Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Pages 163-180

Summary- Chapter nine starts off two years later and Nick is thinking back and recalling memories of Gatsby's death. There are reporters coming to his mansion trying to get the story about what happened to him. Nick has to take charge of Gatsby's funeral because Daisy and Tom disappear and Wolfsheim says he can't come due to business and he doesn't want to get mixed up with murdered men. Henry Gatz, Gatsby's father, shows up at the mansion and is devastated to hear about his son's death. Then Klipspringer calls and Nick invites him to the funeral, however, he says that he can't attend but he needs Nick to send him a pair of shoes he left at the mansion. The next day is Gatsby's funeral and only Nick, Henry Gatz and Owl Eyes show up. Nick realizes that mostly everyone he knew was from the West, and after Gatsby's death the East became haunted for him. Then Nick goes to see Jordan at her house and she tells him that she is engaged, but Nick doesn't believe her. They fight and then Nick leaves upset. Nick runs into Tom in New York and refuses to shake his hand because he is ashamed of him. Nick learns that Tom was the one who told George that Gatsby ran over Myrtle. But Nick doesn't say that Daisy was actually the one that was driving. The novel ends with Nick describing Gatsby as a man of promise and faith.

Henry C. Gatz- "It was Gatsby's father, a solemn old man, very helpless and dismayed, bundled up in a long cheap ulster against the warm September day" (167).
-Henry Gatz looked old and he dressed in plain, cheap clothing. He was very proud of his son and is very depressed about his death.
-Chapter nine is the first time we meet Henry Gatz, Gatsby's father. He is very proud of his son and his succession in his life. He is very depressed about his son's death and is one of the few that attends Gatsby's funeral.

Quote- "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. it eluded us then, but that's no matterーto-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther....And one fine morningー So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (180).
-This quote ends the novel and I thought it was significant because it represents Gatsby and the American Dream. The green light represents this 'dream', which Gatsby never reaches. He spends all these years trying to get with Daisy and when he finally has her he realizes he has built her up to be something she isn't really. In the end, Daisy ends up leaving with Tom anyways. Gatsby spent to much time living in the past and in this dream rather than in reality.