They Meet Again: Gatsby Chapter 5

Chapter five is the type of chapter in which you feel completely awkward while reading, and where you just can’t help but cringe at some of the situations that happen. Or, at least that’s how I felt. In this chapter, the much anticipated reunion between Gatsby and Daisy took place, and while awkward at times, it happened exactly as I expected it to. Upon first sight of each other, Gatsby and Daisy make awkward and small conversation, as Daisy is clearly in disbelief, and Gatsby is so nervous that he makes a fool out of himself multiple times. However, once Daisy learns about Gatsby's lavish lifestyle, and the luxuries that she could indulge in, their relationship becomes just as loving as it once was years before. In my opinion, the reunion with Gatsby is Daisy’s way out of  a miserable life. Daisy, upset with Tom’s affair and his constant neglect for her, is now presented with the opportunity to enjoy life alongside one of the wealthiest men in the area. Daisy’s exaggerated happiness and reactions towards Gatsby’s lifestyle is justified, in my eyes.  At one point, Daisy begins sobbing at the sight of Gatsby’s wardrobe, stating that “‘They’re such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. ‘It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such--such beautiful shirts before’” (Fitzgerald 98) The fact that Daisy is crying simply at the site of expensive shirts shows just how much she has waited to be with a man like this, or even, just how much she has wanted to see Gatsby again. Daisy has always wanted to live a powerful, lush, and lavish lifestyle, and I think that from here on out, she will stick by Gatsby’s side so that she’ll be able to enjoy the life she has always dreamed of living. Apart from the reunion between Daisy and Gatsby, chapter five included something that has not been found before anywhere in the book: humor! Describing the awkward first moments of the meeting, Nick describes how “The automatic quality of Gatsby’s answers set us all back at least another minute. I had both on their feet with the desperate suggestion that they help me make tea in the kitchen when the demoniac Finn brought it in on a tray” (Fitzgerald 92) Imagining Daisy, Gatsby, and Nick standing awkwardly and silently in a room together, with nothing to be said or discussed, is actually funny. In addition, Nick’s choice of words for the Finn--”demoniac”-- is Fitzgerald’s humorous way of describing how Nick was mad that she had ruined his plan. Of course, humor is subjective, and many would probably argue that this scene is more tragically awkward instead of funny. In a book where nothing is funny, however, this lighthearted scene was much appreciated.