"Tom’s got some woman in New York...."See in text(Chapter I)
Tom’s character is further developed by the revelation that he is having an affair with an (as yet) unknown woman in New York. Additionally, Jordan’s disclosing of Tom’s affair introduces another key motif in Gatsby: unhappy marriages. Tom’s and Daisy’s marriage represents a shared deception: both outwardly pretend that things are fine, but it seems that their peers are well aware of the problems in their relationship despite their attempts at discretion.
"a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay...."See in text(Chapter I)
In contrast to Gatsby’s European-style mansion, the design of the Buchanans’ home reflects some of the earliest architecture of the American colonies. It is notable that the real house most commonly cited as Fitzgerald’s inspiration for the Buchanan’s home was, despite its appearance, built in 1902—like the Carraways, any pretensions to legacy were just that.
"It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that...."See in text(Chapter I)
The relationship between wealth—different types of wealth—and social status is one of the most important motifs in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald’s particular emphasis on the carelessness of the wealthy—invoked here by Tom Buchanan’s frivolous “freedom with money” in college—offers a broad criticism of the pursuit of money he saw in the 1920s. Following World War I, much of the world enjoyed an economic boom that, in the United States, encouraged a culture of earning, spending, and indulging. Still, Tom Buchanan’s “old” money, amassed over generations by his upper-class family, offers him security, power, and status that these newer entrepreneurs lack.
"I have been drunk just twice in my life..."See in text(Chapter II)
Drunkenness is an important motif, or repeating element with symbolic significance in a text, in The Great Gatsby. In the 19th century, a sect of Protestants began arguing for the outlawing of alcohol because of its ill effects on society. As a result, from 1920 to 1933, the United States government imposed a constitutional ban on the production, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages, commonly referred to as “Prohibition.” Despite Prohibition, many continued to drink copiously. In Gatsby, alcohol consumption is often accompanied by foolish or even violent behavior. Intoxication seems to symbolize not only moral decline in the Roaring Twenties but also a pervading sense of shallow disconnect.
"with enormous owl-eyed spectacles..."See in text(Chapter III)
Sight and seeing is a major motif in Gatsby. The spectacles on this man recall the huge glasses of Dr. T. J. Eckleberg in the valley of ashes, and offer a clue about his function in the story.
"Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands...."See in text(Chapter III)
Unhappy marriages continue to abound in The Great Gatsby. After Myrtle’s speech at the impromptu gathering in New York City, it seems clear that marriage is to be associated not only with unfulfillment and misery but also betrayal and selfishness. Here, the tired and sometimes drunken quarrels between wives and husbands range from trivial—such as wives becoming angry that their husbands want to go home—to serious—such as a wife being upset that her husband is flirting with a young actress. Such a dismal portrayal of matrimony encourages readers to look for examples of genuine love, or at the very least to wonder if such an attachment is truly possible in the world of Gatsby.
"Snell was there three days before he went to the penitentiary, so drunk out on the gravel drive that Mrs. Ulysses Swett’s automobile ran over his right hand...."See in text(Chapter IV)
A penitentiary is a state or federal prison. Fitzgerald once again includes a car accident in the narrative, this time depicting a drunk man passed out in Gatsby’s driveway. Interestingly, Nick states that “Mrs. Ulysses Swett’s automobile ran over [Snell’s] right hand,” subtly personifying the vehicle instead of holding Mrs. Swett accountable for the accident.
"Once I wrote down on the empty spaces of a time-table the names of those who came to Gatsby’s house that summer...."See in text(Chapter IV)
The passage of time is a motif throughout The Great Gatsby, and it is invoked here through the “disintegrating” timetable Nick used to record the people who came to Gatsby’s parties. The fact that the timetable is falling apart suggests that the names written on it have become irrelevant; the fact that the record was kept on paper as cheap and disposable as a timetable indicates that their irrelevance was inevitable.
"“I’d like to just get one of those pink clouds and put you in it and push you around.”..."See in text(Chapter V)
Daisy reacts to the pink and gold clouds much like Gatsby did to the green light at the end of her dock—she incorporates them into a romantic image. Pink is a color commonly associated with romance and sweetness, and gold invokes wealth and success. Interestingly, the fantasy Daisy describes is one in which she has control: she’s pushing the cloud on which Gatsby reclines.
