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The Great Gatsby-Chapter 5
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This is a comprehensive linguistic analysis of Chapter 5 of the Great Gatsby
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The Great Gatsby: CHAPTER 5- There is a premonition of the destruction at the end of the novel when Nick says, “I was
afraid for a moment that my house was on fire.” There is a sense of threat and menace
- There is a contrast between the silence, “But there wasn’t a sound” of Gatsby’s house
currently and the noise of Gatsby’s parties
- The symbolic language “as if the house had winked into the darkness” suggests the
transitoriness of happiness and foreshadows the failure of Gatsby’s dream
- The extravagance of Gatsby is emphasised through his impulsive behaviour, “Let’s go to
Coney Island”
- The materialistic elements of the novel are emphasised through the direct speech, “you
don’t make much money do you…not very much.” Money is seen as divisive
- There is a suggestion of the criminality / illegality of Gatsby’s activities, “little business on the
side.” This is a clumsily obvious gesture by Gatsby and it furthers our impression of Gatsby’s
criminal activities
- Nick’s reason for neglecting Gatsby’s offer is not a moral objection but rather one based on
manners
- Gatsby’s clothing is symbolic, “white flannel suit, silver shirt and gold-coloured tie” as it
almost mirrors Daisy’s own dress
- Gatsby’s impatience, “I can’t wait all day” is ironic as he has waited 5 years for Daisy
- The specificity of the time “two minutes two four” is a main motif in the novel
- There is a focus throughout the novel on Daisy’s voice, “The exhilarating ripple of her voice
was a wild tonic in the rain.”
- The description of Daisy always focuses on her appearance, “A damp streak of hair lay like a
dash of blue paint across her cheek and her hand was wet with glistening drops.” None of
the female characters in the novel are allowed to have their actual thought processes
expressed. They are only portrayed in terms of their appearance (Fitzgerald’s attitude to
women)
- Gatsby’s anxiety is emphasised through his description, “Gatsby, pale as death, with his
hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets…” Nick’s anxiety is also emphasised, “Aware
of the loud beating of my own heart”
- The “artificial” note to Daisy’s vote suggests falsity
- For the first meeting between Gatsby and Daisy, Nick is not present
- Gatsby’ posture evokes the theme of appearance versus reality, “hands still in his pocket,
was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of
boredom.”
- The theme of tie is evoked through the deliberate interpose of the clock, “defunct
mantelpiece clock”
- The fall of the clock, “the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his
head” is symbolic
- The accuracy of Gatsby’s memory, “Five years next November” emphasises the magnitude of
Gatsby’s dream and the theme of time
- The fact that Gatsby’s house was previously owned by a “brewer” is pleasantly ironic (link to
Gatsby and bootlegging trade)
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