The Great Gatsby - Theme
THEME QUOTE ANALYSIS
Class ‘Unprosperous and bare’ Reflection of the lower class - no hope
‘A fantastic farm where ashes grow Unexpected language, growth of poverty in
like wheat’ America (contrasts the American Dream)
‘Big yellow car. New.’ Wealth and possession, happiness, industry
‘A dead man passed us in a hearse’ Cannot escpae their reality
‘A limousine passed us’ Contrast, symbol of wealth and youth
‘Even more elaborate’ Excessive and unnecessary wealth
‘Retreated back into their money’ The rich can escape
‘The death car’ Blunt language - reality of life
‘Colossal’ Excessive wealth
Illusion ‘A factual immitation’ His house is a copy, another facade
‘You’ve dyed your hair since then’ Becoming someone else, change
‘Screens their obscure operations’ Hiding the poverty
‘Mrs Wilson had changed her This life is temporary, not her reality - it must
costume’ end
‘Gatsby, pale as death’ Losing his facade - foreboding his death
‘He repeated incredulously’ Disbelief, not real
‘Invented … Jay Gatsby’ Gatsby’s facade, he is not real
‘A lot of these newly rich people are Creating a facade, inventing themselves - their
just big bootleggers’ wealth is not real (jealousy from Tom)
Love ‘Stretched out his arms towards the His love is unreachable, not real - he cannot
water’ get a grasp on it
‘I thought I loved her’ Even love is uncertain
‘Daisy’s change’ her mine!’ Uncertainty of love - it is conditional
‘On the chance of catching a glimpse Obsessive love - distorting the perception of
of Daisy’s name’ love and relationships
‘He hadn’t once seized looking at Possessive and obsessive - cannot believe
Daisy’ that she is real
‘They’re such beautiful shirts’ Superficial love
‘It wasn’t a coincidence at all’ Obsessive love (Fate)
‘In my heart I love her all the time’ Conditional love - Tom can excuse himself
‘“You always look so cool” … She had The rich cannot be explicit or real - even their
told him that she loved him’ love is hidden and confused
‘You threw me over on the telephone’ Cannot face up to his reality
The American Dream ‘Descended from the Dukes of Destroying his nobility and respect, wanting to
Beccleuch … started the wholesale be known for hard work not for his familial ties
hardware business’ - sense of illusion
THEME QUOTE ANALYSIS
Class ‘Unprosperous and bare’ Reflection of the lower class - no hope
‘A fantastic farm where ashes grow Unexpected language, growth of poverty in
like wheat’ America (contrasts the American Dream)
‘Big yellow car. New.’ Wealth and possession, happiness, industry
‘A dead man passed us in a hearse’ Cannot escpae their reality
‘A limousine passed us’ Contrast, symbol of wealth and youth
‘Even more elaborate’ Excessive and unnecessary wealth
‘Retreated back into their money’ The rich can escape
‘The death car’ Blunt language - reality of life
‘Colossal’ Excessive wealth
Illusion ‘A factual immitation’ His house is a copy, another facade
‘You’ve dyed your hair since then’ Becoming someone else, change
‘Screens their obscure operations’ Hiding the poverty
‘Mrs Wilson had changed her This life is temporary, not her reality - it must
costume’ end
‘Gatsby, pale as death’ Losing his facade - foreboding his death
‘He repeated incredulously’ Disbelief, not real
‘Invented … Jay Gatsby’ Gatsby’s facade, he is not real
‘A lot of these newly rich people are Creating a facade, inventing themselves - their
just big bootleggers’ wealth is not real (jealousy from Tom)
Love ‘Stretched out his arms towards the His love is unreachable, not real - he cannot
water’ get a grasp on it
‘I thought I loved her’ Even love is uncertain
‘Daisy’s change’ her mine!’ Uncertainty of love - it is conditional
‘On the chance of catching a glimpse Obsessive love - distorting the perception of
of Daisy’s name’ love and relationships
‘He hadn’t once seized looking at Possessive and obsessive - cannot believe
Daisy’ that she is real
‘They’re such beautiful shirts’ Superficial love
‘It wasn’t a coincidence at all’ Obsessive love (Fate)
‘In my heart I love her all the time’ Conditional love - Tom can excuse himself
‘“You always look so cool” … She had The rich cannot be explicit or real - even their
told him that she loved him’ love is hidden and confused
‘You threw me over on the telephone’ Cannot face up to his reality
The American Dream ‘Descended from the Dukes of Destroying his nobility and respect, wanting to
Beccleuch … started the wholesale be known for hard work not for his familial ties
hardware business’ - sense of illusion
