At the peak of the climax, a final example of one of the litotes Fitzgerald uses can be found in chapter seven. Myrtle has been run over by the speeding yellow car and Gatsby stands idly outside the Buchanan house aware of any commotion. Nick steps around the lawn to look and views both Daisy and Tom conversing on the inside. “They weren’t happy … and yet they weren’t unhappy either,” (145) describes Nick. Noticeably in place of writing “sad,” he chooses to write “[not] unhappy.” For the purpose of using litotes, Fitzgerald lets into Nick’s character, and for Nick it shows his modesty for the situation. Nick isn’t too suggestive about what happens in the confines of the Buchanan’s home, most likely following his “reserve all judgements” mantra
