The death scenes in chapters 7 and 8 have little description. What effect did this have on your understanding of the events? Why might Fitzgerald have chosen to use so little description at such an important point in the novel?

In my opinion, we are afforded little description of the events because Mick, our narrator, is not present when they occur. In addition, the "deaths" themselves are not as important as the reasons in the structure of the plot. Fitzgerald once again illustrates the shallow self-interests of the wealthy (let's not get Daisy in trouble), the depth of Gatsby's love for what is an illusion, and the great grief of the man who just lost his wife, even as he planned to take her away.