What quote embodies the novel "The Great Gatsby"?

Question

What quote embodies the entire text of The Great Gatsby? This quote should be the main scene of the entire novel, like a major turning point in the book. 

Answer 1

This is very subjective, as anyone who reads the novel, probably has their own favorite quote. Personally, I like one that comes near the end of the novel, after Gatsby's death, when Nick says, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This quote seems to encapsulate the novel perfectly, and gives us insight into Gatsby, Daisy, and other characters. Gatsby so desperately wanted to escape his past and transform himself into someone new, but his past caught up with him, and ultimately leads to his demise. Daisy as well is unable to leave her past with Gatsby. Even though she is unhappy in her marriage to Tom, her affair with Gatsby leads to disastrous consequences, and Gatsby's death. It's almost as if Nick suggest in this quote that none of us are able to completely detach ourselves from previous, traumatic, or impactful experiences. As much as we try to run away from something, we will inevitably come full circle and find ourselves running right back to the scene of the crime again and again. It is a beautiful quote, but a somewhat sad commentary on human nature and our inability to leave our pasts behind.