Gatsby quotes and analysis

Question 1

Society and Class Theme

Answer 1

In Gatsby, Fitzgerald contrastingly argues that you are who your're born as and attempting to change social classes just leads to tragedy. Fitzgerald uses this theme to explicitly portray that society and class is the state of being sectioned off by the amount of money you make or have and the category you're out in because of it
Their classes can be demonstrated in a pyramid where the upper class can be demonstrated in a pyramid where the upper class have the best at the top and it decreases down to lower

Question 2

“And i hope she’ll be a fool.. that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” – Chapter 1

Answer 2

This quote illustrates society and class because most beautiful women with class in the 1920’s were just like Daisy Buchanan. They weren’t being there on women, did what they’re husband asked and sometimes didn’t get respect

Question 3

“I told that boy about the ice” “Myrtle raised eyebrows” “These people you have to keep after all the time” - Myrtle Wilson, Nick Carraway

Answer 3

This quote suggests that Myrtle thinks she’s so much higher than others because her lover is upper class

Question 4

“An oxford man” He was incredulous. “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit”

Answer 4

This quote indicates that the society and class clashes; Gatsby want to hang with upper class but Tom’s not having

Question 5

“Tom and Daisy… they smashed things up and creatures and then retreated back into their money or vast carelessness… let other people clean up the mess they made

Answer 5

This quote portrays that happiness is subjective with the Buchanans relationship. They are evidently happy one minute but when something goes down they pack up like nothing’s happened and don’t look back. Their status and position in society allows them to leave their mess behind for others to clean up

Question 6

Love Theme

Answer 6

Tom and Daisy may have somewhat affection and loyalty for each other but its evidently not actually love. Fitzgerald includes the idea of Jordan and Nick in the summer. Mainly, it’s just Gatsby who falls in love but one may argue that he just falls in love with a dream of Daisy and not actually with her. With love may come aspects of destruction and violence

Question 7

American Dream Theme

Answer 7

The American Dream is supposed to stand for independence and the ability to make something of one’s self with hard work, but it ends up being more about materialism and selfish pursuit of pleasure. No amount of work can change where Gatsby came from

Question 8

I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. […] Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water

Answer 8

Nick sees two kinds of America: the hard working chicago which is part of the “Middle-West culture’; and the “white” fashionable East Egg
It can be argued that Nick may be able to make it in the “Middle-West” but he’s not cut out for East Coast life

Question 9

Wealth Theme

Answer 9

Gatsby taught the readers that money can’t buy you happiness only Yellow Rolls-Royces, “gas blue” dresses and nice shirts. However, it does buy you the privilege of living in the world without consequences but being poor isn’t exactly the moral choice

Question 10

“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”

Answer 10

being poor isn’t exactly the moral choice because it’s a lot easier to be morally upright when you’re not pinching and scraping to make a living which makes the immorality of the wealthy even more unforgivable

Question 11

“cruel body” and “arrogant eyes”

Answer 11

Here Fitzgerald includes personification of his eyes by placing the idea his eyes only see his view of life and that his views are the most important. It can also be argued that Tom’s body language and the way he presents himself is in a matter that isn’t of the ‘Roaring 20’s’ where he should act of a respectable manner.

Question 12

“Before I could answer her eyes fastened with an awed expression on her little finger”

Answer 12

His villainous character is also set up through his actions where he bruised Daisy’s finger
This illustrates that Tom results to violence instantly before resolving the issue. His abuse towards Daisy also supports the idea that he has no compassion which is typical for Villains

Question 13

The God damned coward!… He didn’t even stop his car”

Answer 13

Fitzgerald present’s Tom with a malicious nature where he sets up Gatsby’s death via Wilson, even though Tom does not pull the trigger on the gun that kills Gatsby he plays a significant role in his death as well as Wilson’s suicide. Tom’s malicious nature is evident in the quote
- This quote suggests that he’s expert in brainwashing and the fact that he did it to get revenge

Question 14

“her face bruised, and her nose swollen”

Answer 14

his brainwash led Wilson to think the person driving the car also left “her face bruised, and her nose swollen”
when ultimately it was Tom.

Question 15

Memory and Loss Theme

Answer 15

This novel reveals that living in the past just leads you to tragedy. Characters pursue visions of the future determined by their pasts.

Question 16

“Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.”

Answer 16

Gatsby’s entire present existence—the house, the money, the pink suits—is constructed so Daisy will notice him. It may look like he’s living for the moment, with his flashy parties and careless wealth, but he’s actually stuck in the past.
The fact that he brought a house to be near her emphasises the theme of isolation

Question 17

“I did love him once – but I loved you too.”

Answer 17

Daisy is indecisive and this influences other people’s lives in Tom’s case it can be argued that he feels threatened hence why he got Wilson to carry out his dirty work and kill Gatsby and in Gatsby’s case, his infatuation grew until he internalised it

Question 18

Isolation Theme

Answer 18

People may come together in The Great Gatsby, but they always end up falling apart in the end. Only Daisy and Tom stay together in the end, and is that really togetherness?
- Fitzgerald sees New York as being like one of Gatsby’s parties, only less glamorous: full of people and full of lonliness

Question 19

” They had spent a year in France for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together.”

Answer 19

Daisy and Tom’s crowd may be “rich together,” but to the readers it comes across as immense isolation

Question 20

Religion Theme

Answer 20

The Great Gatsby is built around lies. Human beings are inherently dishonest, whether they’re male or female, born or made, poor or rich—and they’re selfish, hypocritical, and destructive as well.

Question 21

“The God damned coward!”

Answer 21

The inclusion of “The God damned coward!” links to the infamous billboard of a set of eyes advertising an important aspect of the novel and displaying Fitzgerald’s his thoughts on God’s role and feelings towards the 1920s society. The eyes watch, disapprovingly, always casting down a judgement on the actions of the characters. Ultimately its Fitzgerald’s way of conveying God’s presence in American society.

Question 22

“God sees everything”

Answer 22

Wilson is slowing losing it after Myrtle has died by daisy. Michaelis is trying to comfort him but he doesn’t understand that WIlston trying to see T.J Eckleberg has seen everything as God does and that he knows of Myrtle’s cheating on him

Question 23

“Terrible place, isn’t it” said Tom, exchanging a frown with Doctor Eckleberg “Awful”

Answer 23

Tom exchanges frowns with Eckleberg. This is a sign of God looking down upon a decaying society who disregard good morals and religion
This shows the readers how Tom personally doesn’t believe in God and has no morals himself