Question

gatsby passage chapter 9
about five oclock our procession of three cars reached the cemetery and stopped in a thick drizzle beside the gate — first a motor hearse, horribly black and wet, then mr. gatz and the minister and i in the limousine, and , a little later, four or five servants and the postman from west egg in gatsbys station wagon, all wet to the skin. as we started through the gate into the cemetery i heard a car stop and then the sound of someone splashing after us over the soggy ground. i looked around. it was the man with owl-eyed glasses whom i had found marvelling over gatsbys books in the library one night three months before.

id never seen him since then. i dont know how he knew about the funeral or even his name. the rain poured down his thick glasses and he took them off and wiped them to see the protecting canvas unrolled from gatsbys grave.

i tried to think about gatsby then for a moment but he was already too far away and i could only remember, without resentment, that daisy hadnt sent a message or a flower. dimly i heard someone murmur \blessed are the dead that the rain falls on,\ and then the owl-eyed man said \amen to that,\ in a brave voice.

we straggled down quickly through the rain to the cars. owl eyes spoke to me by the gate.

\i couldnt get to the house,\ he remarked.

either could anybody else.\

\go on!\ he started. \why, my god, they used to go there by the hundreds.\

he took off his glasses and wiped them again outside and in.

\the poor son-of-a-bitch,\ he said.

1. what is the significance of the weather on the day of the funeral? what emotions does the scene arouse?

1. what is the symbolic significance of the \owl eyed glasses\ in the story?

1. nick remarks about owl eyes, \i dont know how he knew about the funeral or even his name.\ how does this statement contribute to the symbolic significance of owl eyes?

1. look at the circumstances and description of gatsbys funeral. in what way is it ironic?

Explanation:

1. For the weather: The thick drizzle and pouring rain mirrors the somber, mournful mood of Gatsby's neglected funeral. It symbolizes the cold, empty loneliness of his final moments, and evokes feelings of sorrow, pity, and disillusionment about the superficiality of the wealthy social circle Gatsby chased.
2. For the owl-eyed glasses: Owls are symbols of wisdom and perception. The glasses represent the man's ability to see the truth about Gatsby—unlike the other party guests, he recognizes Gatsby's authenticity and the emptiness of his performative wealth (noting his real books).
3. For Nick's statement: This emphasizes that Owl Eyes is an outsider to Gatsby's curated social world. He is not part of the wealthy crowd that only cared for Gatsby's parties, so his presence at the funeral highlights that he saw Gatsby's true self, not just his lavish persona, reinforcing his role as the story's perceptive, impartial observer.
4. For the irony: Gatsby's parties drew hundreds of people who flocked to his wealth and hospitality, yet almost no one attends his funeral. This stark contrast is ironic—it exposes the superficiality of the relationships Gatsby built, as the people who enjoyed his luxury abandoned him completely after his death.

Answer:

1. The rain symbolizes somber loneliness; it evokes sorrow, pity, and disillusionment.
2. The glasses symbolize perceptive wisdom, representing the ability to see Gatsby's true self beneath his wealthy facade.
3. It frames Owl Eyes as an outsider to Gatsby's social circle, reinforcing that he saw Gatsby's authenticity rather than just his lavish persona.
4. The irony lies in the stark contrast: hundreds attended Gatsby's lavish parties, but almost no one (save a few marginal figures) came to his funeral, exposing the superficiality of his social relationships.