Two years have passed sine the murder of Jay Gatsby. His death had caused a ghoulish stir among the media and other rubber-neckers. More wild rumors began circulating after his death than had even when he had been alive. The feeling was that there no was no smoke without fire, so it was widely assumed that it was Myrtle and Jay's affair that had sent George Wilson over the edge.

Nick, as one of Jay's only true friends, tries to organize a large funeral. Despite Jay's generosity in life, few felt they owed him an appearance by his grave. Tom, Daisy, Wolfsheim and many others make their excuses or are out-of-town. The funeral is sparsely attended by Nick, Owl Eyes Gatsby's father, Henry Gatz and a few servants. Henry Gatz is proud of what his had achieved and tells Nick more details about his friend's youth.

Nick makes plans to return to the mid-west. His relationship with Jordan is over. She claims to be engaged to another man. Nick meets Tom on a New York street. Tom relates how it was he who told Wilson that Gatsby owned the yellow car. He believes that Gatsby deserved to die. Nick concludes that Tom and Daisy are self-absorbed people who value their money over any personal virtues. Nick also muses on the vapid and corrupting nature of the East, as odds with the more honest lifestyles of the mid-west.

On a last night in West Egg, Nick visits Jay's mansion and wonders about the nature of the American dream. By many measures, Jay Gatsby had achieved that dream, but his real pursuit was of an impossible future with Daisy. The closer we get to the future, the more we are pulled back by the currents of the past.