The Great Gatsby Quotes
Chapter One
I'm inclined to reserve all judgments
Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an
unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some
heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines
that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away.
a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall
ever find again.
it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams
a supercilious manner.
Two shining, arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face
the enormous power of that body
It was a body capable of enormous leverage—a cruel body.
There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward people he liked
"Now, don't think my opinion on these matters is final…just because I'm stronger and more of a man
than you are."
her chin raised a little as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall. If she
saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it—indeed, I was almost surprised into
murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in.
Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it
there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget
I enjoyed looking at her. She was a slender, small-breasted girl, with an erect carriage which she
accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet.
Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another
square.
"I know you didn't mean to but you did do it. That's what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great
big hulking physical specimen of a—" victim blaming, hint of abuse, daisy is very open and confident
expressing this, victim mentality, enjoys the attention and being the victim
It's up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have control of
things." Mirrors meninist or anti-feminist thinking
"I love to see you at my table, Nick. You remind me of a—of a rose, an absolute rose.
"Tom's got some woman in New York."
she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where.
, 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a
beautiful little fool."
I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said. It made me uneasy, as though the whole evening had
been a trick of some sort to exact a contributory emotion from me. I waited, and sure enough, in a
moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her
membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.
"In fact I think I'll arrange a marriage. Come over often, Nick, and I'll sort of—oh—fling you together.
You know—lock you up accidentally in linen closets and push you out to sea in a boat, and all that
sort of thing—"
he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone—he stretched out his arms toward the
dark water in a curious way
Chapter Two
thickish figure of a woman
she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can
"Get some chairs, why don't you, so somebody can sit down." "Oh, sure," agreed Wilson hurriedly
female assertion and male submission
Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume… With the influence of the dress her personality had also
undergone a change.
It came from Myrtle…it was violent and obscene.
"I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe." Marriage is just a
convention and an expectation for women, convenience
"They've been living over that garage for eleven years. And Tom's the first sweetie she ever had. Said
as though this is shocking or impressive or should be commended; infidelity is the norm
I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.
Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.
...I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear
Chapter Three
In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the
champagne and the stars.
so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another. Implies
he only invited young women or that the men there were typically much older than the women.
Could also be a reference to female incompetence.
enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other's names. Suggests previous
repression and thus keenness to interact and become enthusiastic about having the opportunity of
freedom to talk with other women. Could also imply their meetings were menial or purely for gossip-
misogynistic stereotype
Chapter One
I'm inclined to reserve all judgments
Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an
unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some
heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines
that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away.
a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall
ever find again.
it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams
a supercilious manner.
Two shining, arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face
the enormous power of that body
It was a body capable of enormous leverage—a cruel body.
There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward people he liked
"Now, don't think my opinion on these matters is final…just because I'm stronger and more of a man
than you are."
her chin raised a little as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall. If she
saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it—indeed, I was almost surprised into
murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in.
Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it
there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget
I enjoyed looking at her. She was a slender, small-breasted girl, with an erect carriage which she
accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet.
Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another
square.
"I know you didn't mean to but you did do it. That's what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great
big hulking physical specimen of a—" victim blaming, hint of abuse, daisy is very open and confident
expressing this, victim mentality, enjoys the attention and being the victim
It's up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have control of
things." Mirrors meninist or anti-feminist thinking
"I love to see you at my table, Nick. You remind me of a—of a rose, an absolute rose.
"Tom's got some woman in New York."
she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where.
, 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a
beautiful little fool."
I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said. It made me uneasy, as though the whole evening had
been a trick of some sort to exact a contributory emotion from me. I waited, and sure enough, in a
moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her
membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.
"In fact I think I'll arrange a marriage. Come over often, Nick, and I'll sort of—oh—fling you together.
You know—lock you up accidentally in linen closets and push you out to sea in a boat, and all that
sort of thing—"
he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone—he stretched out his arms toward the
dark water in a curious way
Chapter Two
thickish figure of a woman
she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can
"Get some chairs, why don't you, so somebody can sit down." "Oh, sure," agreed Wilson hurriedly
female assertion and male submission
Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume… With the influence of the dress her personality had also
undergone a change.
It came from Myrtle…it was violent and obscene.
"I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe." Marriage is just a
convention and an expectation for women, convenience
"They've been living over that garage for eleven years. And Tom's the first sweetie she ever had. Said
as though this is shocking or impressive or should be commended; infidelity is the norm
I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.
Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.
...I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear
Chapter Three
In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the
champagne and the stars.
so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another. Implies
he only invited young women or that the men there were typically much older than the women.
Could also be a reference to female incompetence.
enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other's names. Suggests previous
repression and thus keenness to interact and become enthusiastic about having the opportunity of
freedom to talk with other women. Could also imply their meetings were menial or purely for gossip-
misogynistic stereotype
