The Great Gatsby: Chapter IX / pages 163-180

Summary:

               After the murder of Gatsby, Gatsby’s house is filled with reporters, police, and detectives. After Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, convinces both herself and the reporters that Myrtle did not cheat on George, the reporters reduce George to a man “deranged by grief”. Nick calls up Daisy an hour after they found Gatsby’s voice only to find out that Tom and she have gone away, leaving no address or any other information. Nick felt the desire to find somebody for Gatsby; he felt Gatsby telling him to find somebody for him. Nick sends Wolfsheim a letter and Wolfsheim replies back in a letter saying how he has very important business to attend to and so cannot get mixed up in this matter. In addition, Nick receives a call from a mysterious man who thinks he is Gatsby. On the third day Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz, sent a telegram to Nick saying to postpone the funeral until he came. When Henry arrives, he can only speak of good things about his son. He is very proud of his son and his accomplishments. On the day of the funeral, practically no one shows up. Only Owl Eyes, Nick, Henry, and Gatsby’s servants attend the funeral. Nick decides to go back home, but before he leaves he decides to talk to Jordan about what had happened between them. Nick also sees Tom and finds out that it was Tom who told George where Gatsby lived. When Nick leaves, Gatsby’s house is still empty and on the white steps an obscene word has been scrawled on by some little boy and so Nick erases it. Lastly, Nick talks about dreams and how we are always chasing them. He states that even when we finally reach our dreams something new  will arise and will start chasing it all over again.

Nick Carraway:

• “I see now that this has been story of the West, after all – Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life” (176).

• Nick is trustworthy, loyal and honest. Most people use Nick as their confidant because they know he will not spread their secrets. Nick is drawn to the East, with its parties and excitement, but he is also repelled by its damaging and dishonest lifestyle. In addition, Nick does not like leaving things in a disarray and so chooses to fix his problems. For example, he confronts Jordan after their disagreement and finally ends his relationship with her. I believe that Jordan is similar to the East in Nick’s eyes. He is drawn by her vitality and energy, but also disgusted by her dishonesty. At the end of the novel, Nick decides to get away from the East and go back to his home. At his home, things are way different than in the East. It was at his home where Nick learned his values from his father: to not judge others by the same standards. Nick’s loyalty can be seen by his actions after Gatsby’s death. He stays on Gatsby’s side and does his best to find people to go to his funeral.

• Nick is a narrator we can trust. His honesty and nonjudgmental ways is what allows us to see the story as it is. He doesn’t sugar-coat anything or have any bias thoughts. He is honest throughout the entire novel. In the novel, Nick is an observer. He does not get involved in any of the drama between Gatsby, Tom, and Gatsby. However, by the end of the novel he starts to take action. He gets involved in Gatsby’s funeral and makes a change in his life by going back home, away from the East.

Quote:

“Look here, old sport, you’ve got to get somebody for me. You’ve got to try hard. I can’t go through this alone” (165).

               After Gatsby’s death, Nick hears Gatsby’s voice in his head asking him to find somebody for him. Nick struggles to find people to attend Gatsby’s funeral but is left with no one. At the funeral only Owl Eyes, Gatsby’s father, Gatsby’s servants, and Nick are present. Although Gatsby held extravagant parties at his house every weekend, no one cared about his death. In addition, Klipspringer who had been living at Gatsby’s house as a freeloader does not even bother to attend. Instead, he calls Nick and asks if he could send him his shoes over. The reality is harsh; nobody cared about Gatsby. I also started to think, why was Nick so focused on finding somebody for Gatsby? Couldn’t Nick have been the somebody who is there for Gatsby? Gatsby’s goal in life was Daisy; he only needed her. Thus, when she left him he had nothing; he had no one.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VIII / pages 147-162

Summary:

