Chapter+8

In the chapter before, Nick leaves Gatsby "watching over nothing," that is to say, Daisy's home as well as her life. Chapter 8 begins the morning after this event. In the morning, Gatsby is making uncomfortable conversation with Nick. When Nick suggests to Gatsby that he should leave his home and Long Island behind, Gatsby says that he could not bear the thought of leaving Daisy behind. Gatsby then tells Nick all about his past life with Daisy and how he came to fall in love with her, as well as how he lost her to Tom Buchanan because of his low social position. After the conversation, Gatsby invites Nick for a dip in his pool, bu Nick refuses, saying he is late for work. While saying goodbye, Nick tells Gatsby that he is worth more than all of Tom's "friends." Back at Wilson's garage, the site of the grisly death of Myrtle Wilson. Wilson is a broken man, and it is clear he is teetering on the edge of sanity and about to do something crazy. As he talks to his consoling friend, Wilson reveals that he knew about the affair, and surmises that whoever killed his wife must also be her other lover. Wilson traces the car back to Tom, but knows it cannot be him, as he arrived on the scene after the tragedy. Wilson then decides that Gatsby must have been out with Tom at some point, and makes Gatsby a target. Wilson finds Gatsby and shoots him dead in his pool, and after doing so, shoots himself in the head. As Nick hurries to the scene, he reflects on what Gatsby must have been thinking in his final moments, as his world crumbled around him.

** Unfamiliar Vocabulary: **

 * __Trace__ - a surviving mark, sign, or evidence of the former existence, influence, or action of some agent or event
 * __Wanly__ - of an unnatural or sickly pallor
 * __Frightening__ - to make afraid or fearful

**Feminist Perspective:** In this chapter, we learn that Gatsby had planned on Daisy being a fling. This proves that women are merely objects to men. Wilson admits that he had begun to suspect his wife of having an affair, showing how cruel women can be to loving men.

Marxist Perspective:
In chapter eight, Daisy is described as the most beautiful woman on earth. By doing this, Fitzgerald is putting Daisy on a metaphorical pedestal and is saying she's above all other lower class women.

Themes:
Death is the prominent theme in chapter eight. After deducing that Gatsby had been the one to murder Myrtle, Wilson finds him floating in his pool absentmindedly. Wilson shoots Gatsby to avenge Myrtle and then shoots himself in the head. The death of Gatsby symbolizes the death of the American dream; at the point in his life when he was shot, Gatsby's life was crumbling beneath his feet. This feeling of helplessness and disaster represent the loss of the American dream and it's eventual murder.

Colors:
Yellow is used to describe the car that killed Myrtle. This could be because the car was a powerful killing device, driven by someone wealthy, since yellow means power.