Chapter 9, pgs. 163-180

Summary
In chapter 9, Gatsby’s house is being investigated by the police and there are photographers everywhere. Daisy and Tom have run away together. They tend to run away whenever life gets difficult. Nick receives a telegram from Gatsby’s father, Henry Gatz. Henry tells Nick how proud he is of his son’s accomplishments. Klipspringer makes a very rude phone call to Gatsby’s house talking about how he wants his shoes back. He seems not to care at all about Gatsby’s death. Even Wolfshiem can’t make it to the funeral. Nick is the only one at Gatsby’s funeral, symbolizing how people didn’t even know him and only used him. But while at the cemetery, owl eyes is present. Jordan tells Nick about how she is engaged. We find out that Tom told Wilson that Gatsby was the owner of the car that killed Myrtle. He did this to save himself. Nick finishes the book with discussing Gatsby’s failed dream.

Character- Henry Gatz

“It said only that the sender was leaving immediately and to postpone the funeral until he came.” (pg. 167)
- Gatsby’s father, old, very helpless, “eyes leaked with excitement,” gray beard, couldn’t eat, trembling

Henry Gatz is Gatsby’s father and seems to be very proud of his son. He is very upset with the death of his son and can barely even eat. Henry isn’t introduced until after Gatsby is dead because GATSBY is dead and now GATZ is here.  This stands for the dreams that are dead and the reality that is alive.

Quote
“Gatsby believe in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…” (pg. 180)

This quote is addressed to us from Nick. He is talking directly to us. He is talking about the dream that Gatsby had for him and Daisy and how that dream is gone. Gatsby truly believed in his love and want of Daisy. Nick reassures us that there is a tomorrow and that new things will come before us. I believe that this is an amazing way to end this book because it leaves us with a hope that even though Gatsby’s green light faded into a red light, our own green lights will shine through. 

Chapter 8, pgs. 147-162

Summary
In chapter 8, Nick isn’t able to sleep after everything that had happened that day. He hears a taxi pull in front of Gatsby’s house, so he decides to go over. When Nick gets there, Gatsby informs Nick that he waited around outside of the Buchanans’ house and nothing happened.  Nick thinks that it would be good for Gatsby to get away for a while due to the fact that his car is what killed Myrtle Wilson. Gatsby disagrees. Gatsby continues on to tell Nick about Daisy and how he lied to her so that he could protect her and make her feel secure with him. Gatsby had to leave Daisy behind to go fight in the war. Daisy met Tom and couldn’t hold on to Gatsby any longer. Jordan and Nick’s phone call makes Nick realizes that he no longer wants him. Nick tells us about how Michaelis knew about Myrtle’s affair and how he will find out who was driving the car that killer her. Wilson goes to Gatsby’s house and finds him floating in the pool on a mattress. Wilson shoots Gatsby dead then continues to shoot himself.

Character- Michaelis 

“He didn’t like to go into the garage, because the work bench was stained where the body had been lying, so he moved uncomfortably around the office—he knew every object in it before morning—and from time to time sat down beside Wilson trying to keep him more quiet. (pg. 157)
-  Wilson’s old friend, Greek, young, owns coffee joint next to Wilson’s garage, caring, wise, hard working, witness to Myrtle’s death, honest

Michaelis is a good friend of Wilson and truly cares about him. He is the main witness to Myrtle’s death. He also is the only one who stayed with George after his wife’s death. Michaelis seems like an honest man who we can look to for the truth.

Quote
“A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about…” (pg. 161)

I believe that this quote embodies many themes presented to us in this book. It speaks on the ideas of materialism, new world and the past (ghosts). This is not only a beautifully written statement, but also a very meaningful one. It is one of my favorite quotes in the book because it takes all the themes and puts them together. 

