Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Pgs. 163-180

Summary: Nick tries to get people to go to Gatsby’s funeral, finding out how hard it was to get into contact with any of his friends. Nick waits for a call from Daisy, but it never comes. He then goes over to Wolfsheim’s office, but Wolfsheim tells Nick that he isn’t going to go. Gatsby’s father, Henry Gatz, comes to Gatsby’s house and tells Nick about Gatsby’s strict schedule and how he helped pay for Henry’s house. At the funeral, Owl-Eyes shows up, but no one else, so everyone goes to his parties but none come to his funeral.

Character: Henry Gatz

Description: “A solemn old man very helpless and dismayed, bundled up in a long cheap Ulster against the warm September day. His eyes leaked continuously with excitement and when I took the bag and umbrella from his hands he began to pull so increasingly at his sparse grey beard that I…”

Qualities: Since his son just died, Henry is very sad but also very proud of his son. While at Gatsby’s house, Henry walks through and sees how his son has accomplished so much, which makes him happy. With his interaction with Nick, Henry seems to be a very nice person and doesn’t really put down Gatsby during their talks.

Importance: Henry is in the book because he shows a side of Gatsby that is different from what he was before. Throughout the book, Gatsby just used people for his personal goals, but Henry shows a side of Gatsby that is selfless. He gives money to his parents in order to buy them a house and works really hard to get money and be whom he is. Henry makes Gatsby seem like a better person, someone that can’t be disliked because he has so many positive qualities.

Quote: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (Pg. 180)

Significance: The quote gives lots of message. The first part talks about how people just keep on going and are pushed around. There is no defining our fate because the current can always change direction. We might seem to be going down a path and then it can change suddenly. This happened for Gatsby such as when Daisy admitted to loving Tom or to Myrtle when she is run over. The last part of the sentence is about how people dwell on the past. Gatsby reflected on the past to a point where he became obsessed with obtaining something he once had, dedicating his life to the goal of getting Daisy.