“Life and death were much different for Gatsby, only a few genuinely cared for him.” There were only a few people who attended Gatsby’s funeral. Nick was there along with Gatsby’s father (Henry Gatz), Owl Eyes, the minister, and a few of the house servants.
Detailed answer:
Two years after Gatsby’s death, Nick writes about the funeral. Many reporters first came to the mansion after the murder. Sure enough, they were spreading exaggerated rumors about Gatsby and his affairs. Nick believed Gatsby would want to hold a large funeral, so he invites many guests. However, all of Gatsby’s old friends and party guests either disappeared or declined to come. There were such as Meyer Wolfshiem, Klipspringer, Tom, and even Daisy amongst them.
At the funeral, there are some intimate moments. Henry Gatz saves a picture of the house, always proud of his son. He also shows a book off on self-improvement that Gatsby wrote when he was a young man.
Significance
For Nick, Gatsby’s funeral was something surreal. The house was empty, and he felt like staying there was his responsibility. Nick realized that no one actually cared about Gatsby, even at such a heart-breaking moment. Everyone had to show at least a tiny bit of respect for a dead man. But there was no one.
At this point, you must understand that Gatsby’s funeral had a symbolic meaning. So few people attending showed that only a few truly knew the man that Gatsby really was. The rest just saw him as a rich man and used him for his wealth. In a way, it was also a representation of society during the Roaring Twenties. People were superficial and materialistic, with Gatsby being no different. Gatsby used his wealth, connections, and even a brief friendship with Nick only to achieve one goal. He dreamed of getting closer to Daisy. However, a few people, such as Nick and Henry Gatz, did respect Gatsby. It is those people that ultimately showed up to the funeral.
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