Chapter 7, pgs. 113-145

Summary
In chapter 7, Nick becomes very curious of what Gatsby has been up to lately due to the fact that he hasn’t seen or heard from him in a while. When Nick goes to Gatsby’s house, the butler tells him that he has been turning away all visitors except for Daisy who has been showing up a lot. While Nick is at Gatsby’s, he noticed that there is all new staff working there. Nick is invited to Daisy’s house by both Gatsby and Daisy. At the Buchanan’s house, Daisy, Nick, Gatsby, Jordan and Tom are there. When Tom leaves the room to fetch some drinks on the hot summer day, Gatsby and Daisy share a kiss and say I love you right in front of Nick and Jordan. Next, Daisy and Tom’s child comes running into the room and Daisy seems to be very sweet to her child. Gatsby is shocked at the fact that this child actually exists. The group decides to make a trip to New York City which begins with a dispute over who is going in which car. Gatsby and Daisy take Tom’s car which makes Tom very worried and feel very powerless. Tom, Jordan and Nick take Gatsby’s car and have to stop for gas on the way. They stop at Wilson’s Garage and find out that the Wilsons are planning on leaving in the next couple of days. When they all arrive at NYC, they get a hotel room and all sit down for a drink. Soon enough, accusations start flying and a huge argument begins. Tom brings up Gatsby’s past with drug stores and calls him a fraud and many other names. They begin to argue about Gatsby and Daisy’s love for one another. They agree that this argument is getting anywhere and begin to go back home. Tom, Jordan and Nick are forced to stop because of an accident ahead involving a big yellow car and a woman being hit. This woman ends up being Myrtle Wilson and she is dead. George Wilson is speechless and Tom is also very upset to see what has happened. At the end of this chapter we learn that Daisy was the one who hit Myrtle and that Gatsby has promised to cover for her and say it was him by accident.

Character- George B. Wilson 

“He was a wife’s man and not his own.” (pg. 136)
-  caring, respectful, hard-working, gullible, loving, dedicated, weak but strong hearted, his wife “wears the pants” in his marriage, loves his wife

George B. Wilson is Myrtle’s husband. He is so in love with her and that love is what makes him take backseat to their marriage. He trusts and respects Myrtle and gives her the upper hand on everything. Even when he knows that she has been unfaithful, he still wants to be with her. Wilson is a very caring and hard working man. When Wilson discovers that his wife has been killed, he is speechless and doesn’t know what to do. I believe that this represents how he is lost without her due to the fact that she’s been in charge of him for so long.

Quote
“‘Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood it before. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it… High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl…” (pg. 120)
After all of the discussing we’ve done in class on the significance of Daisy’s voice, we finally have an answer to it. Her voice is inviting and it draws people in, but perhaps it draws people in for the wrong reasons, such as money. I feel as if this quote describes not only Daisy’s voice, but all that Daisy stands for. She is the “golden girl” in her father’s “white palace” and she wants to be “full of money.” 

Chapter 6, pgs. 97-111


Summary
In chapter 6, we find out more about Gatsby and Dan Cody’s past. The chapter begins with a reporter coming to Gatsby’s door and asking him if he has any statement to give, but the reporter doesn’t give Gatsby an exact event to speak on. Gatsby and Cody’s relationship is discussed and we learn how they met. Also, Gatsby’s former identity of James Gatz is exposed. Gatz was the man that the world saw, but Gatsby was the man behind it all. Gatsby was the man who boarded onto Dan Cody’s yacht and accompanied him to the West Indies and the Barbary Coast. Cody was Gatz’s mentor and also the reason why Gatsby has moved on from his Gatz identity and never looked back. After not seeing Gatsby for about two weeks, Nick goes over to his house and is shocked at who he sees. Tom is at Gatsby’s house along with another man and woman. Nick is very shocked at this sight. Daisy attends her first party at Gatsby’s house and doesn’t have any fun at all. Gatsby is very upset knowing that he wasn’t able to impress Daisy. The chapter concludes with the story of Gatsby and Daisy’s very first kiss.

Character- Dan Cody 

“Cody was fifty years old then, a product of the Nevada silver fields, of the Yukon, of every rush for metal since seventy-five.” (pg. 99)
-  successful, rich, mentor, heavy drinker, giving, “empty face,” left all money to Gatsby, made Gatsby who he is today

Dan Cody is Gatsby’s mentor and idol. He is also his best friend. Knowing Cody and his life gives us a sense of who Gatsby is and was. Cody is the reason why Gatsby turned his life around. Dan Cody is a great example of new money that he worked for and made a great life because of it.  



