F. Scott Fitzgerald Quotes

Throughout his lifetime, F. Scott Fitzgerald made many interesting and original quotes. Many of these quotes relate to his novel, The Great Gatsby, and many of his views about life are expressed through the characters in his novel.

"That was always my experience—a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boy's school; a poor boy in a rich man's club at Princeton…I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works."
I believe that this quote is represented in the novel through the narrator Nick. Although Nick is not poor by any means, his affluence pales in comparison to those living around him, especially Gatsby. In West Egg, Nick is just a man trying to get by selling bonds. West Egg is the "poorer" of the two islands, and Nick always seems to be watching the luxurious lives of the inhabitants of East Egg from the outside looking in.

“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.”
I think that in this quote Fitzgerald is trying to say that all success in life comes from taking a chance, even if that chance could potentially lead to danger. He expresses this belief through his character Gatsby. What Gatsby does for a living is illegal, and he knows that he could get caught. He takes this risk because he wants to be successful and he believes in the American dream that anyone can gain fame and fortune if they work hard enough. In Gatsby's opinion, the riches outweigh the danger.

“A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.”
In this quote, Fitzgerald instructing his daughter about a quality that he believes women should have. He is saying that a woman who knows she's beautiful shouldn't act like she knows she's beautiful. This quality is best displayed through the character Daisy. Daisy knows she is a pretty woman and she is aware that men are attracted to her, but she never flat out speaks of her beauty and never comes across as too wise. She knows that there is a certain way that women of her social class are expected to behave.