Friday, September 12, 2014

What page is the quote, "it was an extraordinary gift for hope [...]," on?

In my edition, the Scribner's, this quotation is in chapter 1, on page 2. Nick says that Jay Gatsby possessed "an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again." He seems, here, to be describing Gatsby's incredible optimism, his fervent belief that it is absolutely possible to relive the past, to return to who we once were, and to make things right. He never doubts for a moment that Daisy can and will love him again, that she never could have stopped really, and that it is not too late for them to be together despite Tom, their daughter, and her new life. In an era of so much cynicism, everything Gatsby does is so that he can be reunited with Daisy, a woman who—frankly—doesn't deserve such loyalty, because he ardently loves her and has loved her for so many years (despite her lack of patience, personal weakness, and selfishness). Nick believes that he will never come across another person who feels similarly.

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