Chapter 8: Daisy, Daisy, the terrible Daisy
Summary: Nothing happens to Gatsby or Daisy at the start of this chapter, Tom doesn’t hurt either of
them. We find out Gatsby lied about his background to Daisy to make her think he was worthy of her.
Daisy said she would wait for Gatsby while he went off to war. A statement which did not hold true,
shortly after Gatsby’s departure Daisy married Tom. The fact she fooled around with Gatsby then
married Tom proves how her wearing white is a show of her shallowness instead of purity. A servant
wants to drain the pool at Gatsby but Gatsby tells him not to, he wants to actually use it for once. Nick
goes to work but feels like he can’t really work. At the end of the chapter Wilson shows up, angered by
Myrtle’s death, and shoots Gatsby who’s on an air mattress in the pool, then kills himself. Both are now
dead.
Symbols: white trousers blue jacket – Gatsby is in training to becoming “flashier”, copper – gold/brown
shiny (in between stage) the makings of becoming rich, green card – green sometimes means envious,
Character Quote: “It was indirectly due to Cody that Gatsby drank so little” Gatsby takes many things in
the way of learning from Cody. He learns from both Cody’s mistakes and his success.
Quote: “Gatsby filled out to the substantiality of a man” Gatsby has developed enough psychologically
and physically he’s able to go out into the world and make his own path to fortune.
Character Role: Daisy takes on the role of Gatsby’s one love, the only girl he’s ever felt close to. She
however doesn’t feel the same way and goes on to marry Tom. She continues to tease Gatsby with
thoughts of love after her marriage and Gatsby’s return.
Qualities: Daisy is an awful person, truly. She led on Gatsby, laying with him in bed, and promising him of
marriage but she then went on to marry Tom as soon as Gatsby left for war. Granted Gatsby lied about
his background but still, if you love someone you love them, and she obviously didn’t. She is shallow,
and possibly takes pleasure in others displeasure.
Chapter 9: Nick’s final writings and the funeral
Summary: Two years after Gatsby’s death Nick writes once more about the funeral. He talks of there
being a lot of reporters and the like surrounding the funeral, Nick trying to invite many people probably
didn’t help this cause. Nick thought Gatsby wouldn’t want to be alone at his funeral so he tries to invite
many people, a lot of Gatsby’s friends. However Wolfsheim refuses to attend, which is probably for the
best because of all the press at the funeral, so it’s reasonable that he doesn’t go for fear of being caught.
On the other hand there is Tom and Daisy who simply moved away, Nick believes both of them only live
to torment others, which I can fully agree with, especially because of Tom saying Gatsby deserved to die
and telling George that it was Gatsby’s car that killed Myrtle. Jordan is engaged to another man and Nick
moves to the Midwest, being sick of the area he was living in. At the end in his final night in West Egg,
Nick goes over to Gatsby’s mansion and imagines what the world was like before civilization ahd come
about there.
Symbols: The white dresses – perhaps now they do mean purity instead of shallowness since it is Jordan
Baker and the child wearing the dresses and not Daisy trying to cover up her own carnal desires, Silver
curve of the moon – fortune still shines on Gatsby, yellow car
Quote: “He got up his eyes flashing between Gatsby and his wife.” – Tom is almost completely certain
there is something between the two at this point, his anger is slowly engulfing the entirety of his
feelings.
Character Quote: “But of course I’ll say I was” Gatsby is going to take the full blame for the death of
Myrtle, despite the fact he wasn’t driving. This shows a rather heroic type quality of him, other than the
fact it’s just because he’s so in love with Daisy.
Character Role: Nick puts off the end of the book giving just about a recap on characters. He meets Tom
in New York City and it leads him to believe Tom and Daisy to be just plain awful people. In my opinion
Nick ends as he began, the observer, he judges people and forms opinions now his opinions are just
more educated.
Qualities: He’s more knowledgeable now, still very judgmental even though I believe he’s right about
his judgments.