The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Based on the opening of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the correct answer is:
Don’t criticize others because they haven’t had the same advantages you have had.
Explanation
This piece of advice is a foundational element of The Great Gatsby, introduced on the very first page of the novel. The narrator, Nick Carraway, recounts the wisdom his father shared with him during his “younger and more vulnerable years.” His father’s exact words were, “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
This guidance is profoundly important for several reasons. First, it establishes Nick’s character as a thoughtful and nonjudgmental observer. He strives to reserve his judgments, a quality that makes him an ideal narrator for the complex and morally ambiguous events of the story. Because others perceive him as a trustworthy and impartial listener, they confide in him, giving him unique access to their secrets and motivations. This is especially true for Jay Gatsby, who opens up to Nick in a way he does with no one else.
Second, the advice introduces the novel’s central themes of social class, wealth, and privilege. The word “advantages” refers not only to financial prosperity but also to the stability, education, and moral grounding that Nick received from his prominent Midwestern family. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald explores the vast social and economic divides between the “old money” of families like the Buchanans, the “new money” of entrepreneurs like Gatsby, and the working class living in the Valley of Ashes. Nick’s father’s words serve as a constant reminder, both for Nick and for the reader, to consider how a person’s background shapes their actions and worldview. It sets the stage for a narrative that examines the American Dream through the lens of social inequality and inherent privilege.