               Nick cannot sleep because he feels like he needs to warn Gatsby of something, and so when he hears a taxi arrive at Gatsby’s drive he gets up and walks to Gatsby’s house. Gatsby tells him that he had waited for Daisy, but nothing happened; she stood at her window for a moment and then turned out the light. Nick advises Gatsby to flee because the police could probably trace his car, but Gatsby refuses; he cannot leave Daisy without knowing what her decision is. Gatsby then shares with Nick his past with Dan Cody and Daisy. He goes on about how Daisy was the first “nice” girl he had ever known and that he himself was surprised when he found out that he loved her. He also talks about his army days and how he had exchanged letters with Daisy for a while, but how her letters started to emit a nervous despairing feeling. Daisy was impatient and indecisive, she couldn’t wait for Gatsby and so when she met Tom she felt both a certain struggle and a certain relief. Nick and Gatsby finished their breakfast by 9 o’clock and Nick had to go to the city, but didn’t want to leave Gatsby. He leaves Gatsby with a compliment saying, “They’re a rotten crowd, you’re worth the whole damn bunch put together” (154). While in the city, Jordan calls up Nick and they have a tense, awkward conversation that ends abruptly. While on the train, Nick avoids looking at the valley of ashes and the scene turns to Wilson’s garage. Wilson was determined to find out who killed Myrtle and his friend Michaelis had been with him, taking care of him. Wilson tells Michaelis about he told Myrtle that she couldn’t fool God and points to the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. When Michaelis goes home and comes back, Wilson is missing. It turns out that he had found out Gatsby’s name and was on his way to his house. At two o’clock, Gatsby was in his pool. Nick drove from the station directly to Gatsby’s house and along with the chauffeur, butler, and gardener hurried down to the pool. Gatsby was found dead in the pool and Wilson dead in the grass.

George Wilson:

• “I’m one of these trusting fellas and I don’t think any harm to nobody, but when I get to know a thing I know it” (159).

• “He was his wife’s man and not his own” (136).

• George Wilson is a quiet, faithful man who changes after he finds out that his wife is cheating on him. In the beginning of the novel, George does whatever his wife, Myrtle, tells him to do without objecting. He basically lets her treat him like dirt, but I believe he truly loves Myrtle. He did everything for her, and did his best to support them. However, when he finds out that she’s been cheating on him, he completely changes. He locks her up in their room and won’t let her out until he makes enough money to go West. When Myrtle dies, George becomes silent and lifeless; it’s apparent that he’s shaken by her death. He also seeks revenge on the person who killed her, the person driving the yellow car. This in turn leads him to killing Gatsby and then himself.

• George Wilson introduces the symbolism of God through the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. He tells Myrtle that God sees everything, referring to the eyes of the Doctor. In a sense, the eyes are the reason why George wanted revenge for his wife’s death. After staring at them, he disappears and kills Gatsby, who he believes killed Myrtle.

Quote:

“I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn’t believe it would come, and perhaps he no longer cared. If that were true he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream. He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass” (161).

               Gatsby finally snaps out of the illusion he’s been living in, and faces reality. Nick said in the beginning of the novel that Gatsby turned out all right in the end, and it’s true, he did. He died living in reality and accepting it as it was. He no longer cared that Daisy didn’t choose him, which I believe is a huge turning point for Gatsby. In addition, I think he realized that he had made a mistake by focusing on only one single dream. I mean, it’s great to have a dream, but when that dream overtakes your life and makes you ignore everything else it becomes unhealthy. It’s too bad he had to die right after he finally changed though ): The part about the rose also stuck out to me; roses are grotesque, meaning they are unnatural. I believe that Daisy is very similar to a rose. She had a fake image she showed to others and also Gatsby didn’t see her as she really was since he was stuck in his illusion of her.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VII / pages 113-145

Summary:

