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This question comes up often when students map the chaotic final hours of The Great Gatsby’s central conflict. Tom’s actions after Myrtle’s death reveal critical details about his selfishness and role in Gatsby’s focused fate. This guide breaks down the timeline, context, and analysis you can use for class discussions, quizzes, and essays.
Tom goes to the apartment he shared with Myrtle in the immediate aftermath of her death, before he returns home to East Egg that same night. He stops to confirm details of the accident and make sure he is not connected to Myrtle publicly, to protect his reputation and marriage.
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Tom’s post-accident apartment visit occurs during the final stretch of the novel, after the group returns from their tense trip into New York City. Myrtle dies when she runs into the road and is hit by a car driven by Daisy, which Gatsby is riding in. Tom stops at the apartment to speak to Myrtle’s husband George, lie about who was driving the car, and deflect any suspicion away from himself or Daisy.
Next step: Jot down this timeline point in your chapter notes so you can reference it quickly for timeline quizzes.
Action: List every event from the lunch at the Buchanan house to the end of the night Myrtle dies, in order.
Output: A 10-point chronological timeline you can reference for plot comprehension questions.
Action: List three other choices Tom makes in the novel that align with his choice to visit the apartment after Myrtle’s death.
Output: A 3-point list of consistent character traits you can cite in a Tom Buchanan character analysis.
Action: Link Tom’s apartment visit to the novel’s critique of old money privilege and lack of accountability.
Output: A 2-sentence theme statement you can use as a base for longer writing assignments.
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Action: Trace the sequence of events starting from when the group leaves the Plaza Hotel to when Tom returns home to East Egg.
Output: A clear timeline that places the apartment stop immediately after the accident, before Tom gets home.
Action: Cross-reference Tom’s actions during the visit with his earlier behavior in the novel, including his treatment of Myrtle and Gatsby.
Output: A 2-point list of motivations for the visit that are supported by consistent character details.
Action: Link Tom’s choice to avoid accountability to the novel’s broader commentary on wealth and morality.
Output: A 1-sentence theme connection you can use in essays or discussion responses.
Teacher looks for: Correct placement of the apartment visit in the novel’s timeline, no errors about when the stop occurs.
How to meet it: Explicitly state the stop happens the same night as Myrtle’s death, before Tom returns to East Egg.
Teacher looks for: Recognition that the visit is not a gesture of grief, but a calculated act of self-preservation.
How to meet it: Support your claim by linking the visit to Tom’s established pattern of prioritizing his own reputation over other people’s safety.
Teacher looks for: Clear link between Tom’s actions during the visit and the novel’s critique of class privilege and lack of accountability.
How to meet it: Explain how Tom’s ability to lie to Wilson without consequence shows that wealthy characters in the novel face no repercussions for their harmful choices.
The visit takes place the same night as Myrtle’s death, immediately after the accident. Tom is driving back to East Egg with Nick and Jordan when they pass the scene of the crash. He stops at the apartment to speak to George Wilson, then continues home. Use this timeline point to quiz yourself on the order of the novel’s final events before your next class.
Tom does not stop at the apartment out of grief. He wants to make sure he is not publicly linked to Myrtle, which would ruin his marriage and social standing. He also lies to Wilson about who was driving the car that killed Myrtle, shifting blame entirely onto Gatsby. Note this motivation in your character analysis notes for Tom Buchanan. Use this before class to prepare for discussion questions about Tom’s morality.
Tom’s lie directly leads George Wilson to seek revenge on Gatsby the following day. Without Tom’s intervention, Wilson would not have known who to target for Myrtle’s death. This makes Tom’s apartment stop the critical turning point between Myrtle’s accident and Gatsby’s murder. Add this cause-effect link to your plot notes to use on your next exam.
This visit aligns with Tom’s consistent pattern of selfishness throughout the novel. Earlier, he brought Nick to the same apartment to show off his affair with Myrtle, flaunting his power over both Myrtle and her husband. After her death, he uses the same space to protect himself, with no regard for Myrtle or Wilson. Jot down two other examples of Tom’s selfishness to pair with this moment in your analysis.
Tom’s ability to leave the apartment without any consequences exposes the novel’s critique of old money privilege. He bears partial responsibility for Myrtle’s death, as his argument with her earlier that night led her to run into the road. He faces no legal or social repercussions for this, or for lying to Wilson. Use this example to support any essay about class inequality in The Great Gatsby. Use this before drafting an essay to make sure your theme analysis is grounded in specific plot details.
You do not need a page number to reference this moment in most high school or college assignments. Simply describe the sequence of events: after Myrtle is hit by the car, Tom stops at the apartment he shared with her to speak to Wilson, lying about who was driving. Make sure to connect the moment to your thesis, rather than just describing the plot. Practice writing one sentence that links this moment to your chosen thesis for your next essay.
No, Tom visits the apartment the same night as Myrtle’s death, immediately after the accident, before he returns to his home in East Egg.
Tom goes to the apartment to protect his own reputation and avoid being publicly linked to Myrtle. He also lies to George Wilson about who was driving the car that killed Myrtle, shifting blame onto Gatsby.
Tom tells George Wilson that Gatsby was driving the car that killed Myrtle, even though he knows Daisy was behind the wheel. This lie leads Wilson to track down and kill Gatsby the following day.
Tom shows no genuine grief for Myrtle during the visit. His only concerns are protecting his marriage, his social status, and shifting blame for the accident onto someone else.
Editorial note: This page is independently written for educational support. Verify specifics with assigned class materials and the original text.
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