(1) "Whenever you feell ike criticizing any one,' he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
The writer here is stating basically "do not judge other people before you know their circumtances." This is one of the oldest lessons in the book and he chooses to word it by emphasizing it by saying that not all people have had the same advantages as you. He is stating that you may view the world different and may view a person different based on your history and childhood and life. If your background differs greatly from the person down the street, then the opinions of each of you will also be very different. The writer is saying you can not criticize someone when their point of view is totally and completely different from yours because your conclusions are jaded. (117)
(2) "I am still a little afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggested, and I snobbishly repeat, a sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth."
The author is attempting to impress on us multiple ideas with this sentence. Primarily the author uses the word "snobbishly." By definition this word means "someone who imitates social superiors." This gives the readers the impression that the writer, Nick Carraway, along with his father, believe they have a superior sense of fundamental morals. By saying the decencies are dispersed unequally at birth is the writer's way of saying, "there are stupid people in the world." Secondly, the writer could possibly be foreshadowing an event to two that take place later in the book, that relate somehow to the principal idea that there are people in the world with no basic morals to live life on. (116 words.)
(3) "'But we heard it,' insisted Daisy, surprising me by opening up again in a flower-like way. 'We heard it from three people, so it must be true.'"
Here we have insight to Daisy's personality. Previously in the story we see she and Nick had a slight bumping of heads and shared a solemn conversation. As Nick is leaving, she recalls something she heard about him being engaged and this perks up her interest in talking to him again. Nick refers to this as her "opening up in a flower-like way." We also can see that Daisy is a typical woman in the means of her interest in the art of confronting people about the daily gossip in order to extract the truth. Daisy defends that the rumor must be true with reasoning of the hearing about it from three different people impressing the idea that she is curious about Nick's relationship status, which will eventually lead to her encouragement of the pursuit of Jordan.
(4) "When I looked once more for Gastby he had vanished, and i was alone again in the unique darkness."
The manner the author describes this moment is rather mystical and mysterious. At this point Gastby is a rather mysterious character, not many details are known about him. The words chosen such as "vanished" and "unique" give the moment a certain majestic feel. The encountered with Gastby was brief and we were unable to gather many details from it. But we have been left with an impression that Gastby is a curious and secretive who's true secrets are not known. "Vanished" is normally associated with magic. Therefore this word was used to create a magical aroma in the moment for the reader imagining meeting Gastby in such a place. (110 words)
(5) "Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."
The author here is talking about himself saying that in his opinion he is honest. But not just honest, no he wants us to believe that he is supernaturally honest. He says he is "one of the few honest people [he] has ever known." He is giving us the impression that his honesty far exceeds anyone else that he has ever met. Out of everyone that he has met, he is implying they all are liars, and dishonest people. He is putting himself on a throne showing to his readers that he is incredibly honest even when the truth is painful. He will tell the truth exactly how it is no matter how rude or insulting it may be. He considers this to be a "cardinal value." He feels as though his honesty, which is at times too much and is rude, is in fact a positive virtue that he possess and he is trying to get his readers to see and agree with him as well. (168 words.)
