At this point in the novel, Gatsby has finally reunited with Daisy after five years. Gatsby shows both Daisy and Nick around his mansion, noting Daisy’s reactions to his mansion. Later, a reporter comes to Gatsby’s house, whereupon Nick digresses and shares Gatsby’s background. As Nick describes Gatsby’s humble beginnings, he relies on comparison and biblical allusions to establish a theme of deceit and disillusionment that endures throughout the rest of the novel. Although Gatsby was born into poverty by “shiftless and unsuccessful farm people” as parents, he completely altered his persona to conform to his “Platonic conception of himself,” adapted from Platonic idealism; his transformation reflects his dreams and, on a larger scale, the
