Gatsby and Pre-1900 Poetry Key Quotes
Material love quote 1 (GG) - ANS "I want to get one of those dogs" pg 38
Myrtle's motive behind the relationship is a material one of greed; she lusts for social mobility
Material love quote 2 (GG) - ANS "the living room was crowded to the doors with a set of
tapestried furniture...an over-enlarged photograph...small scandal magazines"
Reflects Myrtle's materialistic manner- literally fills her life with possessions to make her
appear wealthy that ironically reveal the opposite, highlighting her lack of class and decorum.
Material love quote 3 (GG) - ANS "Mrs Wilson had changed her costume"
Pretending to be something she is not- her love for Tom is fuelled by the possessions he can
provide her with. Reveals her greed, lust and want for monetary possessions and the resulting
social mobility they encompass.
Material love quote 1 (The Ruined Maid) - ANS "And whence such fair garments, such
prosperi-ty?"
Displays speakers shock and the woman's new found riches- her job has pulled her out of
poverty and lifted her into a lavish lifestyle.
Material love quote 2 (The Ruined Maid) - ANS "You've gay bracelets and bright feathers
three!"
Feminine clothing with flamboyant elements of prostitution reveal the speaker is celebrating
her new wealth openly-she does not hide it but rather encompasses her lifestyle, enjoying her
new found wealth and material possessions.
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Material love quote 3 (The Ruined Maid) - ANS "Some polish is gained with one's ruin"
The speaker's accent no longer mirrors those in poverty- she has changed to fit in
Her more eloquent language displays her new found sophistication and wealth and also raises
the issue of what social etiquette actually means- she has arguably gained social mobility due to
something seen as morally destructive by society.
Material love quote 1 (Who so list to hount I knowe where is an hynde) - ANS "diamondes in
letters plain"
Creates the image of a collar, again reducing the woman to an animal, seen as a possession,
reinforcing the patriarchy and class system of the 16th century.
Material love quote 2 (Who so list to hount I knowe where is an hynde) - ANS "faier neck"
Begins to focus of the appearance of the woman and her beauty, again reducing the woman to
a glamorous possession of the king, something to be shown off.
Material love quote 3 (Who so list to hount I knowe where is an hynde) - ANS "~Noli me
tangere for Cesars I ame"
"Don't touch me"- as a material possession of the king she cannot be seen to shift towards
anyone else. The woman is used by the king as a possession, to gloat at capturing a beautiful
woman. There is no love between the two as long as the unequal power dynamic remains in
place.
Idealized love quote 1 (GG) - ANS The colours of precious metals increase in value
throughout the novel. Nick describes Daisy as a "golden girl" - she is a radiant character with a
"glowing" voice and face. Her "golden" image is also associated with money- Gatsby comments
that Daisy's "glowing voice is "full of money". Nick suggests that the young Gatsby saw Daisy as
"silver" whereas over time she becomes "golden". The increasing value of the metallic
metaphors show how unattainable she has become to Gatsby- she embodies all he wishes to
have.
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Idealized love quote 2 (GG) - ANS 'Stretched out his arms...trembling...green light' ' Gatsby
believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us'- Context:
The concluding sentences of the book when Nick is reminiscing about Gatsby and what Gatsby
believed in. Reinforces significant theme of lust- throughout the novel, Gatsby is constantly
thinking about the theme that a lot of the characters in the book chase as well which is
pursuing the visions of the future, which are determined by the past, which is evident in how
Gatsby plans his encounters with Daisy. Gives insight on Gatsby's internal struggle throughout
the book as well as the struggle of the attaining of the American dream itself, as they "running
faster, and stretching further" to attain something that moves further away. Furthermore, Nick
says that "we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"
suggesting that as we struggle to attain something in the future we are getting nowhere as the
something is constantly dragging us behind.
Idealised love quote 3 (GG) - ANS 'He literally glowed' 'he hadn't once ceased looking at
Daisy'- It is not his silver shirt or gold tie that are bright now, but Gatsby himself. His inner fear
is resolved for the moment as the fulfillment of his dream seems to promise. Contrast this with
how Nick describes Gatsby at the beginning of this day: "He was pale, and there were dark signs
of sleeplessness beneath his eyes."
Idealized love quote 1 (Sonnet 116) - ANS "ever fixed marke"
The nautical metaphor compares love to a star that acts as a steady beacon of hope. Sailors
used to rely on stars as a form of navigation, and Shakespeare uses this method to compare
how equally, without love, it is impossible to navigate throughout life. Love acts as the "ever
fixed marke", constantly guiding lovers through life's hardships.
Idealized love quote 2 (Sonnet 116) - ANS "Lov's not Times foole"
Personifies love and time- although a person's appearance will change over time their soul will
remain the same. Love is everlasting and survives both time and death.
Idealized love quote 3 (Sonnet 116) - ANS "Love alters not...but beares it out even to the
edge of doome"
Shakespeare suggests love will last until the "end of time" and will not change.