Great Gatsby Quote Analysis
Content
Great Gatsby Quote Analysis
By: Salma Bah
1. Tom, the husband of Daisy, holds an affair with Myrtle who is a poor woman that is the
completely opposite of Daisy. In chapter two of The Great Gatsby, Nick describes Myrtle
as “her face, above a spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine, contained no facet or
gleam of beauty”. Although Tom is already a taken man with a beautiful wife Daisy, Tom
feels an attraction to Myrtle that he does not feel about Daisy. Tom notices something
ordinary but special about Myrtle, causing Tom to have an unusual attraction to her
despite the fact he is a married man. After Nick states that Myrtle did not contain any
“gleam of beauty”, he continues on to say “but there was an immediate perceptibility
about her”. Opposed to Daisy, Myrtle has a fun, uplifting nature to her that obviously
attracted Tom, and, in addition to that, Tom holds a higher status in the affair due to the
fact he is wealthier and has a dominating personality.
2. Myrtle is the mistress of Tom, although, both characters are not on the same level of
power and wealth. Myrtle is a woman married to George Wilson, who does not possess
the same wealth as Tom. Due to the fact George is poor, he is unable to provide the wants
and desires of Myrtle, and that’s where Tom comes into the love triangle. Tom is able to
provide more than enough for Myrtle which allows her to have a foot in the door to the
luxurious lifestyle. Nick observes Myrtle and recognizes her façade, describing it as “the
intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive
hauteur”. Nick identifies Myrtle as a woman who puts on a certain front to maintain an
image that is not her own. In reality Myrtle is a poor, lower class women who acts the
part of a rich, materialistic woman.
3. When seeing Gatsby, Nick takes notice in a quality in Gatsby that cannot go unnoticed,
which happens to be Gatsby’s smile. Nick describes the smile of Gatsby as “one of those
rare smiles quality or eternal reassurance in it” meaning the smile had a safe and
welcoming factor to it which drew people in, including Nick himself. With Gatsby being
this mysterious, unknown man many misconceptions are made about him. Gatsby can be
whomever people imagine him to be because no one truly knows who he is. Because of
Gatsby is a private person; Gatsby’s seducing smile is a mask that hides the truth behind
Gatsby such as his harsh upbringing and struggle to success. The smile charms anyone,
which almost makes Gatsby this likeable figure.
After Gatsby’s death, Nick has same time to analyze and reflect about Gatsby. Nick does
what he can to avoid interfering with anything that has to do with Gatsby. When seeing
Gatsby’s possible taxi driver, he avoid him and in addition to that when someone showed
up at Gatsby’s house, Nick decides not to investigate. Not only does this show that Nick
is trying to avoid anything that has to do with Gatsby but as well as the fact when Gatsby
died, many things died with him. One primary example of something that died along with
Gatsby was his legendary parties. Nick describes the guest at Gatsby’s house as a “final
guest who had been away at the ends of the earth and didn’t know the party was over”.
Nick spends his Saturday nights in New York as a remembrance to Gatsby and the parties
held just to get the feel of them again. From this, one can tell that Gatsby left a giant
impact on Nick. Even after his death Nick feels as if “those dazzling parties of his were
with me so vividly that I could hear the music and laughter faint and incessant from his
garden and the cars going up and down his drive.” If Nick still vividly imagines the
parties and guests still arrive at Gatsby’s house, it demonstrates the impact Gatsby had on
others overall. Even though Gatsby gained attention and success with the people, Gatsby
was always on a chase for something else.
Gatsby chased a dream that he never knew was behind him all along. While being
dazed by the green light and chasing a light “he could hardly fail to grasp”, Gatsby,
despite achieving the American dream, still chased that one thing he could never fully
get. From being a poor man from the Midwest to a wealthy man living close to the city
with a life full of luxury, Gatsby does not see this because he is too occupied chasing
after that one thing he cannot have. Although Gatsby had achieved most his dreams, his
last dream was to get Daisy, which never really occurred. This show that “we will run
faster, stretch our arms out farther” but, may never be able to grab onto what we actually
dream of. This in a way portrays the American dream as a lie because we may never get
what we completely want until “one fine morning” anything could happen, which for
Gatsby was his death. In the ending of The Great Gatsby, Nick states “we beat on, boats
against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” meaning, we fight and struggle
our way to success but we will always look back at the past, which will in some way,
affect our future.
