The Great Gatsby: Top Ten Character Quotes (plus analysis...)

The Great Gatsby: Top Ten Character Quotes (plus analysis…)

The Great Gatsby: Top Ten Character Quotes Analysis

1. Jay Gatsby

  • “Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!” This quote epitomises Gatsby’s belief in the power of personal determination and his yearning to recapture the past, particularly his past with Daisy.

2. Daisy Buchanan

  • “And I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” The cynicism and desolation underlying the seemingly superficial life of Daisy is shown here as she comments on the expectations and limitations placed on women during the 1920s.

3. Nick Carraway

  • “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” Revealing his cautious judgement and understanding of socio-economic disparity, this quote displays the novel’s criticism of the American Dream and its inherent inequalities.

4. Myrtle Wilson

  • “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman…I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe.” Myrtle’s quote shows her dissatisfaction with her social status and her pursuit of wealth and status through an extramarital relationship - mirroring Gatsby’s desire for social mobility.

5. George Wilson

  • “I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God.” Demonstrates George’s strong moral and religious beliefs which contrast sharply with the corrupt elites of East and West Egg. This quote is also prophetic of the impending tragic finale.

6. Tom Buchanan

  • “Civilization’s going to pieces…I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things.” Tom’s racist and classist remarks highlight the fear among the old money class about the changing societal norms of the Roaring Twenties.

7. Jordan Baker

  • “I hate careless people. That’s why I like you.” Jordan’s comment criticises the recklessness of the society in Gatsby’s world, highlighting the moral decay of the elitist class. It ironically also brings attention to her own ethically dubious character.

8. Owl Eyes

  • “I’ve been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library.” A showcase of the excesses and moral decay associated with the Jazz Age, this quote also distances Fitzgerald from the characters and their debauchery.

9. Meyer Wolfsheim

  • “He’s a smart man, he’s a part of all our best society now—Gatsby.” Wolfsheim’s comment establishes the illusory nature of wealth and social status in Gatsby’s world - the theme of reality vs. illusion.

10. Klipspringer

  • “I couldn’t get to the funeral, but I sent these nice pink roses for the grave.” This character’s disregard for Gatsby’s death underscores the selfishness and materialism pervasive in the society, highlighting the transient nature of relationships based on wealth and affluence.