(1) “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited.” (ch. 3)
In this sentence, the author is trying to single himself out in order for himself to look more important. He is distinguishing himself from the others who were not invited by saying that he had been “actually” invited. On top of that, the author had been “one of the few guests” who had been selected by Gatsby, the host, out of all the many people who could have been chosen but were not. The author, by stating that he were one in a very small group of people against the majority of others, makes himself appear to be of higher prestige in comparison to the uninvited guests.
(2)“‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’” (ch 1)
The author is using this quote from her father to get across that educated and wealthy people shouldn’t look down on the poor and uneducated. This is because those poor and uneducated people did not choose to be so, and if they had the opportunity, they would gladly sit on the other side of the fence. However, because of history, their history and their ancestors’, it is difficult for these people to be at the same social standard as those living currently. For instance, if ones great grandfather invented bacon, it would be easy to assume the current generation of said family would be at a higher standard of living than a family of those whose ancestors were lazy and accomplished nothing. That is why the author is saying to consider that not everyone has an advantage and this should be taken into account before making criticism.
(3)“‘They’ll keep out of my way,’ she insisted. ‘It takes two to make an accident.’” (ch. 3)
The author is arguing that it does not take two people to have an accident. The carelessness of one person can cause massive problems for others. This is apparent in driving. While driving a car, the driver is responsible for themselves and everyone else on the road. If one person fails to meet this responsibility it could result in another drivers car getting dinged up, injury, or death. It only takes one person not following instructions or not paying attention for an entire situation to crumble into negative repercussions. The author is trying to make others aware that they must not rely on others all the time and that they must be mindful of their own actions.
(4)“Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes, but after a certain point I don’t care what it’s founded on.” (ch 1)
In this statement the author is saying that manners may be maintained strictly or loosely but as long as they are maintained it does not matter. Furthermore, this seems to be a take on an old phrase: it’s better to have had and lost, than to have never had it at all. The author is trying to get across that it isn’t important how high the standards are for a certain thing, but that it is important to have standards.
(5)“I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” (ch 1)
The author is making a point that women in society are not treated as equals. In patriarchal society, women are stereotyped as not as intelligent as men. Therefore, if a majority of society perceives women this way, anything outside that boundary will be strange and unusual to them. Therefore, if a girl was ignorant and beautiful she could coast through life with practically little hardship.
