Chapter 5

Summary

• after Nick comes home from a date with Jordan, Nick sees Gatsby‘s mansion lit up although no one seems to be at home
• Nick is surprised when Gatsby approaches him on the lawn and also because Gatsby somehow tries to do Nick some favours in inviting him to Coney Island or for a swim in his pool
• of course, Gatsby attempts to win Nick over in order for Nick to invite Daisy for tea
• when Nick agrees to Gatsby‘s plan, Gatsby is overjoyous and promises Nick to send someone over to tend to his lawn; also, he suggests that Nick could join him in his business in order to make some money
• being offended by Gatsby‘s attempt to buy him for arranging the meeting, Nick refuses the offers but still calls Daisy
• before the ominous meeting, it rains (motif: Weather) and Gatsby is quite nervous and sends some workers to glam up Nick‘s house with flowers
• Gatsby fears that the love they felt during the time in Louisville has vanished completely
• Daisy arrives, yet Nick finds that Gatsby has disappeared
• someone knocks on the door and it is Gatsby who enters the house
• things are awkward between Gatsby and Daisy and Gatsby believes that the meeting was a mistake - he clumsily knocks over a clock
• Nick leaves the house and when he returns, he notices how happy both of them are; in fact, Daisy is so overwhelmed with joy that she cries
• the rain has stopped and all of them go to Gatsby‘s house; Gatsby shows them his possessions and Daisy is stunned by the luxuries
• she even cries when Gatsby shows her his collection of English shirts
• Gatsby finally tells Daisy that he has longed for her for a long time and that he has always watched her green light at the dock, dreaming about their future together
• Nick is afraid that Daisy will not be able to live up to how Gatsby envisions her
• Gatsby calls for Klipspringer in order for him to play the piano
• when Nick realizes that Gatsby and Daisy are fully engaged in rekindling their romance, he leaves

Function

• Gatsby‘s attempt to relive the past
  
  • Gatsby tries to rekindle the romance with Daisy and sees her the way she used to be five years ago
  • ignores the fact that Daisy has changed
  • he is nervous about connecting the past to the present again, knocking over Nick‘s clock that symbolizes his clumsy attempt to stop the time
• Gatsby and Daisy bring out each others most honest qualities
  
  • Gatsby is no longer the fancy socialite and Daisy stops being sardonic about everything
  • Daisy is overwhelmed with joy at Gatsby‘s success
• Nick‘s self-imposed stance of tolerance and honesty is ambivalent
  
  • he is happy to tolerate Tom‘s affair with Myrtle
  • also, he facilitates the reunion between Gatsby and Daisy
  • in fact, he helps in ruining Daisy‘s and Tom‘s marriage
  • however, Nick is motivated by the sincereness and intensity of Gatsby and Daisy‘s love for each other