Question

read the following excerpt from the great gatsby
i had talked with him perhaps six times in the past month
and found, to my disappointment, that he had little to say.
so my first impression, that he was a person of some
undefined consequence, had gradually faded and he had
become simply the proprietor of an elaborate road - house
next door.
which theme does this excerpt best convey?
a. most people resist changing their feelings about a person after
their first impression.

b. people will go to great lengths to gain the approval of those they
admire.

c. the better one knows a person, the more one discovers his or her
faults.

d. high expectations are necessary for success.

Explanation:

The excerpt shows the narrator's first impression of a person (thinking he was of "some undefined consequence") fading as they got to know him better (finding he had little to say and seeing him as just a road - house proprietor). This matches option C, as getting to know the person led to a more realistic (and less favorable) view, suggesting that as one knows a person better, they may discover faults or that the initial positive impression was unfounded. Option A is incorrect as the narrator's feelings changed. Option B has no relation to gaining approval. Option D is not related to the content of the excerpt.

Answer:

C. The better one knows a person, the more one discovers his or her faults.