Significant passages
"She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. 'All right,' I said, "I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool---that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." (Fitzgerald, 17)
In perhaps the most famous line from the novel, Daisy is speaking to Nick about her daughter and her hopes for her in life. She feels that the best way for a girl to "succeed" in life is to be a "beautiful little fool." This speaks on the way life was for a woman in the 1920s. Women had a deep reliance on their husbands that trascended their husband's fidelity and treatment. As long as they were being taken care of, Daisy felt that the rest could be ignored blissfully if you are a fool. This line gives us a deeper look into Daisy as a character and the standards she lives by. It ultimately predicts her final decisions in the book and her decision to stay with Tom rather than pursuing a relationship with Gatsby.
"Well, it's a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don't look out the white will be---will eventually be utterly submerged. It's all scientific stuff; it's been proved." (Fitzgerald, 13)
This line is delivered by Tom Buchanan the first time he reunites with Nick. It not only shows the type of character Tom was but also adds some context to how the upper class felt about race during this time. He looked at himself as superior and claimed that even science could back this. Later in the novel, he makes a jab at Gatsby for being what scholars have decided to be either Jewish or biracial. Due to his racism, Tom could not fathom the idea that Daisy would leave him for a man "lesser" than him.
"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages you've had." (Fitzgerald, 5)
This insight provided by Nick's father gives us an inside look on the values and morals that Nick was raised on. This explains his actions and thought processes throughout the novel. He looked at himself as priviledged. Although throughout the novel we see him taking part in activities marked by wealth, overall, he stays humble and has a bit of disdain for the lifestyles he is surrounded by.