How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph
Quote #1
For several years, I had been bored. Not a whining, restless child's boredom (although I was not above that) but a dense, blanketing malaise. It seemed to me that there was nothing new to be discovered ever again. Our society was utterly, ruinously derivative. (11.8)
Because Nick's a writer, he views society's condition through the eyes of someone creative. With the loss of his job—and the downfall of his profession—Nick feels that there's nothing left to make life new, no innovative ideas that can be shaped through language. The domination of technology and the Internet, as well as economic circumstances, have left him feeling rather hopeless.
Quote #2
So it had to stop. Committing to Nick, feeling safe with Nick, being happy with Nick, made me realize that there was a Real Amy in there, and she was so much better, more interesting and complicated and challenging, than Cool Amy […] Can you imagine, finally showing your true self to your spouse, your soul mate, and having him not like you? (30.32)
We've all pretended to be somebody else for the purposes of making people like us—but eventually we get tired of sustaining the act. When Amy finally gets sick of being Cool Amy though, she's been married almost five years and a serious relationship has already formed around that personality. We really can't blame Nick for "not liking" Real Amy—after all, we don't like her much either.
Quote #3
Everywhere I go is the river. I'm following it or it's following me. (42.1)
In the "Symbolism" section we talk about how the Mississippi River represents the characters' troubled relationship. Amy and Nick live directly next to the river; Amy plots to send Nick "up the river"; and now, as she attempts to revise her plans after Jeff and Greta rob her, the truth of what she's doing to Nick begins to haunt her. She may have thought that her plan would be the thing to finally bring her satisfaction, but obviously, she's very wrong.