CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES

CHAPTER III

Notes

This chapter presents the third meaningless party in a row for Nick Carraway, and this one, held at Gatsby's mansion, has similarities to and differences from the small, classy dinner party at the Buchanan's and the raucous, drunken gathering at Myrtle's apartment. Like the party at the Buchanan's, Gatsby's party is held in a mansion, is attended by denizens of the fashionable Egg Islands (including Jordan and Nick), is well prepared, is filled with vacuous chatter, and ends in fighting. (Tom and Daisy fight over his mistress at the end of the dinner; the husbands and wives at Gatsby's fight about leaving the party.) In contrast to the small dinner party, this one is a huge gathering, complete with orchestra and dancing, and it drags on forever in a drunken stupor until the wee hours of the morning. In that respect, Gatsby's party is more like the one at Myrtle's.

Although her party is an impromptu gathering, like Gatsby's it is crowded, filled with inane conversation, and ends in a drunken, disastrous scene. (There is a definite comparison between the carelessness of Tom's breaking Myrtle's nose to the carelessness of the broken wheel on the automobile.) Fitzgerald, through Nick Carraway's narration, is showing the sad emptiness of the parties (symbolic of the rich) and the lives of the people who attend them. After the fun and frivolity of the evening comes the reality of life: the news of Tom's mistress spoils the dinner party, Tom's violence breaks up Myrtle's party; the automobile accident mars Gatsby's party --and on Monday morning, the gardeners and the butlers (and other non-wealthy souls) will be left to repair the "ravages" from the party and the damage caused by the wealthy.

Gatsby's party is described in greater detail than the other two parties in order to introduce the character of the host and to emphasize the purposeless nature of his gatherings. Most of his guests have not been invited to the party but have been brought by others or just drop in. With no moral consciousness, they drink Gatsby's liquor and eat his food without even attempting to meet him or express appreciation (in contrast to Nick who is obsessed with finding Gatsby and introducing himself). The women, purposefully dressed in silvers and golds (symbolic of money), only pretend to have fun. (They even weep as they sing.) There are no real relationships here, only inane chatter, wild speculation, and drunken antics; it is a false appearance of happiness that covers up the lack of moral responsibility and misery of the soul.

The whole swirling party scene is orchestrated by Jay Gatsby, who like his party, appears to be a splendid illusion. He has borrowed the design for his mansion from France; he has created an impressive library filled with real books that are never opened or read; he gives wild parties in which he never really participates; he speaks with elaborate formality saying words of little meaning; and he flashes a vibrant, understanding smile that quickly vanishes to reveal the true Gatsby. Just as the party lies to cover up the misery beneath, underneath Gatsby's smooth appearance, Nick recognizes "a young roughneck." But Gatsby is not a party-goer by nature. He stands alone, distant from the action. The first image of him in the book was at the end of Chapter 1, standing in isolation in the darkness with hand outstretched to the green light. In a similar manner, at the end of this chapter, he stands alone on his porch, waving from a distance to his last departing guests. Gatsby does not join in with the drinking and merriment, but orchestrates it all for a purpose, for he is an incurable romantic, a man with a dream.

Jordan Baker, who appears repeatedly through the night at Gatsby's party and is described in shades of gold, is the perfect representation of the wealthy who attend his gatherings. She tells Nick that she loves Gatsby's parties, for they are "large and intimate," seemingly contradictory words. Like many in attendance, she is haughty in demeanor, contemptuous of others, impersonal in relationships, and adrift in life. With no permanent home, family, or occupation, she floats without purpose from golf tournament to golf tournament, from party to party, and from Daisy's house to her aunt's.

Jordan, like most of the other inhabitants of the Egg Islands, has no moral decency. She borrowed a convertible, left it out in the rain with its top down, and then lied about it. She listened to Gatsby's private story, promising secrecy, then immediately tempts Nick about it and tells him to call her for more information. At her first golf tournament, she moved her ball from a bad position in order to win during the semi-final round. Nick recognizes her weakness and describes her as "incurably dishonest" and capable of subterfuge. He also sees her as a totally careless person. When he accuses her of being a rotten driver, she says that others just need to keep out of her way, as if she is the most important person on the road or in the world. Nick quizzes her further and asks, "Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself." Jordan shrugs off his question and ironically claims that she avoids all careless people.

Dressed in white flannels (as a symbol of purity) at the party, Nick Carraway is a complete contrast to Jordan Baker and the other wealthy party-goers. In this chapter, Nick's Midwestern upbringing and "provincial inexperience" once again come into play, for their mix has given him moral decency and firm roots. He is appalled at the extravagance of Gatsby's gatherings and pities the eight servants and gardeners who must clean up the "ravages" each Monday morning. Even though invited to this particular party, he feels bad about being present and not knowing the host; therefore, Nick seeks out Gatsby throughout the evening in order to introduce himself and express his appreciation. He cannot relax and enjoy the party until everything is put in order. In a similar manner, his everyday life must be orderly. He works very hard at Probity Trust, eats the same kind of lunch each day, takes his dinner each evening at the Yale Club, and studies books on investments and securities each evening (unlike Gatsby, who never opens a book in his library).

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