Chapter Seven

Trimalchio & Trimalchio in West Egg

Trimalchio is a character in the 1st century AD Roman work of fiction Satyricon by Petronius. He plays a part only in the section titled "Cena Trimalchionis" (The Banquet of Trimalchio). Trimalchio is a freedman who through hard work and perseverance has attained power and wealth. The fundamental meaning of the root is "King," and the name "Trimalchio" would thus mean "Thrice King," "greatest King.”

A Change in Servants

“an unfamiliar butler with a villainous face” (113) “the general opinion in the village was that the new

people were't servants at all” (114) “They're some people Wolfsheim wanted to so

something for. They're all brothers and sisters” (114).

Things are heating up! … Literally

“The straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion...” (114).

“'Hot!' said the conductor to familiar faces. 'Some weather!' … Hot! … Hot! … Hot! ...Is it hot enough for you? Is it hot? Is it ….?”

“In this heat every extra gesture was an affront to the common store of life” (115).

Parallel Scene

“Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enormous couch, like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans. 'We can't move' they said together” (115).

“Jordan's fingers, powdered white over than tan, rested for a moment in mine” (116).

“Daisy watched him and laughed...; a tiny gust of powder rose from her bosom into the air” (116)

Pammy

“'You dream you, you. You absolute little dream.' / 'Yes,' admitted the child calmly. 'Aunt Jordan's got on a white dress too''” (117).

“Afterward he kept looking a the child with surprise. I don't think he had ever really believe in its existence before” (117).

“everything's so confused” (118)

Daisy's two worlds are colliding, which means (like the Love Nest song) she's going to have to make a decision – something she's clearly terrified to do as either way she loses something.

Water / Coolness

“Who wants to go to town?” demand Daisy insistently. Gatsby's eyes floated toward her. 'Ah,' she cried, 'you look so cool.'

Their eyes met, and they stared at each other, alone in space. With an effort she glanced down at the table.

'You always look so cool,' she repeated” (119).

Water / Coolness

“'You always look so cool,' she repeated.

She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago” (119).

So in some small way Gatsby has succeed in returning them both to the past. Daisy in this moment resembles the girl she was when she first met Gatsby. Yet, her transformation into this girl is not and cannot be completed. As seen by the fact...

… as seen by the fact... that Daisy's next sentence compares Gatsby to an advertisement.

“You resemble the advertisement of the man.... You know the advertisement of the

man-----” (119).

This comparison reinforces the fact that Daisy cannot repress her desire for material wealth.

Furthermore, she can't even accurately describe the man or the advertisement – only the fact that it

was associated with wealth seems to have remained with her.

Wealth

Daisy's connection with materialism is reinforced by Gatsby himself:

“Her voice is full of money” (120). Nick agrees: “That was it. I'd never

understood before. It was full of money―that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals song of it....High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl” (120).

Journey to City

Tom takes Gatsby's “circus wagon” (121) and has Gatsby take his coupe.

What color are the cars?Who does Daisy go with?

Think about what happens at the end of the chapter. Why is this trade off so significant?

Tom seems to have lost a lot at this point.

Daisy has stated she loves Gatsby and has driven off with him in Tom's car.

Then, Tom learns at the gas station that George is planning on leaving with Myrtle and going West.

“His wife and mistress, until an hour ago secure and inviolate, were slipping

precipitately from his control” (125).

Tennis MatchGatsby vs. Tom

Daisy says she loves Gatsby & drives into town with him.

Gatsby proves he attended Oxford.

Tom insults Gatsby saying, “You can buy anything at a drug-store nowadays” (121).

Questions if Gatsby ever went to Oxford (129).

Tennis MatchGatsby vs. Tom

Tom demands, “What kind of row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow?”

Nick tells us: “They were out in the open at last and Gatsby was content” (129)

Remember Gatsby is subscribing to a PURE dream. Sneaking around, having an affair doesn't fit with his dream. He doesn't want to share Daisy; he wants the truth about them to come out so it dissolves her marriage with Tom.

“Your wife doesn't love you.... She's never loved you. She loves

me. ...She never loved you, do you hear? … She only married you

because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a

terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one except me!”

(130)

Daisy's reaction / Dissolution of Gatsby's dream

“She hesitated … as though she had never, all along, intended doing anything at all.

…. 'Oh, you want too much!' she cried to Gatsby. 'I love you now—isn't that enough?

I can't help what's past. … I did love him once—but I loved you too.'

Gatsby's eyes opened and closed.

'You loved me too?' he repeated” (132).

Tom however is not content to share Daisy anymore than Gatsby is, so he

explains what he has discovered about how Gatsby has earned his money. This

revelation marks Gatsby as “new money” and involved with activities

beneath the upper-class. Daisy is not willing to align herself with someone

beneath her.

Pg. 134 – 135

Gatsby's dream to reclaim the past crumbles here when he looses (again) Daisy.

The fact you can't reclaim the past is reinforced by Nick's awareness of the passage of time.

Why is this day significant for Nick? p. 135

Myrtle

What happens to Myrtle?

Who was driving?

“Death Car”

Mistakenly 1st described as green

“...knelt in the road and mingled her dark blood with the dust. ...her left breast was swinging loose like a flap... the mouth was wide open and ripped at the corners, as though she had choked a little in giving up the tremendous vitality she had stored so long” (137)

End of the Chapter

Nick is disgusted with the immorality of everyone but Gatsby.

Daisy and Tim once again present a united front.