I am both surprised and disappointed at the turnout of Jay Gatsby's funeral. Before, Nick puts his best foot forward to encourage the friends of Gatsby to attend the procession. Unfortunately, just about everyone seems to either not wish to attend or is unable to make it. I felt it rude and surprising how no one wished to go to Gatsby's home for his funeral, but "used to go there by the hundreds" for his past parties (Fitzgerald, 175). With this, I reason that, besides Nick Carraway, no one truly knew Gatsby or even had the desire to discover what lurked beneath his mask. Clearly, Gatsby's party guests attended his gatherings without even acknowledging their host. I believe that Gatsby surrounded himself with people because of his inner loneliness. But, Jay still felt alone among the presence of hundreds of people. Now, the only guests at Gatsby's funeral are his father, Owl-eyes, and of course, Nick. In my opinion, the most shocking detail of this chapter is the fact that "Daisy hadn't sent a message or a flower" (Fitzgerald, 174). One would think that since she claimed to love Gatsby, that Daisy would, at the very least, go to the funeral. Also, Gatsby took the blame for the death of Daisy's victim, ensuring her a life without time in prison. This whole scene deeply saddens me due to the fact that Gatsby dies alone, the last thing that he truly wanted to be.
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