The Great Gatsby: Chapters 6-7

1. “It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment.”

           Every time we give advice to somebody we always try to give them the best advice for themselves. At the same time though, we can never take our own advice we give to others when it comes down to us. We judge others around us so easily and not even realize it. When we think of the people all around the world that our going through tough times, we care about their situation and want to help. At the same time though, we have people in the United States going through the same situations and we don't do anything about it. It's hard to think that other people around world are going through the same situations we are. You must put yourself in someone else’s situation to fully understand how it feels to be in their shoes. (Words: 138)

2."He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was. . . . "

The author here is arguing that majority of people have a moment in their lifetime that they wish they could go back and change. This regretful moment does not have to mean it's a negative point in their life, but maybe if they changed that action, a better outcome may have occurred. During this point in the novel, Nick Carraway has noticed that Gatsby talks about past very frequently. It's noticeable that at some point in his past, there was something Gatsby could have done to be with Daisy, but did not do. This supports the author's argument that most have had a moment in their life that they wish they could have changed. (Words: 114)

3. "His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. "

In this quote the author is arguing that the way Gatsby feels about Daisy can't be compared to any other love. Gatsby is  man who has worked his way to the top of the notoriety spectrum as well as in wealth, and is dazed and blinded by Daisy. This shows how much Gatsby truly cares about her, his heart won't beat fast for many things in the world. The author uses a rushed tone as if Daisy starts off slow and she walks faster and faster towards him. (Words:88)

4. “ I was flattered that she wanted to speak to me, because of all the older girls I admired her most.”

      This quote shows how men get pleasure out of a pretty girl saying hello. Fitzgerald argues here that all men no matter the age admire women. All men also enjoy talking to beautiful women especially those they admire. Admiring a girl, can be seen as liking her or seeing her as a mere role model in society. However, society is male based. This makes it much harder for women to get noticed, much less admired. Admired by men more specifically. (Words:80)

5. "His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people — his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all."  

Nick sets the record straight about the mysterious Gatsby who apparently was born to a struggling farming couple, on the other side to his previous story of being born to a life of luxury and tragedy. Gatsby's enormous, almost comical sense of luxury stems from his original feelings of resentment and shame in his childhood, growing up as an extremely poor child during the great Depression. This period of his life has created an desirable hunger of wealth for Gatsby. His situation however, mirrors many other Americans during this time period as the page is turning on the era of the Great Depression. (Words:103)