"Daisy came out of the house and two rows of brass buttons on her dress gleamed in the sunlight..."See in text(Chapter V)
Light is an important motif throughout The Great Gatsby, and is especially significant during this first meeting between Gatsby and Daisy. Here, light’s meaning appears to be multifaceted. Where the front of his house “catches the light,” it represents the eye-catching showmanship of Gatsby and the apparent brightness of his future with Daisy. Here, the gleaming brass buttons on Daisy’s dress suggest that Gatsby’s idealistic view of her, as well as the value of her love and approval, have perhaps have perhaps made him see her as he wishes instead of who she is; the reflecting sunlight literally highlights her value as a prize to be won.
"the pink glow from Daisy’s room..."See in text(Chapter VII)
Pink has previously appeared in the clouds Daisy romanticizes during her tour of Gatsby’s mansion in chapter 5. There, it seemed to represent an element of genuine romantic love between Daisy and Gatsby. In this chapter, pink is found in “the luminosity of [Gatsby’s] pink suit” as he stands waiting outside Daisy’s home as well as in the light from Daisy’s window. Symbolically, it appears that Gatsby has clothed himself in romantic idealism; in contrast, Daisy’s pink-lit room is empty.
Fitzgerald again involves the color green, perhaps suggesting a reversal by inverting the words “green light” in Michaelis’s description of the “death car.” The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock was a positive, inspiring symbol of Gatsby’s hopes, but the unstoppable ambition those hopes caused has been revealed as a destructive force. Like the valley of ashes, Myrtle’s death can be interpreted as an example of the devastating effect that the ambition of the upper class has on the lives of the working class.
The story of “Blocks” Biloxi bears a strong resemblance to Gatsby’s own: Biloxi was able to infiltrate the Buchanans’ social circle without anyone knowing who he was or where he came from. Moreover, he ingratiated himself into the life of a young woman of their class—Jordan, whose intervening father may have been the only one not taken in by Biloxi’s lies. His near-success mirrors Gatsby’s current position of being about to achieve Daisy, but the parallelism implies that Gatsby will not be successful: Biloxi’s story ends in his banishment and the death of Jordan’s father.
"“You resemble the advertisement of the man,”..."See in text(Chapter VII)
Given that one approach for an advertisement is to offer an illusion of achievable perfection in order to motivate a purchase, it is a fitting comparison for Gatsby: Nearly everything about him is an illusion that James Gatz constructed in order to fulfill his highest ideals. Daisy’s declaration that he reminds her of “the advertisement of the man” insinuates that she idealizes and objectifies Gatsby just as he idealizes and objectifies her.
A secondary facet of Daisy’s comparison is its similarity to Myrtle Wilson’s story about seeing Tom for the first time. “I couldn’t keep my eyes off him,” Myrtle says, “but every time he looked at me I had to pretend to be looking at the advertisement over his head.” The conflation of romance and commercialism is a motif throughout the book, and both Daisy and Myrtle are guilty of it.
"I saw right away he was a fine-appearing, gentlemanly young man, and when he told me he was an Oggsford I knew I could use him good...."See in text(Chapter IX)
Gatsby had attended Oxford and adopted gentlemanly manners; he would be believable as a wealthy man and accepted in social circles that the accented, Jewish-appearing Wolfshiem could not enter. This speaks to the motif of “passing” and the various ways in which the characters in Gatsby are pretending to be other than what they are.
"Most of those reports were a nightmare—grotesque, circumstantial, eager, and untrue...."See in text(Chapter IX)
After his death, Gatsby has been successful in his quest to become a celebrity. Fitzgerald’s disdain for gossip magazines and celebrity culture is perhaps most palpable here, and the accounts of Gatsby’s murder are “eager and untrue,” just like the rumors circulating among his guests all summer.
"incoherent failure of a house..."See in text(Chapter IX)
Recall that Gatsby’s mansion was built by a brewer who wanted to establish his family as a powerful part of the upper class. The brewer was unsuccessful and became so miserable that he died; the house, therefore, failed to bring him the status he desired. Gatsby purchased the house for a similar reason: he wanted to make himself seem like a member of the highest class so he could attract Daisy’s attention. The house, once again, failed to deliver on its owners’ dreams. Nick now sees the house itself as inherently misguided, as was its owners’ attempts to enter a society that didn’t want them.
