Ch.8

Ch.8 98-109

Nick goes to visit Gatsby who tells him tat he waited for daisy until 4 in the morning yet nothing happened. Gatsby tells Nick about his love affair with Daisy in Louisville and describes how close he was with her. He tells Nick that she had promised to wait to marry him but she has married Tom because she was impatient. Nick goes to work but is distracted and does not even want to meet Jordan. The story then goes to Michaelis who has stayed with Wilson all night. They discuss George and Myrtle's relationship as Wilson promises to kill the person that killed Myrtle. Wilson finds out that the car belongs to Gatsby and goes to his house while Gatsby is laying in his pool and shoots him and then shoots himself. Nick finds Gatsby dead in his pool and reflects on the emptiness of Gatsby's life without Daisy.

a. Nick Carraway

b. " I tossed half-sick between grotesque reality and savage, frightening dreams." (p.98)

C.
Fair- Reserves all judgement on others.
Curious- He is curious and almost obsessed about Gatsby and his life style.
Reflective. Nick constantly reflects on his experiences and those of his peers.
Open- Other people are attracted to him and frequently talk to him about personal issues.
Quiet- Nick is not obnoxiously loud nor does he speak out of place during the novel. Nick speaks when spoken to and when it is necessary for him.

Nick is the narrator of the novel. It is through Nick's eyes that we see the characters and the plot in the novel. The fact that Nick's thoughts and emotions are the only one's that the reader can distinguish causes Nick to play an important role in the novel. Furthermore, Nick is a direct reflection of Fitzgerald's image. Gatsby is Fitzgerald's flashy extravagant side, however Nick reflects Fitzgerald's more subdued and humble side. Nick's close representation of Fitzgerald allows Fitzgerald to speak through Nick and through Nick's reflections Fitzgerald is able to make correlations to major themes in the novel.

"If that was 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."
This quote describes how Gatsby payed the price for his desire to live out his dream to once again be in a loving relationship with Daisy. This quote marks the consequences for Gatsby's dream and show that he has lost his battle to be with Daisy. Furthermore, this quote touches on a major theme in the novel, dreams vs reality. Through this quote one can recognize that Gatsby was not able to reach his dream and direly payed the consequences for having such hopes. FItzgerald wants the reader to recognize the risks of dreams and how they do not always morph into reality. Gatsby's death is a prime example of how high hopes and dreams that are held unto for to long can lead to the demise of an individual.