Quote
“For a while these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy’s wing” (pg. 99)
This quote is one of my favorite so far in this book. What I love about this quote is the underlining meaning. As we learned in class, Daisy’s maiden name is Fay. Fay is another word for a fairy. This is the feelings and emotions in Gatsby’s heart. His world starts and ends with Daisy. She is his everything. These lines are beautifully written and also embody Gatsby’s true, never ending love for Daisy.

Chapter 5, pgs. 81-96

Summary
In chapter 5, Nick gets home at about 2 in the morning and sees Gatsby’s house lit up and thinks that he is having another party. Gatsby approaches Nick and begs him to come to Coney Island with him. After Nick denies repeatedly, Gatsby talks to him about business and about how he can get him more money. Nick also denies this and goes home. The next day is the scheduled tea with Gatsby, Nick and Daisy at Nick’s house. At first Gatsby and Daisy are both uneasy, but as the night progresses they fall back into how they were 5 years ago. Gatsby takes them on a tour of his house and shows them all of his wonderful material possessions. Daisy is very impressed by all of this. At the end of the chapter, Nick leaves Daisy and Gatsby to be together.



Character- Daisy Buchanan 

“It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such—such beautiful shirts before.” (pg. 92)
-  very into material possessions, beautiful, very good at faking some things, not independent, two-faced, charming Daisy  Buchanan is Nick’s cousin, Tom’s wife and Gatsby’s love. 


In this chapter, Daisy’s true self is exposed when she is with Gatsby. We see her love and obsession for material possessions but then again we see her cry. When she is with Gatsby, she is completely vulnerable and lets her guard down.


Quote
“Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place” (pg. 86)
To me, this quote symbolizes Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. Just like the old clock stopping, their old relationship stopped for five years. When Gatsby fixes the clock with his “trembling fingers,” it represents how nervous and scared he is, but it also shows us that their relationship will be fixed just like the clock. I find this quote very symbolic and meaningful because it takes something like a clock and compares it to love without explaining it. 

Chapter 4, pgs. 61-80


Summary
In chapter 4, Nick begins by listing all of the guests that attended Gatsby’s party. Nick is invited by Gatsby to take a trip with him to New York. On their way there, Gatsby tells Nick his depression, his struggles, how he wanted to end his life in the war and how he got all the money he has now. At lunch, Nick meets a man named Meyer Wolfsheim, who fixed the World Series in 1919. When Nick attempts to introduce Tom to Gatsby, Gatsby is uninterested. Jordan tells Nick all about how Gatsby has been in love with Daisy ever since he met her when she was only 18. It is uncovered that the reason why Gatsby moved to West Egg and why he throws constant parties is because of Daisy. Gatsby asks Nick to invite Daisy out to tea but not to tell her that he will be there. 




Character-  Meyer Wolfsheim
“After a moment I discovered his tiny eyes in the half-darkness” (pg. 69)
-  small, tiny eyes, fixed the World Series, business man, sentimental, very flashy with his money, enjoys being the center of attention


Meyer Wolfsheim and Gatsby seem to be binary opposites. Meyer enjoys to flash his money around and to have all eyes on him, while Gatsby is the complete opposite. It makes you wonder why and how these two are friends. Since Meyer has known Gatsby for a while he might be a very knowledgeable source on Gatsby’s early life. 




Quote
“It never occurred to me that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people” (pg. 73)
When I read this, I think of how everyday decisions can affect the lives of many people. I believe that this is a common theme in the book, one thing leading to another. For example, when Tom cheats on his wife he isn’t just affecting his own life but the life of Daisy and Mr. Wilson. I believe that this is a theme that will continue to occur throughout this book. This is also a very helpful definition of Meyer.

Chapter 3, pgs. 38-61

Summary

In chapter 3, Nick tells us about his experience at one of Gatsby’s parties and about how he was invited by Gatsby’s chauffeur. At Gatsby’s party, he sees Jordan Baker and the two of them discuss the mystery of Gatsby. They all look for him, but he is nowhere to be found. Nick meets a man that he served in the war with and they discuss their experiences. Nick soon finds out that this man is Gatsby. While Nick is leaving the party he sees a car accident happen.