               Nick became curious when the lights in Gatsby’s house did not go on that Saturday night and so he walked over to see Gatsby. He was surprised when an unfamiliar butler opened the door and later found out that Gatsby had fired every single servant in the house and replaced them with some shady people involved with Wolsheim. The next day was really hot and Nick went to Daisy’s house; Jordan and Gatsby are there too. Tom is once again on the phone, but it does not seem to be with Myrtle but about a bona-fide deal. When Tom enters the room Daisy tells him to make them all a cold drink and he surprisingly goes and does so. When he leaves, Daisy boldly kisses Gatsby telling him she loves him. In addition, Daisy’s daughter enters the room and meets everybody. The heat is excruciating and so Daisy says that they should go to town. Tom leaves with Jordan and Nick while Gatsby and Daisy drive together. Tom then has to stop by Wilson’s garage to get gas for Gatsby’s car, which he had driven. When they see Wilson, he looks sickly and green. Wilson then tells Tom that he and his wife need money to go West, which surprises Tom. Wilson then hints that he knows about her affair and because of this he became sickly. Nick then sees Myrtle from the window staring jealously at Jordan, who she thinks is Tom’s wife. After leaving, they then meet up with Daisy and Gatsby and decide to go rent a suite at the Plaza Hotel. At the hotel, a man named Biloxi was brought up and how he lied about being the president of Nick and Tom’s class in Yale. Tom then turns the conversation to Gatsby, asking if he knew Biloxi since they’d be in the same class. Gatsby tells him that he had only been at Oxford for a while since it was only an opportunity given to officers after the Armistice. Tom and Gatsby then have a confrontation about Daisy. After a conversation about Gatsby’s past with Daisy and who she loves, the conversation ends with Tom accusing Gatsby of his dark past and Daisy, in a sense, chooses Tom. Tom then sends Daisy and Gatsby off to his house while he, Jordan and Nick go together. It is then introduced that it is Nick’s birthday; he is now 30 years old. A young Greek named Michaelis is then introduced as a witness to a hit-and-run. Michaelis is a neighbor to Wilson and had talked to Wilson earlier. He was shocked to find out that Wilson had locked Myrtle in their room. He left and then later came back to find Myrtle rushing out of the house and getting hit by a car coming from New York; it instantly killed her. As Tom, Nick, and Jordan were passing by Tom, realizing the situation, stops the car and goes to find out what happened. The police are interviewing people and Wilson is staring aimlessly at a swinging light. A pale well-dressed black man tells the police that it was a yellow car that hit Myrtle. Wilson then screams that he already knows what type of car it was and that is when Tom pulls him aside telling him that it wasn’t his car and that he had been borrowing his friend’s car when he saw him earlier. When they were driving away, Tom started to cry. After they got to Tom’s house, Nick decided to stay outside and wait for a taxi while Jordan and Tom went outside. While outside, Nick finds Gatsby hiding in the bushes. Gatsby then tells him that Daisy had hit Myrtle, but that he’d take the blame for her. Gatsby also tells Nick that he’ll wait outside for Daisy to make sure she’ll be okay and that Tom doesn’t hurt her. Nick then looks inside Tom’s house to see if there’s any sign of commotion, but he only finds Daisy and Tom talking to each other; it almost looked like they were conspiring together. He then goes outside and tells Gatsby that it is quiet and leaves Gatsby to watch over nothing.

Daisy Buchanan/Fay:

• “Her voice is full of money” (120).

• Daisy is materialistic, fake, indecisive, and a dreamer. She married Tom because of his wealth; she would not be able to survive without luxuries. Tom supports her and she is able to get what she wants through him. She is fake because she puts on the image of her being innocent. Hence, she wears white and uses a soft voice. She also pretends to be a fool, even though it is clear that she is not. She is aware that Tom is having an affair, but pretends not to in front of others. She also encourages him in a sense by giving him a pencil to write down their numbers and addresses. She is indecisive because she does not know who she wants to choose, Tom or Gatsby. Both are wealthy, so she could stay with whoever. In this chapter, it’s apparent that she doesn’t know who to choose. She is filled with love for Gatsby in the beginning, but then after Tom confronts Gatsby she slowly goes over to Tom’s side and chooses him. She is a dreamer because she likes creating illusions and living in a dream-state. When she sees the director and actress sharing a loving kiss, she states that she likes the gesture but not the emotion.

• Daisy is the object of Gatsby’s dream. She is what he’s been aiming to get for 5 years; he’s devoted his life to becoming wealthy so that he could woo her. However, if Daisy were to not choose Gatsby, he’d have nothing. Thus, Daisy’s indecisiveness is what I believe will lead to Gatsby’s downfall. She chooses Tom in this chapter, but Gatsby does not realize that. He thinks that Daisy loves him, and maybe she does, but in the end she does choose Tom. Although Daisy was the one who hit Myrtle with the car, Gatsby is more than willing to take the blame. And Daisy would probably let him, which is why she seemed to be conspiring with Tom. If Daisy can easily let Gatsby take the blame for a wrong she committed, I think it’s plain to see that she doesn’t truly love him.

