The weather in the Great Gatsby plays a significant role in the feelings and emotions of the characters. It is often used to symbolize the characters feelings, and also sets the mood in certain situations. This can be seen in Chapter one when Nick first visits Daisy and Tom. There is a certain optimism around the visit as Nick is starting his new life and meeting new people, “and so it happened on a warm windy evening I drove over to East Egg to see two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all” (p.12). However, the wind can also foreshadow the uncertainty and turmoil that these people will cause in Nick’s life.
In chapter five the weather really becomes apparent in representing the characters emotions. On the day in which Gatsby and Daisy reunite it was raining heavily, “The day agreed upon was pouring rain” (p. 81). The pouring rain represents Gatsby’s insistent anxiousness and nervousness over this meeting. As the time goes on the rain cools to a damp mist and Gatsby’s feelings become less intense as he begins to believe that Daisy will not show up. “Nobody’s coming to tea. It’s too late!” (p.82). After she arrives however it begins to pour again, “Once more it was pouring,” (p.85) showing Gatsby’s despair as he believes that this reunion was a “terrible mistake,” (p.85). Nick even remarks on this relationship between the weather and characters when he states: “While the rain continued it had seemed like the murmur of their voices, rising and swelling a little now and then with the gusts of emotion” (86). When Nick goes back in he explains Gatsby as glowing and a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room” (86). Gatsby’s great happiness is reflected when “twinkle-bells of sunshine enter the room and he smiled like a weather man, like an ecstatic patron of recurring light” (86). When he tells Daisy that the sun has come out she is also overjoyed, “Her throat, full of aching, grieving beauty, told only of her unexpected joy” (87). The sun can directly represent both Daisy and Gatsby’s joy over their successful reunion.
The weather in chapter seven also significantly represents the emotions felt by the characters. It takes place on the hottest day of the summer, and as this temperature begins to rise so does the tension felt between the characters. The first hint to this tension felt in the hot summer air is when Nick is on his way to the Buchanan’s. When Nick goes to pick up a pocket-book that a woman has accidentally dropped he holds it at an arms length “to indicate that I had no designs upon it,” but everyone around still “suspected me just the same” (109). Daisy’s confusion and anxiety over Gatsby and Tom is first shown in this chapter also, “But it’s so hot, and everything’s so confused. Let’s all go to town! (113). Nick also speaks of this confusion caused by the heat: “ The relentless beating heat was beginning to confuse me” (118). In the hot hotel room Gatsby and Tom have a confrontation and as the heat intensifies so does the tension between the two. On this day the feelings between Daisy and Gatsby are also at their most intense and after this confrontation, the next day the weather begins to cool like their relationship.
The beginning of fall represents the death of Gatsby’s dreams between him and Daisy. He tries to hold on to this dream by holding onto the summer in which they loved one another. He doesn’t let the pool boy close the pool and instead decides to go swimming, which represents him not letting go of the summer and their relationship. The fall represents Gatsby’s death and life changes for the characters. In chapter seven Jordan prophesies this when she says: “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall” (113). On the day of Gatsby’s funeral it is raining which clearly outlines the sorrow of this day. Even though the weather in the novel does not relate directly towards class, I found it very interesting and could not ignore it in my blog.
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