Character-  Jay Gatsby

“He’s just a man named Gatsby” (pg. 48)

-generous, young, very rich, makes others feel good, not too social instead stands from afar and observes, mysterious, hidden story, optimistic

Gatsby’s purpose in this story is still a mystery because this is the first time that we truly meet the man that this novel is named after. Gatsby is a very generous and helpful person. He makes everyone feel included, but at the same time he leaves everyone in the dark. He throws huge parties, but yet he is nowhere to be found. As the novel goes on we will see more of a relationship build between Gatsby and Nick. Also, the mystery of Gatsby and Daisy will be discovered.

Quote

“I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (pg. 59)

This quote gives us a sense on how Nick views everyone around him. He sees right thru their fake personalities and sees their core. He knows that they are full of lies and they don’t do a good job of covering that up. This will help us a lot with knowing how Nick feels about the people that he surrounds us with. I believe that this is a very important quote because it shows us that Nick knows that these people are full of it and that he has gone through life being surrounded by liars. 

Chapter 2, pgs. 23-38

Summary

In Chapter 2, Tom takes Nick with him to his mistress’s house. There they are greeted by the mistress’s husband, George Wilson. Tom’s mistress is named Myrtle. Myrtle invites Catherine, her sister, and her neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Kckee, to have a little party at her apartment in New York. Nick gets drunk here for the second time in his life. Nick is told by Catherine that the reason why Tom and Daisy don’t get a divorce is because Daisy is Catholic. This gets Nick thinking because Daisy isn’t Catholic. Tom punches Myrtle for saying Daisy’s name. The chapter ends with Nick waiting for a train to Long Island at four in the morning.

Character-  Myrtle Wilson

“there was an immediately perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smouldering” (pg. 25)

-      - Middle thirties, slightly fat, carries herself well for a bigger woman, no gleam of beauty, smiles slowly, arrogant, self centered

Myrtle is Tom Buchanan’s mistress and George Wilson’s wife. Myrtle is able to sneak around behind her husband’s back with Tom because George trusts her very much and he is also very gullible. When she goes off to see Tom, she tells George that she is visiting her sister in New York. She doesn’t seem to mind that she is basically the reason why Daisy is acting like a fool and dumbing herself down.

Quote

“Neither of them can stand the person they are married to” (pg. 33)

This quote is about Tom Buchanan and his mistress Myrtle and the fact that they’d rather be together then who they are married to. I believe that this is a very important quote because it touches on the issue of adultery and also true love. Possibly Tom and Myrtle married the wrong people, but they have found each other and maybe this is their second chance at true love. I believe that adultery is wrong, but I also agree that it is wrong to deny true love. I’m excited to see where this affair takes us in the book and who will end up with who in the end. 

Chapter 1, pgs. 1-21

Chapter 1, pgs. 1-21

Summary

Nick Carraway introduces us into the book by beginning with some history on his father and himself. He tells us about the house that he rents in West Egg and how it is no comparison to Gatsby’s mansion that is next to him. Carraway goes to dinner with his cousin and meets Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Daisy. They discuss the book "The Rise of the Colored Empires" and Buchanan makes a racist remark. Also, Jordan tells Carraway that Buchanan is having an affair. After dinner, Carraway believes he saw Gatsby in the darkness.

Character- Tom Buchanan

“It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out for these other races will have control of things.” (pg. 13)

Best qualities: wealthy, big man, alpha male, open, states opinions

Tom’s role in this novel is to show the exact opposite of the narrator, Nick Carraway. Showing the opposite of Carraway, shows the reads the difference in people during this time.

Quote

“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” (pg. 1)

This quote stands out to me because I believe that it sets the stage for what is to come for the rest of the novel. It tells us that our narrator was privileged growing up. This quote is something that is very hard to live by, but should be. It is a reminder to people that not everyone grew up with certain privileges and to criticize them is wrong and unfair. I really like this quote and think that it helps to get to know Carraway’s father and his childhood.