlights her faith in the American Dream as the white houses symbolize new beginnings and create an image of paradise. This shows that white has connotations of divinity and honor in both writings. Grey is another color which has similar effects in each of the stories, as it is widely used to convey a sense of misery and emptiness. In ââ¬ËThe Great Gatsbyââ¬â¢ this color is often associated with the ââ¬Ëvalley of ashesââ¬â¢ as the Wilsons always seem to appear in a grey light. This captures the desperation of the family as their lives are overshadowed by misfortune and depression. Fitzgerald also mentions ââ¬Ëgrey little villages in Franceââ¬â¢ which again depicts the image of a small, gloomy town. Similarly, in ââ¬ËThe Grapes of Wrathââ¬â¢ the houses are said to be ââ¬Ëgreyââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëpaintlessââ¬â¢ this suggests that the neighborhood is empty and neglected due to the severe impacts of the Dust Bowl. It could even be viewed that the Valley of Ashes and Americaââ¬â¢s dustbowl of the 1930ââ¬â¢s are linked through Fitzgeraldââ¬â¢s and Steinbeckââ¬â¢s presentation of the atmosphere as both authors effectively incorporate dark col ors of grey and black to reflect the deprivation and misery of the characters and their lives. Overall it is evident that the use of color is very effective in terms of deepening descriptions in both ââ¬ËThe Great Gatsbyââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËThe Grapes of Wrathââ¬â¢, as certain colors have alike impacts in both novels, despite the fact that their purpose is slightly different. Whilst Fitzgerald mainly incorporates color to describe physical objects, Steinbeck uses color to illustrate the atmosphere. One may interpret that this is a consequence of the main contexts of each of the novels as the extravagant ââ¬ËRoaring 20ââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ lifestyle of the characters in Gatsby is reflected by the fact that the color description is orientated around items of wealth, yet the Joads basic lifestyle is suggested by the fact that color is only used to describe their surroundings as they donââ¬â¢t really have anything else. This epitomizes the drastic difference in backgrounds between the Joads and characters such as Daisy, Tom and Gatsby.
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