Chapter 5 introduces the heart of the matter: Gatsby’s dream of Daisy. Through Nick, Gatsby is brought face-to-face with the fulfillment of a dream that he has pursued relentlessly for the past five years of his life. Everything he has done has been, in some sense, tied to his pursuit of Daisy. In a sense, Daisy’s and Gatsby’s encounter marks the book’s high point — the dream is realized. What happens after a dream is fulfilled? Unlike other novels in which characters work to overcome adversity only to have their dreams realized at the end of the book and live happily ever after (or so the implication goes), Gatsby has his dream fulfilled early, suggesting to astute readers that this won’t be the typical rags-to-riches story. The second half of the book describes what happens when one chases, then obtains, one’s dream. The end need not be “happily ever after.”
The chapter opens as Nick returns home, only to find Gatsby’s house “lit from tower to cellar,” with no party in sight, only Gatsby “glancing into some of the rooms.” In an attempt to calm Gatsby’s apparent restlessness, Nick tells him he will phone Daisy and invite her to tea. Gatsby, still trying to play it cool, casually remarks “Oh, that’s all right.” Nick, who now knows a great deal more about how Gatsby functions (and the fact he has spent the last five years of his life chasing a dream), insists on pinning Gatsby down to a date. Gatsby, trying to show his appreciation, suggest he line Nick up with some of his business contacts in order to “pick up a nice bit of money” on the side. Of course, Gatsby is referring to his underworld connections, but what is perhaps so striking about Gatsby’s gesture is the apparent tactlessness of it all. Despite his great wealth, his generosity takes curious and non-traditional forms showing just how far out of touch he really is with the “old money” world into which he wishes entrée.
