Literary Topic

White as a symbol in The Great Gatsby

       White is present to symbolize purity and innocence, and a clear vision of a dream. When Daisy's child, Pammy, enters the room, she is dressed in a new white outfit, and her mother describes her as an "absolute little dream" (123). Additionally, when Daisy and Jordan first enter the story, they are both dressed in elaborate white dresses. "Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols, weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans" (122).



       The two women also powder their skin with white to cover up their darker complexions, which were considered indecent for the time period. White is apparent in other elements of the story as well, including Gatsby's huge mansion and the suits he often wears.


Page last updated on April 28, 1999. Curator: Melissa Tran