Chapter 5- p.81-96

Chapter 5- p.81-96

The chapter begins with Nick arriving home after a date in New York with Jordan Baker. Gatsby’s mansion is bizarrely lit up but seems to be empty. On the walk home Nick runs into Gatsby, who is clearly trying to please Nick by inviting him to Coney Island and over for a swim in his pool. Nick comes to the realization that Gatsby is trying to make him agree to his plan to invite Daisy over. Nick agrees and Gatsby tries to pay him but Nick refuses, slightly offended. The day Daisy goes to Nick’s it is raining, however Gatsby gets Nick grass cut and brings over flowers anyway, evidently nervous about their meeting. He walks around the house in the rain when Daisy arrives as to not appear that he was waiting for her. Initially Gatsby and Daisy’s meeting is incredibly awkward however, after being left alone for thirty minutes Nick finds the two incredibly happy. The rain stops and Gatsby shows Daisy all his belongings, making her cry. Nick worries that Daisy will never live up to Gatsby’s dream of her, but when Gatsby gets Klipspringer to play the piano for them it is apparent the two are enamored with each other and completely forget that Nick is there.

Nick Caraway

“Your acting like a little boy,” I broke out impatiently. “Not only that, but you’re rude. Daisy’s sitting in there all alone.” P.88

Nick is extremely unbiased and honest. He sees things the way they are and he draws people to tell him their secrets. Nick is portrayed as incredibly normal and level headed which creates an interesting contrast from the rest of the characters. Nick is like the control level of an experiment his overwhelming ordinariness allows Fitzgerald to highlight how unordinary the rest of the characters are.

Nick is obviously the narrator as well as the author of the story. His unbiased and “normal” nature allows us to believe that the things he writes are true because unlike the rest of the characters he is incredibly honest. In this chapter Nick shows a sharper side of himself, he gets harsh with Gatsby and possesses an almost fatherly quality, asking Gatsby to snap out of it. Nick is like the ringmaster, amidst all the chaos of the meeting, he maintains control of the situation. Nick helps Gatsby, the man who seems to have everything, to get the thing that he does not know how to get. Nick is essential to moving the story along.

“They were sitting at either end of the couch, looking at each other as if some question had been asked, or was in the air, and every vestige of embarrassment was gone. “

This quote is important because it makes it apparent that Daisy and Gatsby have an undeniable connection. They are obviously lingering in the obvious conflict of whether or not they should pursue their nearly immediate rekindling of love. This moment is extremely important because in a way it is the climax of Gatsby’s dream.