Quote:

“I disliked him so much by this time that I didn’t find it necessary to tell him he was wrong” (143).

               As a narrator, Nick is someone we could trust. He doesn’t judge others by the same standards and is truthful. So, when Nick first introduced Gatsby in the novel he talked about him with such high regards. As a result, we couldn’t help but like Gatsby too. However, when Nick states that he dislikes Gatsby it makes us question Gatsby as well. I mean if Nick doesn’t like him, then should we? Of course, we have our own opinions but still Nick plays an important role in whether or not we like Gatsby.  

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VI / pages 97-111

Summary:

               A reporter shows up at Gatsby’s house, questioning him about his involvement in the “underground pipe-line to Canada” or about him living in a boat that looked like a house. James Gatz of North Dakota, Gatsby’s true identity, is revealed to us by Nick afterwards. Gatsby’s true past is exposed to us and how he came to be Gatsby. James Gatz had been attending the small Lutheran college of St. Olaf in southern Minnesota by working as a janitor when he met Dan Cody for the first time. The yacht that Dan Cody owned represented all the beauty and glamour of the world to Gatz. His smile drew Dan Cody in and the name Jay Gatsby is used for the first time. They spent time together for 5 years when one day Dan Cody dies. Gatsby could have inherited Dan Cody’s inheritance but legal devices were used against him and he was left with nothing except an appropriate education for the contour of Jay Gatsby. One Sunday afternoon Tom, a man named Sloane, and a pretty woman stopped by at Gatsby’s house. They were rude to Gatsby and although the woman invited Gatsby to dinner, they left before he was ready. Daisy and Tom finally attend one of Gatsby’s parties, but the atmosphere they bring is an oppressive one. Tom does not seem to like the party or the people there, adding that he thinks Gatsby is probably a bootlegger since most newly rich people are big bootleggers. Daisy, on the other hand, defends Gatsby and says she had a wonderful time. After Tom and Daisy leave, Gatsby approaches Nick and complains on how Daisy did not have a good time and how far he feels from her. He further states that she used to understand but now does not seem to. In addition, he talks a lot about their past and believes that he can repeat the past. The scene then switches to when Daisy and Gatsby share a kiss under the moonlight.

James Gatz/Jay Gatsby:

• “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself” (98).

• Gatsby cares a lot about appearances which explains his flashy suits and shirts and his gaudy house. He is unrefined and tries to put on an image of aristocracy. Gatsby is a part of the New Rich and so does not really fit in with the Old Rich. Compared to his gaudy house, his room is simple displaying the differences between the New and Old Rich. His unrefined characteristic is displayed when he asks Nick if he wants to go to Coney Island at 2AM or go swimming in his pool. He has an obsession with Daisy, who has been his goal for his whole life and the reason why he attained wealth. However, Gatsby is also stuck in an illusion and is unable to accept reality. He never really accepted who his parents really were and instead built this Platonic conception of himself, Jay Gatsby.

• At the beginning of the novel, Gatsby had this mysterious air to him that made us want to know more about him. We gradually liked him because of the way Fitzgerald portrayed him, but now after actually meeting Gatsby and learning more about him I believe that many people’s opinions of him changed. He became this obsessive guy who came across kind of creepy with the way he idolized Daisy. In addition, one can’t help but feel bad for this guy. His whole life has been dedicated to Daisy and yet he’s trying to remember why he fell in love with her in the first place. Gatsby is the perfect example of what West Egg represents: the New Rich. It is obvious how different Gatsby is from the Old Rich, which is displayed through Tom. Gatsby is nervous and doesn’t know how to act in front of the Old Rich and the Old Rich don’t respect Gatsby.

Quote:

“He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy” (110).

               Gatsby is stuck in his past image of Daisy, the girl who understood him. He does not want to accept that the present Daisy is different from who he thought she was. It has gone to the extent where he actually begins to question why he even loved Daisy in the first place. Gatsby’s idealization of Daisy has become so extreme that the real Daisy does not meet his expectations. For 5 years, Gatsby has been working hard and attaining wealth for Daisy but now that he’s finally reunited with her he realizes that she isn’t what he expected. However, Gatsby does not want to accept this idea and so continues to do anything for Daisy. He truly believes he’s in love with her and so will not give her up.

