Skip to main content

In The Great Gatsby, what does Jordan tell Nick when they see each other after Gatsby's death?

After Gatsby's death Nick decides to return to the Midwest; however, before he departs he goes to Jordan Baker's house in order to end their relationship. 


After arriving at Jordan's house, Nick talks "over and around what has happened" to their relationship, but Jordan remains perfectly still in her chair as he talks. In her usual disconnected manner, Jordan, who is dressed to play golf, replies "without comment" on Nick's words, saying that she is...

After Gatsby's death Nick decides to return to the Midwest; however, before he departs he goes to Jordan Baker's house in order to end their relationship. 


After arriving at Jordan's house, Nick talks "over and around what has happened" to their relationship, but Jordan remains perfectly still in her chair as he talks. In her usual disconnected manner, Jordan, who is dressed to play golf, replies "without comment" on Nick's words, saying that she is engaged to another man. While there are several that Jordan could probably marry, Nick doubts the sincerity of her response:



"Nevertheless you did throw me over on the telephone. I don't give a damn about you now but it was a new experience for me and I felt a little dizzy for a while." 



Further, Jordan reminds Nick of a conversation that they once had about bad drivers, a metaphor she uses for those who deceive and are careless in actions. She has said that it is all right to be a "bad driver" as long as the other party is careful. But, now she informs Nick that he, too, is a bad driver:



"I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride."



Nick responds to her accusation that he is thirty now and too old to lie to himself. "Angry and half in love with her and tremendously sorry," Nick departs.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...