How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
She had had a harried life from sixteen on, and her education had stopped sharply with her leisure. (1.4.212)
Amory's cousin Clara got married very young and didn't have the opportunity to continue her education as a result. This was one of the unfortunate consequences of marriage for women back in Fitzgerald's time. Once you were married, the world expected you to quit school and raise your kiddos.
Quote #8
Then he walked up to the desk and deposited a page torn out of his notebook. (1.4.328)
Amory is sick of all the boring stuff he's been learning in his university classes. When the war in Europe breaks out, he's convinced that humanity hasn't learned from its past and never will. So he writes a poem about the failures of the adult generation and hands it to his professor.
Quote #9
"I possess the most valuable experience, the experience of the race, for in spite of going to college I've managed to pick up a good education." (2.5.204)
Amory makes a cutting comment about Princeton when he says that he's managed to get a good education in spite of going to college. In other words, college fills a person's head with all kinds of normal, conformist ideas. But education is all about training your mind to think for itself, and Amory thinks he's only been able to do this outside of school.