How is the story told in chapter eight of The Great Gatsby?

In this chapter Fitzgerald uses multiple effective story telling techniques such as time and descriptive prose shown through colour, which has been extremely prominent in telling the story in previous chapters. At the beginning of the chapter we are given a shift in the dreamlike world that the characters, especially Nick and Gatsby, have been living in. Nick says, 'grotesque reality and savage, frightening dreams,' here Fitzgerald is using emotive language to demonstrate how Nick's feelings have changed toward the hazy reality he has been living in, surrounded by these people who are characterized by money.

One story telling technique is the shift in narrative focus when Nick decides to inform us about what had happened at the garage after Myrtle's death. It might seem to the reader that all information about the area surrounding where Myrtle had died would have been told at the same Nick was reliving that horrible moment, but the sketchy recollection illustrates how difficult the time had been for Nick and how he had felt confused. This is reinforced at the end of chapter nine when Fitzgerald writes, 'It was after we started with Gatsby that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete,' this is unusual as it is arguably the most striking and memorable element of the entire chapter yet it is given the least credit or build up, or even detail. Fitzgerald has done this to show how conflicted Nick feels over everything that has happened, and how he wishes to not remember such scenes with clarity.

Symbolism is used when Wilson speaks of the eyes of T.J Eckleburg, 'The eyes of God,' which is almost an anaphoric reference to the previous chapters when they have been mentioned as watchful and gives the feeling of them being omniscient. It is almost as if Fitzgerald is suggesting that the eyes are reflective of all the sin that has taken place and in the end the sinners will be punished. Effectively, the story is told here through the use of imagery and the symbolism of God.

Time is used when showing Gatsby's inability to accept the fact he cannot bring back better times that have passed. Nick says, 'I think he would have acknowledged anything now, but he wanted to talk about Daisy,' which shows how time has changed but Gatsby refuses to move along side it. He tells Nick of how Daisy was 'the first nice girl he had ever known,' and how he found her 'excitingly desirable.' Here the story effectively shifts to the past through Nick explaining Gatsby's interpretation of how things used to be.

Colour is also an important story telling feature in this chapter, especially the repeated use of the symbolic 'Green light' on Daisy's dock. This has been, throughout the story, an ongoing symbol of hope for Gatsby leading him toward her, like previously when he stretched his arms out toward the light. It has been keeping his dream for a life with Daisy alive. Fitzgerald uses words that the reader can almost feel, such as 'cool', 'radiant', 'fresh and breathing'. These words are important as they connote happier times in Gatsby's life, times where Daisy was almost graspable, and also contrast greatly with the rest of the atmosphere of the chapter in which Gatsby is murdered. This quote, to a degree, exists as a last attempt for Gatsby to relive his time with Daisy, before his life is taken from him. Here, the story telling technique is the use of colour and contrast to construct Gatsby's last brief moments of happiness telling Nick all about why he loved Daisy so much.