The Great Gatsby: Chapter Five

Narrative perspectives/ voices:
At first, the dialogue is initiated by Gatsby; ‘At least-‘ he fumbled with a series of beginnings. ‘Why, I thougt- why, look here old sport, you don’t make very much money, do you?’...he continued more confidently...he waited a moment longer, hoping I’d begin a conversation, but I was too absorbed to be responsive, so he went unwillingly home.’

Further in, the narration slips back to Nick when Gatsby is preparing for the visit he has been waiting for, and judgemental observations start to come back in: ‘I don’t believe he saw a thing’

Time Period:

‘Two o’clock and the whole corner of the peninsula was blazing with light’- At the start of the chapter, Gatsby’s mansion is told to be ‘blazing with light’, but Gatsby is seemingly unaware of this, or at least unconcerned, as the only measures of precautions he has taken in stopping the potential fire spreading, is ‘glancing in a few rooms,’ showing that even Gatsby is not ultimately about his possessions, it is merely displayed for show and to attract Daisy. Nick uses a vague time period to describe his good mood: ‘the evening had made me light-hearted and happy’.
Whilst discussing when Gatsby’s plan can be fulfilled, they discuss times: ‘What day would suit you?’ ‘What day would suit you?’ He corrected me quickly. This portrays quite a meek and timid side to Gatsby’s often outwardly boisterous-looking lifestyle. Any judgements of him can be perceived entirely wrong until gaining knowledge of his continual love and commitment towards Daisy Fay (Buchannan).
There are multiple timely preparations that take place before Daisy’s arrival: ‘At eleven o’clock a man in a raincoat, dragging a lawn-mower, tapped at my front door and said Mr Gatsby had sent him over’ ‘for at two o’clock, a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby’s’ ‘an hour later the front door opened nervously’. This large build-up is a juxtaposition to how ‘nervous’ he is really feeling. He uses his wealth to escape from this, by making sure that both his house and Nick’s, are perfect.

In the meeting with Daisy, Gatsby remembers exactly that it was ‘Five years next November,’ since him and Daisy had been together.

Setting:

The chapter starts after Nick explains the goings-on at Gatsby’s ‘when [Nick] came home to West Egg’, continuing to a conversation concerning Daisy between Gatsby and Nick, taking place in Nick’s garden: ‘We both looked down at the grass...I suspected that he meant my grass.’ The next setting is Nick’s house; Daisy is invited to Nick’s, where Gatsby has arranged to visit, without Daisy’s knowledge, so that they can ‘meet’ and reconnect consequently. As things go to plan for Gatsby, Nick and Daisy visit Gatsby’s house: ‘I want you and Daisy to come over to my house,’ he said, I’d like to show her around.’ This visit is more directed at Daisy, and by the end of the chapter, Nick concludes that Gatsby and Daisy have ‘forgotten’ him.

Narrative Techniques, Elements and Themes:

Poetic prose; ‘Gatsby got himself into a shadow’

Descriptive detail; ‘he stalked by me into the hall, turned sharply as if he were on a wire, and disappeared into the living room.’

Sensual description; ‘pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes.’

Use of dramatic dialogue; ‘‘Don’t bring Tom’ I warned her. ‘What?’ ‘Don’t bring Tom.’ ‘Whose Tom?’ she asked innocently’

Descriptive writing; ‘Her throat, full of aching, grieving beauty, told only of her unexpected joy.’ Feudal silhouette against the sky’

Surreal description; personification of the front door: ‘the front door opened nervously’

Use of sounds: lack of/ minimal sounds: ‘but there wasn’t a sound. Only wind in the trees.’ ‘as my taxi groaned’ ‘for half a minute there wasn’t a sound’ ‘Daisy’s voice on a clear artificial note’ ‘under orders to be breathlessly silent until we had passed through’

References to; rooms: ‘I have been glancing into some of the rooms’, ‘I don’t know.. how many hours he ‘glanced into rooms’’. Papers: ‘The Journal’

Colloquial language; ‘Oh, I’ve been in several things’ he corrected himself...

Time references; ‘the evening had made me light-hearted and happy’ ‘an hour later’

Language of altercation; ‘’You’re acting like a little boy’ I broke impatiently. ‘Not only that, but you’re rude. Daisy’s sitting in there all alone.’’

Use of smell: ‘the sparkling odour of jonquils’ ‘the frothy odour of hawthorns’ ‘the pale gold odour of kiss-me-at-the-gate’

Colours; ‘my ragged lawn ended and the darker, well-kept expanse of his began’ ‘in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-coloured tie’ ‘pale gold’ ‘plum blossoms’ ‘you always have a green light that burns at the end of your dock’...’now it was again a green light on a dock’

Themes; seasons- ‘he sends over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall’...