Chapter 8 - Gatsby's Death

This chapter was my favorite one so far. Not because it had action but because it was unexpected. I would not have expected that Wilson would end up killing Gatsby in the end. Let's face it, it was obvious that Gatsby was going to die in the end but I would have guessed that his death would be in the hands of Tom Buchanan, but instead it was Wilson who killed him.

The way Fitzgerald plots the events is very interesting. I would have never guessed that such a useless character like Myrtle would end being the reason that Gatsby is killed. I would never have thought she could have changed the plot so immensely. Gatsby's death was a like a deus ex machina for the book, something happens that no one expects and it ends the chain of events in the book. This chapter was a great one in the sense that it ended the story on a very different note than what I would have expected. Even though I believed Gatsby's death would be the best ending for the book, I could not help but feel sad when I read the last few lines of the chapter. The climate aspect was also included in these lines because it talked how Gatsby saw the falls of the leaves, and Nick talks about how the weather was cold when he came into Gatsby's house. This is the message that Gatsby is going to die even though we know about this.

T.J. Eckleburg's eyes are also used immensely in this chapter. Nick talks about how Wilson stared into his eyes that resemble God and ran away and killed Gatsby. It is also different that Wilson gets this idea of killing Gatsby from the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. T.J. Eckleburg's eyes have played their big role in the book in this chapter. Again the idea of money winning over love is also revealed in this chapter. Gatsby is killed for something Tom has done which Gatsby was not even aware of. Gatsby was killed trying to protect Daisy from being charged with the murder of Myrtle.

Now for the more touchy-feely side of the chapter... The most touching part of the book was the last words that are passed from Nick to Gatsby. Telling Gatsby that he is worth more than any of them is sad and also very effective for the reader. The death of Gatsby comes just as Nick talks about Gatsby's thoughts about Daisy and his dream having disappeared. It is a bittersweet moment for Gatsby realizing his dream is gone because he now has what he wants and it is also a thematic moment for the book where the American dream and Gatsby's hopes and dreams contrasted. Final chapter will reveal more about this contrast between the two dreams..