Chapter 8
Chapter summary
After spending a sleepless night, Nick visits Gatsby at his mansion. Gatsby tells Nick that Daisy never
came outside the previous night. Nick advises Gatsby to leave Long Island, but Gatsby refuses and
recalls the early days of his relationship with Daisy. Later, Gatsby tells the gardener to wait before
draining the pool as he has not used it once all summer. Nick departs, telling Gatsby that he is worth
more than all the "rotten crowd… put together." When Nick falls asleep at work, Jordan calls, and their
conversation turns unpleasant. Wilson spent the night talking to Michaelis about Myrtle and revealed
that she had a lover. Wilson suspects that the man driving the car must have been her lover. Later,
Wilson disappeared from the garage. At two, Gatsby went for a swim and left word to be alerted if any
phone call came. None came. Later that afternoon, Nick and some of Wolfsheim's men working at
Gatsby's house discovered Gatsby's body, shot dead in his pool. Wilson's dead body is nearby, lying in
the grass.
Key Quotes and Ideas
Illusion vs reality
"I can’t describe to you how surprised I was to find out I loved her, old sport. I even hoped for a
while that she’d throw me over, but she didn’t, because she was in love with me too.”
Gatsby is portrayed as lonely and disconnected from reality. He is fixated on his past
relationship with Daisy, which he has idealized to the point of being unattainable. The theme of
Illusion vs. Reality is highlighted when Gatsby's idealized version of Daisy is shattered by the
truth about her feelings. Despite his lavish lifestyle and the illusion of wealth and success he
presents, Gatsby's life is filled with tragedy and disappointment. The contrast between illusion
and reality emphasizes the emptiness and superficiality of the characters' world, as Gatsby is
unable to win back Daisy's love and ultimately meets a tragic end.
Downfall of American dream
“But it was all going by too fast now for his blurred
eyes and he knew that he had lost that part of it, the freshest
and the best, forever.”
In "The Great Gatsby," the theme of the American Dream is prominent and explored
throughout the novel. The characters often face the harsh realities of their aspirations.
Gatsby's character embodies the American Dream as he rose from a poor background to
become a wealthy and successful man. However, the fragility of Gatsby's dream as it begins to
crumble around him is revealed. His desire to win back his lost love, Daisy, ultimately fails,
leaving him alone and disillusioned. George Wilson also represents the pursuit of the
American Dream, but in a different way than Gatsby. Wilson's dream is to work hard and
provide for his wife, Myrtle. However, his dream is shattered after discovering that Myrtle has
been having an affair with Tom Buchanan. His pursuit of the American Dream leads him to a
Chapter 8 1
Chapter summary
After spending a sleepless night, Nick visits Gatsby at his mansion. Gatsby tells Nick that Daisy never
came outside the previous night. Nick advises Gatsby to leave Long Island, but Gatsby refuses and
recalls the early days of his relationship with Daisy. Later, Gatsby tells the gardener to wait before
draining the pool as he has not used it once all summer. Nick departs, telling Gatsby that he is worth
more than all the "rotten crowd… put together." When Nick falls asleep at work, Jordan calls, and their
conversation turns unpleasant. Wilson spent the night talking to Michaelis about Myrtle and revealed
that she had a lover. Wilson suspects that the man driving the car must have been her lover. Later,
Wilson disappeared from the garage. At two, Gatsby went for a swim and left word to be alerted if any
phone call came. None came. Later that afternoon, Nick and some of Wolfsheim's men working at
Gatsby's house discovered Gatsby's body, shot dead in his pool. Wilson's dead body is nearby, lying in
the grass.
Key Quotes and Ideas
Illusion vs reality
"I can’t describe to you how surprised I was to find out I loved her, old sport. I even hoped for a
while that she’d throw me over, but she didn’t, because she was in love with me too.”
Gatsby is portrayed as lonely and disconnected from reality. He is fixated on his past
relationship with Daisy, which he has idealized to the point of being unattainable. The theme of
Illusion vs. Reality is highlighted when Gatsby's idealized version of Daisy is shattered by the
truth about her feelings. Despite his lavish lifestyle and the illusion of wealth and success he
presents, Gatsby's life is filled with tragedy and disappointment. The contrast between illusion
and reality emphasizes the emptiness and superficiality of the characters' world, as Gatsby is
unable to win back Daisy's love and ultimately meets a tragic end.
Downfall of American dream
“But it was all going by too fast now for his blurred
eyes and he knew that he had lost that part of it, the freshest
and the best, forever.”
In "The Great Gatsby," the theme of the American Dream is prominent and explored
throughout the novel. The characters often face the harsh realities of their aspirations.
Gatsby's character embodies the American Dream as he rose from a poor background to
become a wealthy and successful man. However, the fragility of Gatsby's dream as it begins to
crumble around him is revealed. His desire to win back his lost love, Daisy, ultimately fails,
leaving him alone and disillusioned. George Wilson also represents the pursuit of the
American Dream, but in a different way than Gatsby. Wilson's dream is to work hard and
provide for his wife, Myrtle. However, his dream is shattered after discovering that Myrtle has
been having an affair with Tom Buchanan. His pursuit of the American Dream leads him to a
Chapter 8 1
