THE GREAT GATSBY - WEEK 8 - CHAPTER 7

THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald

It's hard to believe, but we're on the last couple of weeks of The Great Gatsby. I'll be putting up our next book club pick soon, so keep your eyes open for the post!

These last chapters are super intense as every thing begins to hit the fan. As I mull through these chapters in my mind, the words from the book of Numbers keeps rolling around in my mind, "...be sure your sin will find you out."

The party is over at Gatsby's house. The servants have been let go. There must be no secrets leaked out about what's now going on in the house.

Nick receives a phone call from Gatsby at Daisy's bidding- lunch tomorrow at her house. Note the temperature the next day. The hottest day of the year. The story intensity rises as much as the temperature. A couple things to note during this luncheon:

-Tom is talking to Myrtle's husband on the phone telling him he won't sell him his car. The stringing along continues.

-Daisy sends Tom out of the room to make drinks. While he is away, she kisses Gatsby on the lips and declares her love in front of Nick and Jordan.

-Tom and Daisy's little girl, Pammy, comes into the room. Fitzgerald tells us that Gatsby is "shocked" by her. That he almost didn't "believe she existed." There is no possibility of going completely back in the past and picking things up where they left off. There's a child involved! Daisy does try and reassure Gatsby with the fact that the child resembles her and not Tom.

Then comes Daisy's request to drive to town. Here she makes the mistake (or maybe it's done on purpose) to reveal to Tom her feelings for Gatsby. He sees it in how Daisy looks at Gatsby and he is shocked. Struggling to get a hold of himself, he agrees to the idea of the drive. Tom declares he will drive Gatsby's car. He attempts to get Daisy to go with him, but she sidesteps him and jumps in with Gatsby in Tom's car. Nick and Jordan ride with Tom, and the fateful drive that will settle the uncertainties once and for all begins.

First stop, Wilson's Gas Station in the Valley of Ashes, under the watching eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. Wilson is heartsick. He knows Myrtle has been messing around behind his back. He just doesn't know with whom. They're leaving town. Looking out of the window, is Myrtle. She sees Jordan by Tom in Gatsby's car, assumes she is Daisy, and is overcome with jealousy. Tom's world is falling apart. He is losing both his wife and his mistress, but he isn't going to go down without a fight.

So it begins in the hotel room. The reference to the imposter, Biloxi, from Tom and Daisy's wedding. The snide slide from Biloxi to the possibility of Gatsby being a bit of an imposter happens. Except, Tom got it wrong. Gatsby really was an Oxford man for a short stretch, thanks to his service in the war. Gatsby was telling the truth but now Gatsby's had enough. It's time to lay all his cards on the table - well, maybe really Daisy's cards. Gatsby blurts out that Daisy never really loved Tom. She only loves him.Did you love Tom's passionate response. The one that included the part about Daisy "gets foolish ideas in her head" and "doesn't know what she's doing." Then he tops it off with the heartfelt declaration that even though he messed around once in a while, he really only loves Daisy.  Score points for that revelation. (Any women out there moved by this winner - especially when Daisy shares why they had to leave Chicago?), but Daisy cannot bring herself to say she never loved Tom. There was a time that she did.

Now the truth starts to spill out about where Gatsby's money comes from - his "drugstore" business with Wolfshiem, but there's something bigger in the works. Now Gatsby begins losing Daisy. Daisy with the money in her voice. Tom knows he has the upper hand. Their little excursion is over and Tom tells Daisy to ride home with Gatsby in Gatsby's car. The little "flirtation" is done, but the action of the night is not.

We gotta throw in the fact that it's Nick's 30th birthday. Happy birthday, Nick.

And then we're back at Wilson's Garage. Myrtle's locked up so she can't run around, but she escapes and sees the car that Tom drove earlier come down the road. (Gatsby's car- remember,?) She runs out in the road, attempting to flag the car down, and escape. The car never stops. It runs over her, and Myrtle is dead instantly. Driving a bit behind, Tom comes upon the accident. Wilson goes berserk. He knows what car hit his wife, and so does Tom. We all think that Gatsby was driving the car. Were you shocked to find out it was Daisy behind the wheel? The chapter wraps up with Gatsby outside Tom and Daisy's House standing guard, wanting to make sure Tom doesn't abuse her. He walks up to a shaded window and peeks in to see Tom and Daisy sitting across from each other. They're earnestly talking and Tom's hand is over top of hers. Gatsby's plan is unraveling.

There are so many additions you can add! Take it away!