THE CHROMATIC SEMIOTICS OF THE JAZZ AGE: A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF COLOR LEXEMES IN F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S PROSE

Abstract

This research explores the stylistic and semiotic functions of color lexemes in the prose of F. Scott Fitzgerald, with a primary focus on The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night. The study examines how the author employs a “painterly” style to construct a sophisticated symbolic architecture that reflects the socio-cultural tensions of the Jazz Age. By analyzing four pivotal leitmotifs—gold, white, green, and grey—the paper demonstrates how Fitzgerald transcends simple description to create a “Double Vision,” juxtaposing material prosperity with spiritual disillusionment. The analysis incorporates perspectives from literary critics and linguistic scholars to illustrate that color in Fitzgerald’s work functions as a vital bridge between concrete imagery and abstract national myths. The findings suggest that the American Dream is rendered as a vibrant, color-coded linguistic construct that inevitably dissolves into the “grey” reality of moral decay.