The Great Gatsby

Almost no one attends Gatsby’s funeral. Only a small group shows up, revealing how empty his social world really was.

Nick Carraway organizes the funeral and is one of the few present. Gatsby’s father, Henry Gatz, travels from the Midwest to attend, grieving deeply and insisting that his son was destined for greatness. Aside from them, the only other person who comes is Owl Eyes—the man who once marveled at Gatsby’s library during a party.

Notably absent are all the people who filled Gatsby’s mansion during his lavish parties. His so-called friends vanish: Daisy and Tom leave town, Meyer Wolfsheim refuses to come, and even frequent guests like Klipspringer avoid the funeral, caring more about their own plans than honoring Gatsby. The near-empty funeral exposes the harsh truth that while Gatsby could attract crowds with wealth and spectacle, he failed to build real, lasting relationships. In the end, the contrast between his crowded parties and his lonely funeral captures the difference between appearance and reality, and the hollowness at the heart of the world Gatsby tried so hard to join.