At the very beginning of this chapter, Nick notices that Gatsby's house is illuminated; "lit from tower to cellar." This could be symbolic of Gatsby coming to light as Nick and the readers learn more about him. Nick also remarks that "there wasn't a sound" - the house seems to be waiting, in the same way that Gatsby is anticipating his reunion with Daisy.
However, after Nick and Gatsby arrange the meeting, Gatsby proposes that Nick go into business with him. He tells Nick it's "a little business on the side" and "a rather confidential sort of thing." Gatsby is incredibly vague about what the business is, and after seeing him associate with shady figures like Wolfsheim, readers suspect that Gatsby is perhaps involved in some kind of criminal activity. This all adds to the suspicion surrounding Gatsby, causing Nick and the readers to further question who this man really is.
When Daisy and Gatsby finally meet, Gatsby is tense and on edge with "dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes". He talks "vaguely" and seems incredibly anxious. He reverts to "acting like a little boy" and shortly leaves the room in embarrassment, declaring the meeting a "terrible mistake." Once again, readers see Gatsby from a different angle; he is no longer suave and mysterious, but fumbling, nervous and bashful in the presence of the girl he loves. This only adds to readers' questions about Gatsby; one moment he is a sophisticated man of new money, throwing parties and socialising, the next he is a shady criminal, and the next he is a seemingly normal man who wants to impress a girl. Which version of Gatsby is the 'real' Gatsby is somewhat ambiguous; however, this version of Gatsby appears to be the most genuine.
A significant moment in this chapter is when Gatsby knocks over a "defunct mantelpiece clock" but quickly recovers it with "trembling fingers" and "sets it back in place." This is symbolic of Gatsby's attitude throughout the story, as he tries to turn back time and revive his past romance with Daisy. He refuses to accept that things have moved on, that Daisy is now married with a child. At the end of chapter six, Nick writes this quotation from Gatsby:"Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can!"Gatsby is a symbol of the American Dream (I will write more on this later) and this is a classic example of the driven, self-determined American attitude prevalent in this era. As with the green light, Gatsby knows what he wants and is determined to achieve it, even if it seems impossible.
Before the meeting, Gatsby decorates Nick's house with flowers and cakes to show off to Daisy and impress her with his money. Later, he shows Daisy his house and, as hoped, she is in awe of his wealth. Nick notes how Gatsby "revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes." Gatsby accumulated this wealth to be with her and so, of course, her opinions are paramount. Later, when Gatsby shows Daisy his abundant shirt collection, she begins to "cry stormily" because she has "never seen such beautiful shirts before." The use of the word 'stormily' reflects the emotional storm Daisy is experiencing by being reunited with Gatsby.
There could be various reasons why Daisy cries over the shirts; perhaps because they represent Gatsby's colourful, energetic lifestyle whilst Daisy is trapped in a bleak, colourless and loveless marriage to the pessimistic Tom. It could also be because these shirts are a symbol of the 'new' Gatsby, and her romance was with the 'old' Gatsby. She may be upset because he has changed, because she does not know who the 'new' Gatsby is, or she may feel an overwhelming happiness for him as he has come so far since they were together. Whatever reason Daisy has for crying, it is clear something about the shirts triggers a deep emotional response in her; suggesting that Gatsby himself does the same. She evidently does not experience this kind of emotion when with Tom, which speaks volumes about the difference between the relationships. Daisy's tearful breakdown is also somewhat unsettling as it feels out of place; the reunion is supposed to be happy for both of them. This moment alludes to the fact that things will not go smoothly for Daisy and Gatsby; their future will be "stormy".Fitzgerald uses the weather throughout the novel to mirror the emotions of characters (this is called pathetic fallacy) and to indicate movement/change in the story. In this chapter, Nick describes how "the day agreed upon was pouring rain", reflecting the release of emotions during the meeting. After half an hour of Daisy and Gatsby talking, "the sun shined" and Gatsby "glowed"'; the rain resolves into sunshine, suggesting that Daisy and Gatsby have reconciled and are happy again. The sun comes out after the pivotal moment of Gatsby and Daisy's reunion, suggesting a new season and a 'fresh start' for them.
Chapter five falls almost exactly in the middle of the novel and could be considered the turning point of the story; Gatsby's life seems to go downhill and things unravel rapidly after the pivotal moment where he is reunited with Daisy. Whilst it appears to be a happy time for both Daisy and Gatsby, Nick notes that the green light, which had once "seemed as close as a star to the moon" was once again merely "a green light on a dock" and that Gatsby's "count of enchanted objects had diminished by one." The real Daisy proves to be an anticlimax after the perfect version of her that Gatsby has imagined over the years; his expectations for her are impossibly high, meaning she can only really be a disappointment. Gatsby at this point has achieved his dream, but the story is only halfway through; as Gatsby has supposedly reached the top, perhaps the only way is down.
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