Monday, May 20, 2013

What is the weather like when Gatsby goes to Nick's house for tea with Daisy in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby?

The weather in the scene when Gatsby and Daisy finally reunite is symbolically significant.  


When the day of the get-together begins, it is "pouring rain" but slows to a "damp mist" by the time of Daisy's arrival.  Certainly, this is not the type of weather that one would hope for when reuniting with a lost love, but that seems to be the point that Fitzgerald is making.  Gatsby tries to make this meeting as perfect as possible, sending over a servant to mow Nick's lawn (even though it's raining) and sending over "innumerable receptacles" of flowers to fill Nick's house.  But the rain, the weather, is something that he cannot control, and it seems to frustrate Gatsby, as he is uneasy and fidgeting while waiting for Daisy's arrival.  


As Nick leaves the house to allow Gatsby and Daisy some time alone, he comments on the weather and its connection to the couple: "While the rain continued it had seemed like the murmur of their voices, rising and swelling a little now and then with gusts of emotion. But in the new silence I felt that silence had fallen within the house too."  When the rain stops, Nick discovers that there is no longer any embarrassment or awkwardness between the two.  In fact, Gatsby was "literally glowing" like the sun that had just appeared.  While Gatsby may not be able to control the weather, it does seem to follow his moods, and will become significant in later chapters.

No comments:

Post a Comment

How does the choice of details set the tone of the sermon?

Edwards is remembered for his choice of details, particularly in this classic sermon. His goal was not to tell people about his beliefs; he ...