The Great Gatsby Quotes

Quote 1:

“No.1 has faith in himself, tough, slow sullen and unshakable. Mine has worn thin in the last few years... The fact is: I no longer believe in my infallibility. That is what I am lost.” (Page 101, Paragraph 2) This quote in an excerpt from Rubashov's diary in which he reflects on his identity after being a week in prison. Rubashov's struggle with his own identity is clearly elucidated in this passage through his feelings of hopelessness and loss. For instance, Rubashov describes his faith in himself as being “worn thin”. One can see Rubashov's sense of loss as a result of his imprisonment and accusations of crimes he did not commit. Yet, there is an interesting shift in Rubashov's mentality in this passage. Throughout his life, Rubashov displayed strong allegiance to the Party and dismissed any thoughts of
However, Rubashov's use of the word “I” in this excerpt is a departure from the collectivist mentality of the Party. He is in a state of conflict that is between the affiliation with his Party and his own identity. There are a few reasons that Rubashov's identity has began to resurface. First, the accusations that the Party made on Rubashov and his imprisonment have played a major role in this. There is also another reason that one could argue that has caused Rubashov's internal conflict. The juxtaposition of No.1's identity with Rubashov's in this chapter is not accidental. No. 1 is a clear opposite of Rubashov as he is depicted as an individual who has “faith in himself” contrasting Rubashov's loss of faith. Through No.1, we are able to reach a deeper understanding of Rubashov's conflict. Part of his conflict has stemmed from his imprisonment and the accusations of crimes he did not commit. However, a major source of his conflict is that his own identity, which he has viewed as trivial for so