Plot Development

Chapter 8

Nick cannot stop thinking about the car accident and Myrtle's tragic death so he decides to talk to Gatsby about it. Nick suggests to Gatsby that he should leave town and forget about Daisy but he refuses and brings up stories from the past. Gatsby says he fell in love with Daisy back in 1917 because of her social status, her wealth, her popularity, and her good looks. This was the first "nice" girl that Gatsby ever loved and he lied to her about his wealth to try and get her acceptance. Daisy did not wait for Gatsby after he returned from the war. She married Tom because he was rich and part of the same social status. Gatsby's gardener interrupts the conversation because it is the time of the season where he empties out the pool so it does not get clogged with leaves. Gatsby tell him to leave it for a few days because he wants to relax and enjoy the pool he neglected all summer long. Before Nick leaves he gives Gatsby a compliment by saying he is better than all the people that started rumours about him. Nick says good-bye and leaves for work.
At work Nick is still distracted by the terrible events that occurred and recalls what happened at George Wilson's garage the night before. George had confronted Myrtle about her affair and told her that she can lie to him but God knows the truth. George looked up at the billboard of the eyes and believes it represents the eyes of God looking down at everyone. Tom believes that Myrtle was running out to the street to stop the car of her lover so he believes the murderer must be the lover. George spends the next couple days trying to find out who that man is. He goes to Tom for information because he saw Tom driving the yellow car earlier in the afternoon on the day of the accident. George knows that Tom could not be the man because he arrived at the garage after the accident in another car with Nick and Jordan. Tom tells George that the car belongs to Jay Gatsby. George angrily goes to Gatsby's house and finds him in the pool floating on an air mattress. In anger George pulls out a hand-gun and shoots Gatsby, killing him. George knows that he does not want to face the consequences so he commits suicide in the field behind Gatsby's house. Nick hears this noise and goes to Gatsby's house to find out what happened. he finds Gatsby's dead body floating in the pool and Georges dead body in the tall grass. Nick imagines that Gatsby's last thoughts were about his empty life without Daisy.