Gatsby and Daisy at His House Gatsby and Daisy Meet Again

Because The Great Gatsby is nine chapters long, getting to Affiliate 5 ways that we've arrived in the exact middle of the story. Thus, it makes sense that this affiliate takes a unmarried effect - Daisy and Gatsby's perfectly romantic reunion - and uses it to both tie together everything that has been set so far, and also to create such a fragile residual of safety and happiness that it's clear that everything volition soon crumble.

Only before the bubble of love pops, enjoy the globe'due south most magical, virtually advisedly planned "accidental" date.

Quick Note on Our Citations

Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this organization since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you lot tin either eyeball information technology (Paragraph 1-fifty: kickoff of chapter; l-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text.

The Keen Gatsby: Chapter 5 Summary

Nick comes home to notice all the lights on in Gatsby's mansion. Gatsby wants to hang out, simply clearly merely considering he wants to know what Nick has decided nigh request Daisy for tea. Nick is happy to exercise it, and they program for a mean solar day afterwards Gatsby has had a chance to go Nick's backyard cut.

Gatsby then makes a totally out of identify proposal to practise some bond business with Nick (whose job is selling bonds, and who doesn't seem particularly good at it or invested in it). Nick is uncomfortable about the quid pro quo (that's Latin for "something for something" - in other words, a transaction) feeling of the bargain and declines.

The side by side day, Nick invites Daisy to tea, and cautions her non to bring Tom.

Gatsby sends someone to mow the lawn, orders a huge number of flowers, isn't thrilled with Nick'due south deplorable tea and cakes selection, and worries that the day volition be ruined because information technology'due south raining. He and then freaks out at the last 2nd that Daisy isn't coming, merely just and then she pulls upwardly in her car.

Gatsby and Daisy meet in Nick's living room in the most awkward, strained, and tense scene imaginable. Information technology's unclear whether either i is happy to meet the other. They are unable to speak two words.

When Nick tries to leave them alone, Gatsby panics and tries to leave besides. Nick calms him down, and and so stands outside in the rain for an hour to requite Gatsby and Daisy some privacy. When he returns, the two are totally different – no longer embarrassed, much calmer, and Gatsby is actually glowing.

Gatsby suddenly brags that it only took him three years to earn the money to buy his mansion. Nick calls him out on this since earlier Gatsby had said he had inherited his wealth. Gatsby quickly says that the inheritance was lost in the financial panic of 1914 and that he's been in several businesses since then.

Daisy then exclaims that she loves Gatsby'south behemothic mansion (she can come across it out of Nick'south window). They go over to Gatsby'due south, and he shows them around the now empty firm, never taking his eyes off Daisy and her reaction to his things.

Gatsby is completely overwhelmed past Daisy's presence. He is overcome with feelings that he can't even put into words.

Gatsby opens a chiffonier and starts pulling out piles of shirts and throwing them onto a tabular array. Every kind of shirt color and pattern imaginable stack higher and higher on this table until Daisy puts her head into the shirts and starts to cry nigh their dazzler.

Information technology starts raining again, and Gatsby shows Daisy that her house is direct beyond the bay from his.

Nick sees a photograph of Dan Cody, who Gatsby says used to exist his best friend until he died.

Gatsby shows Daisy a bunch of newspaper clippings about her that he'southward been collecting (she would have been featured in the gossip pages that described fancy parties and rich people'south society). He gets a phone call virtually Detroit but hangs upwardly quickly. This is the first time that he hasn't excused himself to accept a phone call in the novel.

Nick tries to go out again, but is again roped into staying. Gatsby asks Ewing Klipspringer, a guest who apparently is just e'er at the firm, to play the piano for them. He plays a comical dearest song.

Nick finally says goodbye and leaves. As he does, he sees Daisy whisper in Gatsby'southward ear, and imagines that her siren-like voice holds him in thrall.

Daisy's constant shirt-inspired weeping has now gotten her banned from Brooks Brothers.

Key Chapter 5 Quotes

"Y'all're selling bonds, aren't you, old sport?"..."Well, this would interest yous. It wouldn't have up much of your time and yous might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing."

I realize now that under unlike circumstances that conversation might accept been one of the crises of my life. Only, because the offer was plain and tactlessly for a service to be rendered, I had no choice except to cut him off at that place. (five.22-25)

Nick recognizes that what he quickly dismissed in the moment could easily have been the moral quandary that altered his whole future. It seems that Nick thinks this was his chance to enter the world of crime – if nosotros assume that what Gatsby was proposing is some kind of insider trading or similarly illegal speculative activity – and be thus trapped on the East Coast rather than retreating to the Midwest.

It's striking that Nick recognizes that his ultimate weakness – the matter that tin can actually tempt him – is money. In this style, he is different from Gatsby, whose temptation is beloved, and Tom, whose temptation is sexual activity – and of form, he is also different because he resists the temptation rather than going all-in. Although Nick's refusal could be spun as a sign of his honesty, it instead underscores how much he adheres to rules of politeness. Later on all, he only rejects the idea considering he feels he "had no choice" almost the proposal because it was "tactless." Who knows what shenanigans Nick would have been on board with if only Gatsby were a piffling smoother in his approach?

He had passed visibly through two states and was entering upon a third. After his embarrassment and his unreasoning joy he was consumed with wonder at her presence. He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it correct through to the cease, waited with his teeth set, and so to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity. Now, in the reaction, he was running down similar an overwound clock. (five.114)

On the one hand, the depth of Gatsby's feelings for Daisy is romantic. He'southward living the hyperbole of every love sonnet and torch vocal ever written. Afterward all, this is the first time we see Gatsby lose command of himself and his extremely careful self-presentation. But on the other hand, does he actually know annihilation about Daisy every bit a human being being? Find that it's "the thought" that he'southward consumed with, not so much the reality. The give-and-take "wonder" makes information technology sound like he's having a religious experience in Daisy's presence. The pedestal that he has put her on is so incredibly high there's zero for her to do only prove disappointing.

