Great Gatsby: Chapter Eight Analysis & Summary

Major Plot Details

• It starts off where Nick wakes up and goes to visit Gatsby at his mansion.
• Gatsby tells nick that he waited for Daisy all night and nothing happened.
• Gatsby doesn’t want to leave Daisy.
• Gatsby then tells Nick about how he met Daisy and that he loved her for who she is and her vitality and youth. (Gatsby finally has an epiphany, and is realizing when he first met her he just loved for who she was and didn’t care about the riches).
• However, he admits he lied to Daisy about his background in the pursuit of living the American dream.
• The gardener tells Gatsby that he is going to drain the pool, even though he hasn’t used the pool all summer, Gatsby replies to do so.
• After talking to Gatsby, Nick is too distracted to work and even ignores Jordan Baker.
• George Wilson talks to Michaelis about how he confronted Myrtle about loving her before she died.
• The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg taunt George Wilson and he believes they are the eyes of God.
• He jumps to the conclusion that the driver of the car was Myrtles lover.
• He realizes that it couldn’t have been Tom, so he goes to Gatsby’s mansion and sees him lying in the pool, he walks over and shoots him. Gatsby dies instantly and right after Wilson kills himself.
• Nick thinks about Gatsby’s emptiness in life without Daisy.

Symbols

The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg: Symbolizes the eyes of God, and they haunt George Wilson throughout the chapter. He uses the eyes to tell Myrtle that she has been caught and the eyes know what she did. “God sees everything” (Pg. 167)

The Pool: Gatsby talks about how he hasn’t used the pool all summer; this foreshadows his death in the pool. It is also a symbol of his riches and everything he has taken for granted. “You know old sport, I’ve never used that pool all summer?” (167).

Themes

The Emptiness of the Rich

One of the major topics presented in the great Gatsby is the social aspect and perceptions of wealth, which is represented through the major differences of the newly rich of the West Egg and the older wealthy citizens of the East Egg. Gatsby for example lives in a giant mansion and surrounds himself with wealth. One example is that he owns a pool, however he never uses it. When he finally realizes what his dream has done to him, it is too late.

Development of Characters

Nick- He cares more about Gatsby and wants him to leave town after the accident. He has difficulty going on the train, and he doesn’t care much about Jordan Baker anymore because it seems she doesn’t care about the accident.

Gatsby– Starts to live life when he uses the pool. He cares more about others because he wants to put the blame of the accident on himself, and he doesn’t want to leave town. He also believes Daisy didn’t love Tom. The American dream ruins him. “…paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (169). He also speaks about how obsessed he was with Daisy “I can’t describe to you how surprised I was to find out I loved her, old sport.” (157)

George Wilson– In an encounter with Michaelis, Wilson explains what he said to Myrtle before the accident. “I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God.” (167). He is blind in a way and believes Gatsby is Myrtles lover, and turns evil and kills him.