The Great Gatsby 8

1.     Chapter 8 Pages 147 – 162

2.     Summary: Chapter 8 begins with Nick going over to Gatsby’s house. Gatsby tells Nick that nothing had happened as he had waited at the Buchanan’s house until four o’clock in the morning. Nick tells Gatsby to leave, but he will not consider it. He wants to wait until their last moments together to see if there is any hope with Daisy. Gatsby explains how when the two of them first met, he had fallen in love. It was only because Gatsby had been separated from Daisy, that she had married Tom. He tries to convince himself that Daisy never loved Tom. After the car accident that killed Myrtle, Gatsby tells Nick that even though Daisy had been the driver, he would blame it on himself.  Myrtle’s husband, George is distraught and determined to figure out who murdered her. He asks to Tom, who then blames Gatsby. Wilson, furious, appears at Gatsby’s mansion and shoots him while he is in the pool for the first time all summer. Then, Wilson goes on to shoot himself. When Nick calls the Buchanan’s to inform them of the death of Gatsby, the butler tells Nick that Tom and Daisy have packed up and left town.

3.     Character:

a.     Michaelis

b.     Quote: “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” (165).

c.      Qualities: Michaelis, a hopeful man, is one of the few characters that actually cares about George Wilson’s well being. He is the only person who stays with him overnight to try to make him feel better. He tries to calm him down by asking him questions. Michaelis is the main witness to Myrtle’s death. He is honest with his words and he is concerned about others. While the majority of the characters in this novel live in a dream, Michaelis lives in reality.

d.     Role: While Michaelis is seen as just a coffee shop owner to some, he is also a source of information for the investigation of the murder of Myrtle Wilson. Michaelis was there to witness the car accident. Because he kept asking the ‘right’ questions to George, George was lead to believe that Gatsby had killed Myrtle. Although Michaelis means well, his questions caused George to kill Myrtle.

4.     Quote: “They’re a rotten crowd,” I shouted across the lawn. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.” (154)

I think this quote shows how Gatsby is better than the other characters who are rich, those who cheat, and those who lie. All Gatsby is doing is trying to accomplish his dream: getting Daisy to love him. Although he his caught up in some bad events, Gatsby is not a bad person. He is the only character in the novel that has a purpose; who is trying to pursue something he wants in life. In the end of the novel, I believe Gatsby does, for a moment, get what he had hoped for. When they were together for a little while and when Daisy professed that she had never loved Tom, he got Daisy’s love. In the end, Gatsby died for his love and his lifelong dream was accomplished.