The Great Gatsby Journal 8

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 8, Pg. 147-162

2. After not sleeping, Nick goes over to Gatsby to see what happened. Gatsby explains that he waited at the Buchanans until 4 in the mourning, but nothing happened. He goes on to explain that he fell head over heels in love with Daisy when they first met, but during his absence, she married Tom. After the accident that killed Myrtle, George was frantic to find her murderer. He goes to Tom, and Tom points him to Gatsby. George shows up, shoots Gatsby in the pool, and kills himself after. Nick rushes back, and feels remorse because Gatsby was so dead inside.

3.             a. Michaelis

            b. “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. “ (157)

            c. Michaelis is a Greek coffee shop owner. He is honest, fair, and has the best intentions. He really does care for his neighbor, Wilson, and only wants to see the best for him. He carries a certain amount of innocence and isolation because he does not live in the internally dead West or East Egg. He has a relatively small role in the story, but represents a faction of people that are wealthy, just not in the sense of East or West Egg.

            d. Michaelis means well, but his actions led to the turmoil found in this chapter. He tries to comfort Wilson, by reminding him he has things in his life he can rely on, like religion, to help get him through this difficult time. This simple piece of advice cascades into a great disillusion of reality. Wilson has been destroyed internally ever since he found out his wife was cheating on him. This means that Tom is partially responsible for his actions. This, coupled with the death of Myrtle leaves him shattered. He loved Myrtle, but still felt resentment for her cheating on him. He truly believes that the driver of the car was Myrtle’s lover. This causes him to believe that it is God’s will to find the driver, and bring him to justice. This inner struggle, and inner death causes him to kill Gatsby and himself.

4. “’They’re a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.’” (154) The Great Gatsby was been surrounded for a struggle for inner and outer wealth. Gatsby spent the first half of his life chasing after monetary wealth. It took him a while to discover that all he ever wanted was interior wealth, all he wanted was Daisy. Love and happiness turn out to be more valuable than money. Characters, Gatsby especially, have tried to put a value on themselves. Due to the society which they live in, they have been set equal to how they look and what they have. This notion has domination Gatsby’s, Daisy’s, Myrtle’s, and Tom’s lives. Nick reminds Gatsby, in his final words to him, that Gatsby is worth something. He doesn’t need his dream fulfilled, wealth, or notoriety; all he needs is to be comfortable and happy with himself.