Surprise, Surprise!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Chapter 7 pages 136-145

"The "death car" as the newspapers called it, didn't stop; it came out of the gathering darkness, wavered tragically for a moment, and then disappeared around the next bend" 

(Fitzgerald, page 137).

I am quite surprised with the events of this section. At first, I was confused when Myrtle was found dead. I could not wrap my head around the event that came so surprisingly. First, I want to know what George Wilson knows about his wife and Tom. He was obviously angry with Myrtle for something and it seemed to be linked to Tom although I am not sure if George knew which man it was. As the police officer ran through what happened with Tom, I first thought she had committed suicide. The event seemed to point in that direction with me as her and her husband seemed to be having a heated argument just before she was killed that was until I found out the car was yellow. From the conversation prior in the chapter between Tom and George, Nick was sure to point out the yellow car of Gatsby's. I should have seen the hint as something important as they were very specific about his yellow car. When the color of the car came up from the policeman, something more suspicious came about. At that point, I believed that Myrtle was either trying to go away with Tom or get at his presumed wife, Jordan. Otherwise, though, the reason for Myrtle to run at the car was careless and even more distraught once I learned that Daisy was driving the car but Gatsby is willing to take the fall for her. I have a feeling that the heated tension between Daisy and Tom is going to lead to the downfall of all of their friends that think of them to be ready to end their marriage. Obviously Tom is committed to not losing his wife and I think he will go to all ends to make sure nothing gets in the way of that, even Gatsby. (Maybe George will take the same path but in vengeance for his wife's death.)