The Great Gatsby (Blog 8)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

I think that the rain in this chapter symbolized the
conflict that Gatsby faced in reuniting with
Daisy.  He was unsure of how she would
react; in addition, he didn't know if their
relationship could be rekindled after 5 years.

I expected Jay Gatsby to act cocky to try to impress Daisy when they were reunited over tea at Nick's house in chapter 5.  However, I was shocked to see that he acted completely different from this.  (I have only read half of this chapter so far, though!)  He was so nervous and practically had a breakdown before Daisy's arrival.  Two days before the event, Gatsby offers to have someone cut Nick's grass.  The day that Daisy is to come over, Gatsby sends a gardener with flowers and a man to mow the lawn.  He seems so serious about this event, which is the reason I did not expect him to get so nervous.  When Nick brings Daisy into the house, Gatsby is nowhere to be seen.  He emerges and looks almost ill.  "Gatsby, 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" (Fitzgerald, 86).  I think that Gatsby was afraid that he and Daisy could never be the same.  Because of this, he turns the whole situation into an awkward mess.  Nick leaves the room for a brief period of time to leave Gatsby and Daisy alone.  "While the rain continued it had seemed like the murmur of their voices, rising and swelling a little now and then with gusts of emotions" (Fitzgerald, 88-89).  Once he re-enters the room, Nick is relieved to see the two reconnecting and happy to see each other.  It had been raining the whole day, but it stopped when the awkwardness between Gatsby and Daisy ended.  I think that the rain symbolized the conflict that Gatsby faced.  He didn't know how Daisy would react to seeing him after 5 years.  Furthermore, he was terribly worried that their relationship could never be the same.  When the rain stopped, I think that it symbolized the peace of mind Gatsby was now experiencing.  He and Daisy were talking and were emotional to finally see each other again.  In the end, the problems cleared (like the sky cleared of rain).  I believe that Gatsby and Daisy's relationship is going to progress from this point forward.