                                                           

The Great Gatsby: Chapter V / pages 81-96

Summary:

               After his date with Jordan, Nick arrives back home where he notices Gatsby’s house is lit from tower to cellar but unoccupied and silent. He then notices Gatsby walking across his lawn to talk to Nick. Gatsby invites Nick to go to Coney Island with him or to swim in his swimming pool, but Nick declines both offers. Nick tells Gatsby that he’ll invite Daisy over for tea and Gatsby offers to have someone cut his lawn before she comes. Gatsby then proceeds to ask Nick if he would be interested in doing business, without the involvement of Wolfsheim, to attain more money. Nick declines and Gatsby goes back home. Nick then calls Daisy and invites her to come over, but tells her to not invite Tom. When the day planned for their gathering came it was raining. Gatsby sent a man to cut Nick’s lawn as well as some flowers. When Gatsby came over, he was extremely nervous; he even tried going home saying that he couldn’t wait all day. When Daisy came, Nick brought her in to his house but was surprised when Gatsby wasn’t there. Then the doorbell rang and Nick opened the door to Gatsby, who had walked around the house once. When Daisy and Gatsby meet, a tense awkward atmosphere emerges. Gatsby even almost breaks a clock because of his nervousness. Nick then leaves them alone for 2 hours, staring at Gatsby’s house and talking about its past. When he goes back to the room, he finds Daisy shedding tears of Joy and Gatsby glowing with happiness. Gatsby then invites them both over to his house and gives them a tour. They stumble upon Mr. Klipspringer doing liver exercises in a room and then go see Gatsby’s room. Gatsby shows them his array of colorful shirts and Daisy cries because she has never seen such beautiful shirts before. Gatsby then talks about how he could see Daisy’s house from here and the green light that burns all night at the end of her dock. Gatsby then gets Mr. Klipspringer to play a song on the piano, even though Mr. Klipspringer keeps saying how he’s rusty and out of practice. Nick then comments on how the present Daisy may not meet the high expectations of Gatsby, who has idealized her to a high extent in his dreams. After realizing that Daisy and Gatsby had forgotten his presence in the room with them, Nick leaves.

Mr. Klipspringer:

• “…an embarrassed, slightly worn young man, with shell-rimmed glasses and scanty blond hair” (94).

• Mr. Klipspringer is an odd fellow, he was seen doing liver exercises in one of Gatsby’s room so I’m assuming he lives there as a boarder. He plays the piano, but insists that he doesn’t play well. However, Gatsby still makes him play and interrupts him when he tries to talk. He’s poor and is looked down upon by Gatsby. He lets Gatsby treat him in a disrespectful way and does nothing to stop him.

• Mr. Klipspringer was introduced in this chapter in an odd way. He was a disheveled man in pajamas doing liver exercises. In addition, Fitzgerald calls him the “boarder”; I think boarder was put in quotes because Mr. Klipspringer is freeloading off of Gatsby. Because of this, Gatsby treats Mr. Klipspringer with such lack of respect. For example, while Mr. Klipspringer is trying to say how he’s out of practice and can’t play the piano, Gatsby just tells him to not talk so much and play. I’m not sure why Fitzgerald even brings up a character like Mr. Klipspringer, but I’m sure we’ll find out sooner or later.

Quote:

“There must have been movements even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams – not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything” (95).

               This quote goes along with the theme of illusion vs. reality. Gatsby has idealized Daisy for most of his life; his goal in life is to have Daisy. Therefore, when he meets the real Daisy and realizes how different she is from his expectations I’m not surprised that he had doubt. Sometimes in life, we idolize people or things from afar not knowing how they are in real life. Because we hold high expectations, we usually end up disappointing ourselves when we meet the real thing. That is the problem with dreams; sometimes we set our standards too high and thus end with disappointment. In addition, because we are blinded by our own illusion of a person or thing we fail to see how they truly are. In the same way, I believe that Gatsby is blinded by his ideal image of Daisy from the past and fails to see how Daisy truly is now.