The Great Gatsby

After the murder-suicide, the newspapers are full of accounts that Nick describes as distorted and distasteful. Despite his dislike of Gatsby, Nick is the only one who takes his side.

Nick tries to see Daisy and Tom, but they left town without leaving any indication of where they went or how to get in touch.

He also tries to track down friends of Gatsby’s, including Meyer Wolfsheim. Wolfsheim sends a letter expressing his sorrow at Gatsby’s death while implying that he cannot attend the funeral.

A telegram arrives from a man named Henry Gatz in Minnesota, requesting the delay of the funeral until he arrives. Gatz, Gatsby’s father, arrives and explains that he read about the tragedy in a Chicago newspaper. Gatz is affected less with sorrow than with pride and awe regarding his son’s accomplishments. He compares his son to James J. Hill, the railroad magnate.

Later, Gatsby’s former “boarder,” Klipspringer, calls. From the address he gives, it is clear he is a parasite to another wealthy person now. Rather than asking the details of Gatsby’s funeral, Klipspringer merely wants to recover a pair of shoes left at the deceased’s home. Nick hangs up on him.

The day of the funeral, Nick visits Wolfsheim. Wolfsheim recalls meeting Gatsby as a poor young soldier just back from the war. He took Gatsby under his wing and introduced him to his criminal enterprise. Wolfsheim explains that it would be unwise for him to attend the funeral due to the violent circumstances of Gatsby’s death, despite their close friendship.

Back at Gatsby’s home, a sentimental Gatz shows some old items that belonged to his son, including a schedule he made as a child detailing daily tasks like exercising and studying inventions.

Aside from Nick, Gatz, some servants, and the local postman, the only person in attendance at the rainy funeral is the owl-eyed man from the first party Nick attended at Gatsby’s. “Owl-Eyes” remarks sympathetically on the poor turnout.

Although Nick always viewed the densely populated East as superior to the Midwest, the horrors he experienced taint the region for him. He decides to go home, but before doing so he contacts Jordan for closure, just as he contacted the woman he left for Jordan. When she accuses him of lacking honor, Nick tells her he prefers honesty to a false notion of honor.

Later, in the city, Nick runs into Tom. Nick confronts Tom about a hunch that Tom spoke with George at the Buchanans’ home the day Gatsby died. Tom confesses to diverting suspicion from himself and Daisy by implicating Gatsby.