Great Gatsby Text

Chapter 1

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning
over in my mind ever since.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this
world haven't had the advantages that you've…

the bond business, so I supposed it could support one more single man. All my aunts and uncles
talked it over as if they were choosing a prep school for me, and finally said, "Why -- ye -- es,"
with very grave, hesitant faces. Father agreed to finance me for…

garden. it was Gatsby's mansion. Or, rather, as I didn't know Mr. Gatsby, it was a mansion
inhabited by a gentleman of that name. My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small eyesore,
and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a…

never intimate I always had the impression that he approved of me and wanted me to like him with
some harsh, defiant wistfulness of his own.

We talked for a few minutes on the sunny porch.

"I've got a nice place here," he said, his eyes flashing about restlessly.

Turning…

I looked back at my cousin, who began to ask me questions in her low, thrilling voice. It was the
kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will
never be played again. Her face was sad and…

At this point Miss Baker said: "Absolutely!" with such suddenness that I started -- it was the first
word she uttered since I came into the room. Evidently it surprised her as much as it did me, for she
yawned and with a series of rapid, deft movements stood up…

Before I could answer her eyes fastened with an awed expression on her little finger.

"Look!" she complained "I hurt it."

We all looked -- the knuckle was black and blue.

"You did it, Tom," she said accusingly. "I know you didn't mean to, but you did do it. That's…

"This idea is that we're Nordics. I am, and you are, and you are, and ----" After an infinitesimal
hesitation he included Daisy with a slight nod, and she winked at me again. "-- And we've
produced all the things that go to make civilization -- oh, science and art,…

"You mean to say you don't know?" said Miss Baker, honestly surprised. "I thought everybody
knew."

"I don't."

"Why ----" she said hesitantly, "Tom's got some woman in New York."

"Got some woman?" I repeated blankly.

Miss Baker nodded.

"She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner…

"I wasn't back from the war."

"That's true." She hesitated. "Well, I've had a very bad time, Nick, and I'm pretty cynical about
everything."

Evidently she had reason to be. I waited but she didn't say any more, and after a moment I returned
rather feebly to the subject of…