"She was incurably dishonest. She wasn't able to endure being at a disadvantage and, given this unwillingness, I suppose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young in order to keep that cool, insolent smile turned to the world and yet satisfy the demands of her hard, jaunty body" (Fitzgerald 58).
Nick describes Jordan Baker as a dishonest woman. He believes that she must lie when she feels insecure or "at a disadvantage" in order to maintain a flawless reputation. She cares so much about what people think of her that she does not want to make an error that may cause people to dislike her. Nick assumes that she has been "dealing in subterfuges" for quite some time because she seems to be very good at lying. She is able to deceive others with a natural instinct. Nick and Jordan are very opposite, but Nick still finds her appealing. Nick claims to be "one of the few honest people that [he] [has] ever known," while Jordan is dishonest and careless (59). Their relationship is interesting because they see the qualities they lack in the other, and appreciate them for them. Jordan "hates careless people," so "that's why [she] [likes] [Nick]" (58). She herself is a careless person, so she recognizes Nick's careful nature.
Katie-An interesting point -- that they each see in the other what they lack in themselves. Nick comments on Jordan's dishonesty, then finishes the chapter emphasizing his own honesty. Is he or is he not?
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