Great Gatsby quote banks:
Themes:
American dream:
“A year in France for no particular reason” “why candles” carpe diem, meaningless life
“Factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy” lack of history, façade rep of America and
Gatsby
‘greenlight’ – represents: the money, success and greed or Daisy as his hopes and dreams for the
future, she is the guiding light
“The eyes of Dr T.J Eckleburg” – 1. Represents God and judgement: the modernist loss of faith after
the war and its atrocities “dimmed a little” implies this Fitzgerald’s perspective prayer and worship
would be futile in aiding “the solemn dumping ground” incredibly futile and pessimistic approach
2. Failure of the American Dream AD is motivated by capitalist ideology for the WC to continue to
be a slave to a society that is built against them in the valley of ashes: underlines the futility and
inaccessibility of the AD
Artificial sublime: carpe diem, façade of perfection, wealth, abundance and glory reader and Nick
fall into AD, juxtaposes valley of ashes
“five crates of oranges and lemons”
“among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars”
“Pyramids of pulpless halves” – AD is hollow and meaningless
Glistening hors-d’oveuvre, spiced baked hams…salads of harlequin designs”
“orchestra arrived”
“gaudy with primary colours”
“earth lurches way from the sun” – highlights the other worldly experience of UC
“glad that the sight of Gatsby’s splendid car was included in their sombre holiday” – painfully
oblivious glorification of capitalism
“Anything can happen now we’ve slipped across this bridge anything at all” referral to AD and
wall street as economic epicentre Fitzgerald’s dark illusion to the 1928 crash and great depression:
cynic modernist underlines. – could also refer to the breaking down of racial barrier and how AD is
perceived as accessible to all
“that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world” AD worship by all echoes
idea of realm of forms and superiority
“her voice if full of money” men seduced by daisy through wonder, lust and greed
Car crash: distinctly American death industrial and flashy
“front right fender needed repair” AD shattered
“poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air” metaphor for Myrtle and Daisy and omen of death
“I mentioned Gatsby” brand more than a person
, “huge incoherent failure of house” AD destined to fail N now looks back in disgust without
idealisation of Gatsby
“come a long way to this blue lawn” greenlight across the dock separating it from Gatsby created
an impenetrable barrier, highlighting the inaccessibility of the American Dream.
“for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this
continent” N views A as a place not an opportunity breaks out of cycle of allure to American
dream
“face to face for the last time in history” break out of Nietzsche’s theory of eternal recurrence
discovery of America fuelled new circle of greed
Gatsby succeeded American dream: potentiality to actuality
“stretch out our arms” absurdism of American dream Valley of ashes and Sisyphus, American
dream is ultimately meaningless however they make their own happiness from the struggle
“so we beat on boats against the currents” lack of improvement echoes Rousseau’s “man is
born free but everywhere is in chains” life limited by AD and futile hope for prosperity amongst
capitalism
Eudaimonia impossible to reach
Also echoes Sisyphus --. Lack of growth
Nietzsche’s eternal reoccurrence America stuck in constant struggle against its own
structures
Love:
“its romantic tom isn’t it?” pseudo love, love as a commitment, romance as an after thought
‘greenlight’ – represents: the money, success and greed or Daisy as his hopes and dreams for the
future, she is the guiding light
“string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars”- 1. Buys her affection –
motivation for marriage purely economic 2. Pearls represent Daisy: symbol femininity, purity and
innocence but also enlightenment and wisdom
“began throwing them… in coral, apple green, and lavender and faint oranges with monograms of
Indian blue” this moment Fitzgerald presents love as a transcendental innocence akin to childish
wonder and awe
Themes:
American dream:
“A year in France for no particular reason” “why candles” carpe diem, meaningless life
“Factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy” lack of history, façade rep of America and
Gatsby
‘greenlight’ – represents: the money, success and greed or Daisy as his hopes and dreams for the
future, she is the guiding light
“The eyes of Dr T.J Eckleburg” – 1. Represents God and judgement: the modernist loss of faith after
the war and its atrocities “dimmed a little” implies this Fitzgerald’s perspective prayer and worship
would be futile in aiding “the solemn dumping ground” incredibly futile and pessimistic approach
2. Failure of the American Dream AD is motivated by capitalist ideology for the WC to continue to
be a slave to a society that is built against them in the valley of ashes: underlines the futility and
inaccessibility of the AD
Artificial sublime: carpe diem, façade of perfection, wealth, abundance and glory reader and Nick
fall into AD, juxtaposes valley of ashes
“five crates of oranges and lemons”
“among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars”
“Pyramids of pulpless halves” – AD is hollow and meaningless
Glistening hors-d’oveuvre, spiced baked hams…salads of harlequin designs”
“orchestra arrived”
“gaudy with primary colours”
“earth lurches way from the sun” – highlights the other worldly experience of UC
“glad that the sight of Gatsby’s splendid car was included in their sombre holiday” – painfully
oblivious glorification of capitalism
“Anything can happen now we’ve slipped across this bridge anything at all” referral to AD and
wall street as economic epicentre Fitzgerald’s dark illusion to the 1928 crash and great depression:
cynic modernist underlines. – could also refer to the breaking down of racial barrier and how AD is
perceived as accessible to all
“that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world” AD worship by all echoes
idea of realm of forms and superiority
“her voice if full of money” men seduced by daisy through wonder, lust and greed
Car crash: distinctly American death industrial and flashy
“front right fender needed repair” AD shattered
“poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air” metaphor for Myrtle and Daisy and omen of death
“I mentioned Gatsby” brand more than a person
, “huge incoherent failure of house” AD destined to fail N now looks back in disgust without
idealisation of Gatsby
“come a long way to this blue lawn” greenlight across the dock separating it from Gatsby created
an impenetrable barrier, highlighting the inaccessibility of the American Dream.
“for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this
continent” N views A as a place not an opportunity breaks out of cycle of allure to American
dream
“face to face for the last time in history” break out of Nietzsche’s theory of eternal recurrence
discovery of America fuelled new circle of greed
Gatsby succeeded American dream: potentiality to actuality
“stretch out our arms” absurdism of American dream Valley of ashes and Sisyphus, American
dream is ultimately meaningless however they make their own happiness from the struggle
“so we beat on boats against the currents” lack of improvement echoes Rousseau’s “man is
born free but everywhere is in chains” life limited by AD and futile hope for prosperity amongst
capitalism
Eudaimonia impossible to reach
Also echoes Sisyphus --. Lack of growth
Nietzsche’s eternal reoccurrence America stuck in constant struggle against its own
structures
Love:
“its romantic tom isn’t it?” pseudo love, love as a commitment, romance as an after thought
‘greenlight’ – represents: the money, success and greed or Daisy as his hopes and dreams for the
future, she is the guiding light
“string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars”- 1. Buys her affection –
motivation for marriage purely economic 2. Pearls represent Daisy: symbol femininity, purity and
innocence but also enlightenment and wisdom
“began throwing them… in coral, apple green, and lavender and faint oranges with monograms of
Indian blue” this moment Fitzgerald presents love as a transcendental innocence akin to childish
wonder and awe
