Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Chapter 7 Locations

In this chapter, we see all of our major places, West Egg, East Egg, Valley of Ashes, and New York City.

West Egg-
  • We learn that Gatsby has stopped throwing parties. He has also fired all of his servants and replaced them with others. Gatsby says this is because "I wanted somebody who wouldn't gossip. Daisy comes over quite often-in the afternoons." (page 119)
  • This shows that Gatsby only threw the parties to get daisy's attention and now that she visits he doesn't need them anymore. He also doesn't want the risk of rumors from his servants to ruin his appearance to Daisy.
East Egg-
  • We first go to East Egg on page 121 when Nick and Gatsby go to have lunch with Tom, Daisy, and Jordan. Gatsby and Daisy share a kiss while tom is on the phone in another room and Gatsby meets Daisy's daughter, whom he didn't believe existed. When Tom comes back, Daisy mentions going to New York and Gatsby basically flirt in front of him. Getting jealous and Tom interrupts and says "All right, ...I'm perfectly willing to go to town. Come on-we're all going to town." (page 125)
  • Tom suggests that Daisy and he take Gatsby's car and Gatsby take his car. However Daisy decides to go with Gatsby and Tom will take Nick and Jordan.
  • We return to East Egg at the end of the chapter. Gatsby is hiding in a bush to make sure Tom won't hurt Daisy over what happened in the Valley of Ashes while Nick waits for a taxi. "I want to wait here till Daisy goes to bed. Good night. old sport." (page 153)
Valley of Ashes-
  • Tom stops in the Valley of Ashes to get more gas for Gatsby's yellow car. While there he sees George who looks very sickly because he found out his wife has had an affair but doesn't know with whom. From a window Myrtle looks at Tom and looks at Jordan with disgust assuming shes Tom's wife. After getting gas Tom speeds up to catch up to Gatsby and Daisy.
  • We return to the Valley of Ashes to learn that Myrtle is dead. She assumed that Tom was still in the yellow car and ran towards it. However they hit her and she dies they then speed away. We later learn from Gatsby that Daisy was driving but that he will take the blame.
New York City-
  • After arriving, they all go to the Plaza Hotel where the conflict between Gatsby and Tom gets worse. After much arguing, Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy never loved him. Then she admits this to Tom. However she does say she once loved him. "'Even alone I can't say I never loved Tom."' (page 140) Tom then tells them he's been doing research on Gatsby and that he is a bootlegger. He then tells Gatsby to bring Daisy home. "'Go on. He won't annoy you. I think he realizes that his presumptuous little flirtation is over.'" (page 142)
And that pretty much sums up the location in chapter 7. Let me know what you think and if I missed anything.

6 comments:

Amy Clark said...

The fact that Tom's confrontation of Gatsby happens in NYC is consistent with that location's symbolism in the book. In a previous chapter, I think chapter 3, Nick comments that "anything can happen in the city." Tom understands that Daisy had told Gatsby she loved him when she said something along the lines of "you always look good," so he could have said something right then and there rather than attempt to please the party with includes a man he despises. But no, that couldn't happen in the East Egg, which is the place for tradition, old money, and class.

Amy Clark said...

*which, not with

Misha Kustin said...

Yea, good job. I think you got it all. Its also interesting that like Amy said this all had to happen in the city not in East Egg. To add on to that it seems right that Myrtle dies in The Valley of Ashes where the game of who is cheating on who ends and reality sets in.

GlumPlum said...

As Amy said, the consistency is spot on. Affairs, and all that unpleasantness is only fully discussed in NYC. Tim saw it earlier but didn't feel he could till he got to NYC, the city of immorality.
I found it even more fitting that Myrtle was killed in the Valley of Ashes, the place she so desperately wanted to escape from ended up keeping her anyway. Her wanting to get away so badly is what killed her, at least how I see it.
Also, they go on about Tom and Daisy's wedding fro a while in the book in NYC, but I don't really understand why it was important. Does anybody?

Jasmine Plata said...

I think the wedding was brought up because it was also on a day as hot as the one where the conflict between Tom and Gatsby happened. Not completely sure... Just guessing... I also agree with Amy's reply about how the locations have kept true to there meanings since the beginning and I like the line Kelli that Mrytle died in the very place she tried to escape. Great comments and posts!

Nierah Jinwright said...

You got everything. Great comparison on the death of Myrtle, I agree 100%. There is no ultimately no escaping anything. Myrtle can't escape Wilson. Gatsby can't escape his past. Daisy can;t escape Tom.