The Great Gatsby Ch. 7 Reading Journal

The Great Gatsby: Chapter 7 (pp. 113-145)

Summary:

Nick has not seen any parties at Gatsby’s house so he goes over and finds Tom, Daisy, and Jordan there.  Nick meets Daisy’s daughter Pammy who Daisy practically ignores.  Tom grows slightly suspicious of Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship and they all decide to head down to New York in Gatsby’s cars.  On the way down, they stop for gas at George Wilson’s place where they discover he knows about Myrtle’s affair but not who it’s with, and is planning to move West.  Tom and Gatsby have an argument about Gatsby’s past and over Daisy, as they fight, Daisy in a way chooses Tom over Gatsby.  Tom no longer feels threatened by Gatsby and sends Daisy in the car with him back from New York.  On the way back they discover that Myrtle was killed by a hit and run yellow car.  It turns out that the car is Gatsby’s and Daisy was driving but Gatsby is planning on taking the blame for the accident.  Gatsby waits behind a bush at Tom’s house to see that Tom doesn’t harm Daisy but Nick sees that Tom and Daisy are calmly talking and eating fried chicken.

George Wilson:

“Generally he was one of these worn-out men: when he wasn’t working, he sat on a chair in the doorway and stared at the people and the cars that passed along the road.  When any one spoke to him he invariably laughed in an agreeable colorless way.  He was his wife’s man and not his own.” (p. 136)

George Wilson is a hard working, shy garage owner near the valley of ashes.  He loved his wife Myrtle and did everything for her; he was like Gatsby is with Daisy in this respect.  He remained obvlivious to his wife Myrtle’s affair for a long time until in this chapter he finds out and becomes physically ill, locked her in the house, and plans to move because of it.  Wilson can be related to Gatsby in his obsession over a woman and his sense of betrayal and abandonment that he goes through because of her.  George’s depression and death of spirit is encompassed by the valley of ashes that he lives in.

Significant Quote:

“They weren’t happy… yet they weren’t unhappy either.  There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together…. So I walked away and left him standing there in the moonlight—watching over nothing.”

This quote stuck out to me because it brought about a range of emotions to each character.  I felt pity and sadness for Gatsby who is crouched behind the bushes, ready to take the blame for Myrtle’s death, and crazily worried for Daisy’s wellbeing.  And while he’s outside Tom and Daisy, both adulterers, are sitting comfortably with eachother sheltered indoors eating fried chicken and having a chat.  This really pissed me off how Daisy just had Gatsby in the back of her mind as an option and then over one day just choose Tom and she’s comfortable and safe, while Gatsby has devoted his entire life to her and can be thrown to the curb so easily.