Student Question
What does this quote from The Great Gatsby mean: "There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind."
Quick answer:
The quote "There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind" from The Great Gatsby reflects Tom's overwhelming panic when he realizes the collision of his affair with Myrtle and his competition for Daisy. It highlights Tom's inability to handle complex emotions and situations, leading to his terrified state when faced with the consequences of his actions.
In chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, conflicts that have been building
for the entire book finally come to a head. Tom and Gatsby begin fighting about
Gatsby's past and his intentions with Daisy, and just when it seems that Gatsby
may have won Daisy over, she slowly begins to fall back into the safety and
comfort of her life with Tom. Realizing that he has won, Tom boasts further by
telling Daisy to go back with Gatsby, as he is so certain that Daisy won't
betray him.
Later, Tom, Jordan, and Nick come across a scene where Myrtle, Tom's mistress,
has been run down by a car described as the same car that Gatsby and Daisy were
driving. Seeing the worlds of his extramarital affair and the contest for his
wife's affection collide for the first time, he drives away in a terrified
state as Nick thinks, "there is no confusion like the confusion of a simple
man" and observes that Tom is feeling the "hot whips of panic."
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