By: Salma Bah
1. Tom, the husband of Daisy, holds an affair with Myrtle who is a poor woman that is the
completely opposite of Daisy. In chapter two of The Great Gatsby, Nick describes Myrtle
as “her face, above a spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine, contained no facet or
gleam of beauty”. Although Tom is already a taken man with a beautiful wife Daisy, Tom
feels an attraction to Myrtle that he does not feel about Daisy. Tom notices something
ordinary but special about Myrtle, causing Tom to have an unusual attraction to her
despite the fact he is a married man. After Nick states that Myrtle did not contain any
“gleam of beauty”, he continues on to say “but there was an immediate perceptibility
about her”. Opposed to Daisy, Myrtle has a fun, uplifting nature to her that obviously
attracted Tom, and, in addition to that, Tom holds a higher status in the affair due to the
fact he is wealthier and has a dominating personality.
2. Myrtle is the mistress of Tom, although, both characters are not on the same level of
power and wealth. Myrtle is a woman married to George Wilson, who does not possess
the same wealth as Tom. Due to the fact George is poor, he is unable to provide the wants
and desires of Myrtle, and that’s where Tom comes into the love triangle. Tom is able to
provide more than enough for Myrtle which allows her to have a foot in the door to the
luxurious lifestyle. Nick observes Myrtle and recognizes her façade, describing it as “the
intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive
hauteur”. Nick identifies Myrtle as a woman who puts on a certain front to maintain an
image that is not her own. In reality Myrtle is a poor, lower class women who acts the
part of a rich, materialistic woman.
3. When seeing Gatsby, Nick takes notice in a quality in Gatsby that cannot go unnoticed,
which happens to be Gatsby’s smile. Nick describes the smile of Gatsby as “one of those
rare smiles quality or eternal reassurance in it” meaning the smile had a safe and
welcoming factor to it which drew people in, including Nick himself. With Gatsby being
this mysterious, unknown man many misconceptions are made about him. Gatsby can be
whomever people imagine him to be because no one truly knows who he is. Because of
Gatsby is a private person; Gatsby’s seducing smile is a mask that hides the truth behind
Gatsby such as his harsh upbringing and struggle to success. The smile charms anyone,
which almost makes Gatsby this likeable figure.
After Gatsby’s death, Nick has same time to analyze and reflect about Gatsby. Nick does
what he can to avoid interfering with anything that has to do with Gatsby. When seeing
Gatsby’s possible taxi driver, he avoid him and in addition to that when someone showed
up at Gatsby’s house, Nick decides not to investigate. Not only does this show that Nick
is trying to avoid anything that has to do with Gatsby but as well as the fact when Gatsby
died, many things died with him. One primary example of something that died along with
Gatsby was his legendary parties. Nick describes the guest at Gatsby’s house as a “final
guest who had been away at the ends of the earth and didn’t know the party was over”.
Nick spends his Saturday nights in New York as a remembrance to Gatsby and the parties
held just to get the feel of them again. From this, one can tell that Gatsby left a giant
impact on Nick. Even after his death Nick feels as if “those dazzling parties of his were
with me so vividly that I could hear the music and laughter faint and incessant from his
garden and the cars going up and down his drive.” If Nick still vividly imagines the
parties and guests still arrive at Gatsby’s house, it demonstrates the impact Gatsby had on
others overall. Even though Gatsby gained attention and success with the people, Gatsby
was always on a chase for something else.
Gatsby chased a dream that he never knew was behind him all along. While being
dazed by the green light and chasing a light “he could hardly fail to grasp”, Gatsby,
despite achieving the American dream, still chased that one thing he could never fully
get. From being a poor man from the Midwest to a wealthy man living close to the city
with a life full of luxury, Gatsby does not see this because he is too occupied chasing
after that one thing he cannot have. Although Gatsby had achieved most his dreams, his
last dream was to get Daisy, which never really occurred. This show that “we will run
faster, stretch our arms out farther” but, may never be able to grab onto what we actually
dream of. This in a way portrays the American dream as a lie because we may never get
what we completely want until “one fine morning” anything could happen, which for
Gatsby was his death. In the ending of The Great Gatsby, Nick states “we beat on, boats
against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” meaning, we fight and struggle
our way to success but we will always look back at the past, which will in some way,
affect our future.
