No Fear The Great Gatsby Chapter 5
Water and time references are everywhere in this chapter. Chapter 5 is also when Fitzgerald really lets his readers
know that he’s got jokes. From actual quips to awkward moments, the chapter is filled with chuckle-inducing moments.
Some amusing moments throughout the chapter:
Gatsby tells Nick he “wants to get the grass cut” before Daisy comes to see him. What he really means is that he
wants a servant to cut Nick’s grass because it’s atrocious and ragged.
Daisy, when told not to bring Tom, responds in an “innocent” manner, “Who is Tom?” Even Daisy has jokes.
Nick makes an attempt at a joke, but it seems to fall fairly flat. Good one, Nick. Remembering the story from the
first chapter, where her butler got his nose all screwed up because polishing silver takes a toll on one’s sinuses, Nick asks
if the gasoline affects the driver’s nose. Daisy “innocently” responds, “I don’t think so, why?” Which means she’s either
being coy, or Nick’s joke has flown over her head.
Gatsby, in a moment of panic, goes back outside Nick’s house so that he can “stop by,” and since it’s raining out,
by the time he comes back inside he is absolutely sopping wet. Gatsby, you awkward fool! Let us all cringe and giggle at
his stupid decision.
Gatsby, who is no doubt feeling outrageously nervous, also hits his head against a clock and scrambles to catch it
and set it back up on the mantle. While this certainly has symbolic meaning as well (being literally punched in the face by
time? The one aspect of life he seems entirely obsessed with? I mean, other than Daisy), it’s fairly amusing. Poor guy. The
way they deal with the clock situation also serves to show us how painfully awkward this tea party is.
There are some other amusing moments as well, but I’ll leave that for the summary section.
A tip of the hat to Elodie from Sparknotes for pieces of chapter 5’s summary below.
We’re diving right back into the world of disaster, debauchery, and emotional suffocation that is The Great
Gatsby. Minus the disaster, actually. At the start of chapter 5, Nick thinks Gatsby’s house is on fire, but it turns out that’s
just what it looks like when Gatsby has all the lights on. Nick tells Gatsby he’ll call Daisy and get this whole thing rolling.
Here’s roughly what Gatsby says in response: "I don’t want you to go to any trouble, old sport. But can you maybe do
something about the rancid doom landscape you call a front lawn before she comes over? Maybe cut the grass? Also, it
might rain. Do you think it’ll rain? If it rains, that’ll ruin everything.”
Gatsby then tries to seduce Nick into joining his secret underground money-world, but Nick says “nah, hard
pass.” He thinks, however, that under "different circumstances" this proposition might have been "one of the crises of
[his] life." Either this is because the source of Gatsby’s riches is starting to sound fishier and fishier and high-horse Nick
can’t stomach the moral decay of America, or it’s because Nick was this-close to becoming partners in crime with the
love of his life. It’s probably one or the other.
Gatsby’s reaction is also important because it shows the types of people Gatsby normally has to work with. Not
people who will simply do someone a favor, but someone who will do something only if it also benefits them. I think
Gatsby finds it endearing that Nick is just willing to do him a favor.
Nick invites Daisy over and tells her not to bring Tom. Daisy doesn’t question this, and instead makes her quippy
little joke about not knowing who Tom is. On the agreed upon day, Nick goes to the store to buy things like flowers,
lemons, and cups, because I guess he’s just been drinking out of his hands this whole time. Gatsby arrives wearing a white