Daisy put her arm through his abruptly but he seemed absorbed in what he had merely said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the jumbo significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great altitude that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very about to her, well-nigh touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now information technology was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. (5.121)

Near immediately when he's finally got her, Daisy starts to fade from an platonic object of desire into a real life homo existence. Information technology doesn't even thing how potentially wonderful a person she may be – she could never alive upward to the idea of an "enchanted object" since she is neither magical nor a thing. At that place is likewise a question hither of "what'due south next?" for Gatsby. If you have only one goal in life, and you terminate up reaching that goal, what is your life's purpose now?

Is Gatsby more in honey with the idea of love than with the actual human beingness he obsesses over?

The Great GatsbyChapter 5 Analysis

Now let'south consider how this chapter plays into the book every bit a whole.

Overarching Themes

Love, Want, and Relationships. After an before affiliate of Tom and Myrtle together, nosotros get a chapter of Daisy and Gatsby together. At first glance, the pairs are diametric opposites. Tom and Myrtle are crass and vulgar, constantly chattering about nothing, driven by materialism and physical want, without a drop of honey or romance betwixt them. On the other hand, Gatsby and Daisy are modest and embarrassed, almost speechless, overwhelmed by feelings, and have a concrete comfort with each other that Tom doesn't inspire either in Daisy or in Myrtle (both of whom he physically hurts in varying degrees). Gatsby's dearest for Daisy has an otherworldly quality that is several times described in either mythic or religious terms. Simply already the chapter anticipates that elevating the relationship to such heights makes a fall almost inevitable.

Morality and Ideals. Nick is tempted by what he afterward comes to realize is the moral quandary of his life. Twice, Gatsby offers to practise some kind of business concern with him. There are two ethical challenges in this offer.

• Showtime, Gatsby is suggesting that Nick needs to be paid for services rendered – that asking Daisy to tea and letting Gatsby come across her at Nick's house is a transaction that needs to be reimbursed somehow. This casts an oddly pimp-and-prostitute vibe on what Nick is beingness asked to do, which would dispel some of the fairytale romance that Gatsby is ostensibly going for.

• Second, since it comes on the heels of their encounter with Mr. Wolfshiem, Gatsby'due south business suggestion is near likely illegal (Insider trading? Speculation? Printing fake bonds? There are several possibilities.). It connects Nick to the lawless criminality that in this novel is associated with the new "Wild E."

Symbolism: Gatsby's Shirts. Gatsby showers Daisy with his array of exquisite shirts in a display that is at the same time self-congratulation and also a submissive plea. On the ane hand, this odd moment is like a male person bird'southward complicated mating dance – the shirts are the peacock's feather. These shirts are a visual representation of how far Gatsby has come up – he tin can literally comprehend Daisy with his riches. Just on the mitt, the desperate way he shows them off ties into Nick's observation that "think he revalued everything in his firm according to the measure of response information technology drew from her well-loved eyes" (5.111). He wants her approval and is putting all of himself out at that place for her to pronounce judgment on.

Motifs: Weather. For the starting time fourth dimension, the novel dwells at length on an extreme conditions effect. The intermittent downpour sometimes limits and sometimes facilitates Daisy and Gatsby's afternoon together. The rain allows for moments of concrete comedy. For case, Gatsby'southward program to "accidentally" drop by Nick's house during tea with Daisy falls apart when he makes his appearance soaking wet (significant that he obviously wasn't simply trying to visit Nick – who would do that in that kind of weather?).

The pelting as well creates physical and emotional boundaries, allowing Daisy and Gatsby to stay in their private earth. Literally, this happens when they tin can't tour the mansion'due south grounds and have to stay in his house. But more importantly, this happens when the rain creates a mist that hides Daisy's house across the bay from view. She doesn't have to call up about her wedlock or her girl – she can be with Gatsby surrounded by magical-sounding "pink and gilded breaker of foamy clouds" (5.134).

As soon as one magical light experience (the greenish dock light) goes stale, Gatsby replaces it with another (sunlit rain clouds). Perhaps he just needs a lamp.

Crucial Character Beats

• Nick agrees to invite Daisy over for tea and an "accidental" coming together with Gatsby. He is able to resist the offer to do concern with Gatsby.

• Daisy and Gatsby finally meet! It'south awkward and horrible at first, simply later on an hour alone together both of them seem very happy. So, the trio goes to bout Gatsby'due south mansion. Gatsby is overwhelmed by Daisy'southward presence and is almost manic. He throws piles and piles of his shirts in front of her until she cries at how beautiful they are.

• Nick keeps trying to exit Gatsby and Daisy alone, but keeps existence roped back into their company. Compare this to the way he was trying to go away from Tom and Myrtle in Chapter ii and also forced to stick around.

• Daisy and Gatsby are left lonely together, clearly full of feelings for each other, and in their own little globe.

What's Next?

Laugh at a drenched, umbrella-less Gatsby in the most recent movie adaptation - it'south one of the few concrete comedy bits in the novel, and that movie gets it simply correct.

Explore the chapter'south other key symbol: the green low-cal on Daisy'southward dock.

Review the chapter's primary motifs: the rainy conditions, and the conspicuous lack of alcohol.

Move on to the summary of Chapter 6, or revisit the summary of Chapter 4.

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Nigh the Author

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English language at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student admission to higher education.

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Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/the-great-gatsby-chapter-5-summary

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