Original artwork, not a still
The Great Gatsby · 1925
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Nick sets himself up as the fair-minded witness before anything has happened, and the novel then tests that claim on every page. The sentence works as a quiet warning that the narrator's judgment is not neutral, and it is among the best-known openings in American fiction. Fans quote it when they want to say that someone older and wiser once told them how to treat other people.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Great GatsbyShow the scene
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, published by Charles Scribner's Sons on 10 April 1925, begins here, in its first chapter, with Nick Carraway looking back on his time on Long Island. The advice his father gave him is the opening move: before criticising anyone, remember that not everyone has had the advantages you have. Nick is a Yale graduate, a war veteran and a bond salesman who has just moved to West Egg, next door to the mysterious Jay Gatsby, and he tells the whole story himself.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The Great GatsbyChapter 1, p. 1Reference checked
- Wikipedia: The Great Gatsbyinfobox, lead, CharactersReference checked
Context reviewed
