Chapter 9: Summary

The book’s final chapter begins with the police and paparazzi storming Gatsby’s house. All kinds of rumors are spread about Gatsby in his death, some worse than those that were around while he was alive. Nick decides to pay tribute to Gatsby by organizing a lavish farewell. However, most of the people “close” to him have either disappeared or simply do not want to come. When he phones Daisy to tell her of Gatsby’s death, he learns that she and Tom have left on a trip, leaving no itinerary. In the end, only Owl Eyes, a few servants, Nick, and Gatsby’s father attended the funeral. Nick is outraged; he believes people had simply used Gatsby. He is struck by what he sees as the bitter injustice of Gatsby’s lonely death.

Gatsby’s father, however, is very proud of his son’s accomplishments and takes pictures of the house. He then pulls out a copy of Hopalong Cassidy, once owned by the young Jimmy Gatz, and shows Nick the daily schedule penciled in the back by the young Gatz. It reflects Gatsby’s drive toward self-improvement from a young age.

Disillusioned by the values of the West, Nick decides to move back to the Midwest. Before leaving, he meets Tom at Fifth Avenue. Upset with Tom, he initially refuses to shake hands with him. Over the course of their conversation, Nick learns that Tom had a role in Gatsby’s death—he had told George Wilson that Gatsby owned the car that struck Myrtle. Before leaving, Nick also pays a final visit to Gatsby’s mansion. He thinks about how far Gatsby had traveled and is reminded of Gatsby’s optimism about the future.

Chapter 9: Analysis

The last chapter of The Great Gatsby continues a theme begun in the previous chapter, bringing the reader face-to-face with the ugly side of the American Dream. Gatsby’s funeral, once again, is a comment on the moral decrepitude of the people around that time. They did not care for him in his death—they were only concerned about his parties and wealth.

Another significant point in this chapter is that all Westerners move to the East, contrary to how history has presented America. The West had also represented the promise of something new, and people who headed there rarely returned. The divide between Gatsby and Daisy is symbolic of the divide between Americans and their dreams.

The correlation between the past and future is another important theme in the novel. Gatsby’s death, in part, is a result of his inability to move away from his past. He was constantly attempting to recreate the past, bring it back. One must honor, understand, and accept the past for what it is, not let it take over the future.

The final chapter of the novel again draws attention to the green light at the end of the dock, and in turn, to the hopes and dreams of society.