Chapter by Chapter Countdown to Gatsby ... Chapter Five

Carey Mulligan as Daisy in The Great Gatsby

"As I went over to say good-by I saw that the expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby's face, as though a faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness. Almost five years! There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams-not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart."

Chapter 5, page 16

Continuing the countdown to The Great Gatsby movie due out May 10th. This shot from early on in Chapter 5 represents the scene where Gatsby and Daisy reunite for the first time, meeting at Nick's for tea. Gatsby, nervous and desperate to make the right impression on Daisy, had the lavish display of flowers brought over to Nick's (remember Gatsby famously has Nick's lawn cut too) and after an extremely awkward beginning, the three of them go to Gatsby's for a tour of his mansion; the ultimate physical manifestation of his achievements, of his offering to Daisy. Nick's reflection comes later; I picked this image of Carey at tea because she looks so lovely here; a delicate and lovely southern belle, the Daisy that Gatsby would have kept in his heart and mind. Does she 'tumble short of his dreams - not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusions'?

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