The Great Gatsby Chapter 5 Summary

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Chapter 5 of “The Great Gatsby” is the most important chapter of the novel as Gatsby’s reunion with Daisy is the pivotal point of the plot. Before this event, their relationship is only a possibility, as Gatsby edges towards a dream that no one else is aware of. The plot changes its focus to the romance between Daisy and Gatsby, and the tensions in their relationship become real. When a history between Gatsby and Daisy is revealed, a meeting is unavoidable. As the novel explores the ideas of love and the American dream, it becomes clear that Gatsby’s ideas of emotions are out of line with the passage of time. The fact that he is nervous about what is happening in the present, and about Daisy’s attitude towards him causes him to knock over Nick’s…show more content…
His persona that he has built up crumbles away to show that he is no more than a man, love-struck and awkward. “He fumbled with a series of beginnings. “Why, I thought- why look here, old sport, you don’t make much money, do you?” At the mention of Daisy, Gatsby begins to lose his words, unable to start a sentence properly. “I thought- why look here” Gatsby seems to be distracted by his own thoughts as he can’t hold a conversation topic for longer than a second. He is trying to distract himself from thinking about his meeting with Daisy. Gatsby uses Nick’s finances as an anchor to weigh down his thoughts and to find something that he is more comfortable talking about. Daisy, too, lets her emotions get the better of her, upon seeing Gatsby, Daisy becomes overwhelmed and begins to cry. “Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. “They’re such beautiful shirts” “Stormily” suggests that Daisy’s outburst is violent and emotional, it could also be seen as disturbing as she was smiling and laughing with Gatsby a few moments before. It seems that Daisy’s emotional outburst is caused by the sight of Gatsby’s success, her tears filled with honesty at the joy of his
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