Original artwork, not a still
The Great Gatsby · 1925
No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Nick is explaining Gatsby's tragedy in one sentence: no real person, however warm or lovely, can compete with the version a man has been building in his head for years. It is the book's thesis about longing, which is why it turns up in discussions of idealised first loves and why this lightly altered 'will store up' version is the one that circulates online.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Great GatsbyShow the scene
The line closes the long reunion scene in chapter 5 of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925). In Nick Carraway's cottage, with rain falling outside, Gatsby has at last met Daisy again after almost five years. As Nick goes to say goodbye, he sees doubt cross Gatsby's face and reflects that Daisy could never fully match the dream he has built around her over that time. This is his narration, not dialogue. The original reads 'can store up', not 'will'. Nick then leaves them together in the rain, and the next chapter turns to Gatsby's past.
Sources (1)
- Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, chapter V (Project Gutenberg text)end of chapter V, before chapter VIReference checked
Context reviewed
