After that I felt a certain shame for Gatsby—one gentleman to whom I telephoned implied that he had got what he deserved. However, that was my fault, for he was one of those who used to sneer most bitterly at Gatsby on the courage of Gatsby's liquor, and I should have known better than to call him.
Chapter 9 · Narrator
Context
While trying to find people to attend Gatsby's funeral, Nick calls various former partygoers. One man suggests Gatsby deserved his death. Nick reflects that this same person was among those who attended Gatsby's parties, drank his liquor, and criticized him behind his back.
Analysis
The situational irony of sneering at a man 'on the courage of Gatsby's liquor' exposes a parasitic relationship disguised as social participation—the guests consumed Gatsby's hospitality while simultaneously feeling superior to him, using his generosity as the very platform from which to condemn him. The phrase 'felt a certain shame for Gatsby' is telling: Nick feels shame on Gatsby's behalf rather than anger on his own, suggesting that the dead man's dignity is now Nick's responsibility to maintain—a burden that ultimately motivates the writing of the entire narrative.
How to Use in Essay
Useful for essays on the hypocrisy of Gatsby's social world, or for arguing that the novel presents the leisure class as fundamentally exploitative—consuming both Gatsby's hospitality and his reputation without reciprocating either loyalty or respect.