Chapters 5 and 6

            Chapter 5 begins with Gatsby waiting for Nick. He asks if Nick wants to go to Coney Island but really he wants to know if Daisy has been invited over to Nick’s house. Nick tells Gatsby that he’ll invite her over for tea, and then Gatsby becomes an anxious little man. Once Daisy comes over, he becomes a nervous wreck. He tells her exactly how long it’s been since they saw each other, which is creepy. Then he makes a point for her to see how grand his home is. She’s very emotional so she’s crying a lot. She cries because he has so many shirts. This is a strange encounter. Another creepy thing he says is that he has collected clipping about her. This probably affirmed Emari’s belief that he is a psychopath. He then tells her about how he can see her house across the bay. He didn’t seem like a normal guy in this chapter. I want them to fall back in love, but I know this is not realistic. Gatsby doesn’t know this isn’t realistic since he basically lives in the past as we see in Chapter 6: “‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’” (110).

            At the beginning of Chapter 6 we learn who Gatsby really is, although Nick didn’t learn this at this time. Gatsby changed his name at age seventeen and didn’t truly attend Oxford. He worked as a janitor at St. Olaf’s college. Gatsby’s mentor/best friend was Dan Cody. Then we come back to present with Tom, Mr. Sloane, and some woman coming to Gatsby’s house. There’s no reason for them to be there. Mr. Sloane does not have a personality and the woman invites both Gatsby and Nick to her dinner party. Gatsby doesn’t have a horse so he’ll have to drive there. The horse part is ridiculous. Everyone in this book is ridiculous. Then Tom and Daisy go to a Gatsby party and Tom is sour the entire time. He’s so obnoxious. After they leave, Gatsby is discouraged because Daisy hated the party. I don’t believe that’s true, plus she had the most fun when she was with Gatsby. They’re meant to be. But is he a little obsessive and insane? Absolutely.