key quotations to analyse Flashcards
“as cool as their white dresses and their impersonal eyes in the absence of all desire”
Nick on Daisy and Jordan. “absence of all desire” shows their complete lack of dreams and ambitions. They are aimless and without purpose. “cool” and “impersonal” reinforce the idea of their vacant natures. Symbolism of white used.
“I felt the basic insincerity of what she said”
Nick on Daisy. Highlights her vacant and false nature.
“an extraordinary gift for hope”
Nick on Gatsby. Shows Nick’s biased narrative. Word choice of “extraordinary” suggests Gatsby is special and superior to the other characters because of his dream.
“Tom’s got some woman in New York”
Jordan on Myrtle. “some woman” shows that the poor are meaningless and insignificant to the rich. The casual nature with which she informs Nick about Tom’s affair shows how the rich have a lack of concern for others, even their friends or spouses.
“I wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever”
Nick on himself. The metaphor shows the events of the novel made him more moral and judgemental.
“a factual imitation of some hotel de Ville in Normandy”
Nick on Gatsby’s house. Highlight’s Gatsby’s false nature - just like him the house looks like it is genuine and ‘old money’ but in fact is not.
“incurably dishonest ”
Nick on Jordan. “incurably” suggests that lying is an inherent part of her nature which can never be remedied. It also has negative connotations of an illness to show Nick’s retrospective disapproval.
“he hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford’, or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before”
Nick on Gatsby. While Gatsby is a liar, it is clear that he does not enjoy it or do it well. It is simply a means to be reunited with Daisy. Contrast to Tom and Jordan who lie easily and for fun or advantage.
“’I began to have a feeling of defiance, of scornful solidarity between Gatsby and me against them all’”
Nick on himself. “solidarity” shows he is biased towards Gatsby and “scornful” shows his newly judgemental attitude towards the rich.
“I bet he killed a man”
Party guests about Gatsby. Shows their hypocrisy, as they spread vicious rumours about him while enjoying and wrecking his amenities.
“Mr Nobody from Nowhere”
Tom on Gatsby. Shows his lack of respect for someone who made their own money, ie the American Dream.
“his presumptuous little flirtation is over”
Tom on Gatsby. “little flirtation” shows that Tom is so shallow and narcissistic that he cannot comprehend the depth and sincerity of love of which Gatsby is capable.
