"I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life" (p. 36).
Interpretation:
This passage emphasizes the duality of Nick's role as a narrator; he is both a passive observer guiding the reader through the story, yet is also engaged in the affairs of the other characters. Here, Carraway comments on his experiences in the East – how he is both drawn to its liveliness and is jarred by the differences compared to the Midwest. One can also say that Nick is "enchanted" by the up-beat pace of the East, a stark contrast of the Midwestern life he was accustomed to. (Refer here.) In this particular point in the book, Nick is at a drunken party in a room full of strangers. He looks out the window and imagines himself looking back up at himself. In essence, this could be viewed as Nick attempting to distance himself from the happenings around him; he speaks objectively.
Literary Importance:
Fitzgerald uses this quote as a means to reveal a moral truth he finds pervasive to human experiences in real life. By utilizing this aphorism, the readers create a connection from the literary text to the real world. Perhaps an example of the truth in this statement lies in the historical example of WWII. It was a large scale tragedy coupled with a brilliant systematic genocide.
This passage emphasizes the duality of Nick's role as a narrator; he is both a passive observer guiding the reader through the story, yet is also engaged in the affairs of the other characters. Here, Carraway comments on his experiences in the East – how he is both drawn to its liveliness and is jarred by the differences compared to the Midwest. One can also say that Nick is "enchanted" by the up-beat pace of the East, a stark contrast of the Midwestern life he was accustomed to. (Refer here.) In this particular point in the book, Nick is at a drunken party in a room full of strangers. He looks out the window and imagines himself looking back up at himself. In essence, this could be viewed as Nick attempting to distance himself from the happenings around him; he speaks objectively.
Literary Importance:
Fitzgerald uses this quote as a means to reveal a moral truth he finds pervasive to human experiences in real life. By utilizing this aphorism, the readers create a connection from the literary text to the real world. Perhaps an example of the truth in this statement lies in the historical example of WWII. It was a large scale tragedy coupled with a brilliant systematic genocide.