F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, is a treasure trove of profound quotes that capture the decadence, idealism, and despair found within its pages. Each quote provides a glimpse into the enigmatic and fascinating character of Jay Gatsby. Here, we’ve gathered 25 quotes about Gatsby that help encapsulate his grandeur, love, aspirations, and inevitable tragedy.
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“He looked at her the way all women want to be looked at by a man.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“He smiled understandingly–much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“There was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” – Jay Gatsby
“It was one of those rare smiles that you may come across four or five times in life.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“He wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn.” – Nick Carraway
“Gatsby was overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Gatsby turned out all right in the end; it was what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust trailed in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself out in his brain while the clock ticked on the wash-stand and the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes upon the floor.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“He had come such a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close he could hardly fail to grasp it.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And then one fine morning—” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams—not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn’t believe it would come and perhaps he no longer cared.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
“He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths—so that he could ‘come over’ some afternoon to a stranger’s garden.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
The character of Jay Gatsby is as fascinating as he is enigmatic, full of grand dreams and deep-seated yearnings. His world, painted by Fitzgerald, continues to captivate readers even decades after the book’s release. Which of these quotes resonated with you the most? Perhaps you have your own favorite Gatsby quote that wasn’t listed here. Feel free to share your thoughts, insights, or favorite quotes in the comments below. Remember, your perspective could add a new layer of understanding for other readers.