CHAPTER IX

This Chapter is set two years after Gatsby’s death. Nick says that what happened after he got to the house and found the body was still clear in his mind.

Nick says that one of the officers at the scene looked at Wilson’s body and said that he was a madman. Most of the news headlines the next day had “Madman” as the title of the report. Nick says that at first all of the stories were extremely wild and all untrue. After Michaelis appeared about Wilson’s suspicions on the affair Nick thought that everyone would start writing about ridiculous love stories between Gatsby and Myrtle but Nick was surprised because Catherine, Myrtle’s sister, stood up for Myrtle and said that Myrtle didn’t even know Gatsby. And that Myrtle was happy with her husband. The story eventually came out to be that George Wilson was a man who was disturbed by grief at the loss of his wife and that Gatsby was a random killing.

Nick took it upon himself to see that Gatsby had somebody there for him who cared about him. Nick tried several times to call Daisy but she and Tom had packed and left earlier that day and didn’t leave any clue where they had gone. Nick then tried to call Mr. Wolfsheim but his number wasn’t in the phone book and when he called his office Mr. Wolfsheim had already gone home. Nick went upstairs to see if he could find some information about Gatsby’s parents but he couldn’t find anything.

The next day Nick sent a letter to Meyer Wolfsheim asking him to come on the next train to see Gatsby. Later that day he got a letter back from Mr. Wolfsheim that pretty much said that he was sad about what had happened but he was too busy with business to come down and that he didn’t want to get mix up in the whole thing. He asked Nick to let him know when the funeral was and added that he didn’t know anything about Gatsby’s family. (Later that day a long distance call came in from Chicago to Gatsby’s house and Nick thought it was Daisy. He picked up the phone and some guy named Slagle was on the other line confused about some stuff as if he was talking to Gatsby. Nick interrupted him and told him that Gatsby was Dead. There was a long silence and the man hung up.)

Finally, on the third day after Gatsby’s death a telegram from Minnesota came signed Henry C. Gatz. It was Gatsby’s father. The telegram read to postpone the funeral till he got there. Henry Gatz, Gatsby’s father got there. Gatsby’s father said that he saw it in the Chicago newspaper and as soon as he knew he tried to desperately contact Nick but he didn’t know how to. Henry appears old, dressed in cheap clothing, and is devastated by his son's death; he believed his son was destined for great things. He asks Nick what his relationship was to Gatsby. Nick says they were close friends.

Gatsby’s Dad asks where ‘Jimmy’s’ at. Nick took him to the drawing room where they had Gatsby’s body and Nick let Mr. Gatz stay with his son. After a few moments Gatsby’s Dad came out with his eyes showing signs of tears. Gatsby’s Dad looked at the amazing house and wealth that Gatsby had built and was filled with a sense of pride in his son.

Nick asked if Gatsby’s Dad was going to take his body west. Mr. Gatz said that Gatsby liked the east much better and this is where he had established his name. Gatsby’s Dad goes on to talk about how smart his son was and how he would have grown up to be a great man. After a little bit more conversation Gatsby’s Dad passed out in one of the guest beds from complete grief.

Nick had been calling people to try and get people to come to the funeral the next day at 3 pm and later that night a man named Klipspringer called. Nick was happy that people were getting back to him. Nick asked Klipspringer if he was coming to the funeral and after some conversation it was clear he wasn’t going to come but was just calling about some tennis shoes he left at Gatsby’s house. Nick hung up completely bemused (confused) by the disrespect. Another man called and said that Gatsby got what he deserved.

The next day before the funeral Nick drove to New York to find Mr. Wolfsheim. Nick went into his office and nobody was around. He shouted several times till a woman came out. She lied and said that Mr. Wolfsheim went to Chicago. Nick could clearly hear Mr. Wolfsheim speaking in the back. He told her that he knew Wolfsheim was there. Nick finally said that he was there about Gatsby and she finally gave in. Mr. Wolfsheim invites Nick to sit down and have lunch with him and he started to talk about when he and Gatsby first met. Mr. Wolfsheim says that he’s the one who made Gatsby out of the gutters. Nick says that Mr. Wolfsheim is Gatsby’s closest friend and tells him to come to his funeral. Mr. Wolfsheim says that he’d like to come but can’t. He says that when his friend die he doesn’t get mixed up in it. Nick stood up to leave. And Mr. Wolfsheim said that you should show your friends your friendship while they are alive and leave them alone when they are dead.    

Nick went back to Gatsby’s house and Mr. Gatz was walking back and forth impatiently. Gatsby’s Dad showed Nick a picture of Gatsby’s house and said that his son had sent him the picture. Gatsby’s Dad says that Gatsby had always been destined for greatness. The time came for the funeral. And both Nick and Mr. Gatz looked out the window for visitors to come. Nick asked to wait 30 minutes because the rain had maybe delayed people. Nobody came. The funeral procession proceeded and only three cars were in line, followed by some of Gatsby’s servants.

When they got there, Nick was surprised to see the drunk owl eyed man he had met in the library from his first party at Gatsby’s. Nick was in a blankness of thought to think that Daisy hadn’t even called. Somebody mentioned that blessed are the dead who the rain falls on. Owl man said amen to that. They left for their cars and Owl man said that he was sorry he couldn’t get to the house. Nick said nobody else did either. Nick says that people would come to Gatsby’s house by the hundreds. Owl Eyes pities Gatsby as a "poor son-of-a-bitch."

Nick now describes The Great Gatsby as a story of the West since many of the key characters (Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan, Gatsby) involved were not from the East. He says that after Gatsby's death, the East became haunted (ghostly) for him. Nick goes to Jordan Baker’s house to set things straight with her. She tells him she is engaged to another man, though Nick doesn't really believe her. Then she accuses Nick of being dishonest with her. Jordan says that Nick really hurt her. She says that she had never felt that way before and when Nick was rude to her on the phone and that she was over it now. After more talking she didn’t really say anything and Nick got up to say goodbye. Nick leaves, feeling angry and sorry.

The Chapter changes scenes again and Nick says that one afternoon in October, Nick runs into Tom Buchanan on Fifth Avenue in New York. Tom outstretches his hand to shake Nick’s hand and Nick refuses to shake it. Tom asks him why he won’t shake and Nick says that Tom knows what Nick thinks of him. Nick asked Tom what he told George that night.

Tom was shocked that he had guessed right that he had sent George after Gatsby. Tom stepped forward and forcing grabbed Nick’s hand and says that he told George the truth. He says that George came with a gun to his house to ask who owned that car. Tom says that Gatsby had it coming for running over Myrtle and not even stopping as if she was a dog. Tom says that he felt sorry about it and even cried over it. Nick says that Tom and Daisy were both a mess and that they were both the same. Nick says he would never forgive Tom.

Nick ends the book by talking about his last night before he moved back West. That night he went to Gatsby’s house and walked around to the back yard and headed to Gatsby’s beach. He talks about how Gatsby would look across the bay at Daisy’s green light and feel as if his dream was within reach. Nick says that Gatsby didn’t realize that his dream was in the shadow of the past. He says that men will keep running faster and faster and stretch out their arms for their dreams. The last line in the book reads, “so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.