The novel, The Great Gatsby, is a narrative written from the perspective of our narrator Nick Carraway. This was written to the time period of the Roaring Twenties. In the first three chapters of the book, Nick is included in three separate parties, the party of Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the party of Myrtle Wilson, and the party of Jay Gatsby, all parties had exclusive settings and individuals accompanying them, with some slight cross over of Jordan Baker seen in both the Buchanan and Gatsby party, each party brings what I would believe to embody a different feeling, pertaining obviously, to the people and setting that each party has.
In the first party of Daisy and Tom Buchanan, we are introduced to both Daisy - the cousin of Nick Carraway - and Tom Buchanan, as well as Jordan Baker. This party took place in fashionable East Egg. The setting is better described in the quote on page 6 reading "a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial Mansion, overlooking the bay". Colors, which, seem to have an important role in the entirety of the book bring on the powerful emphasis on characters and the setting's feelings. With red being often representative of courage and life, with the compliment of purity and innocence. Furthermore, we read, "The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold and wide open to the warm windy afternoon." This feeling of good and warm openness is quickly shut down by Tom Buchanan. This matches the tone of the party as it is quite tense with the introduction to the much too obvious affair that Tom is having with Myrtle. We later hear from Daisy in her conversation with Tom talking about her child saying, “‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool - that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’” This shows an understanding of the situation that she is in and how it is outwardly impacting others.
Our second party is that of Myrtle Wilson’s. The affaire of Tom Buchanan. This chapter kicks us off to the Valley of Ashes. This setting puts emphasis on the low quality, and deteriorating feeling of the party it withholds through the chapter. What struck me as important in the setting of this party was how claustrophobic it felt. It was in part, similar to that of Tom and Daisy’s party as it was tense, however, it differs in the loosening up of the attendees who drank to distress the party’s environment. The claustrophobic atmosphere was best described in the quote “The living-room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it, so that to move about was to stumble continually ...” In this chapter, we meet Myrtle the McKee’s and Catherine. During this quite hectic scene, we have the all-too-weird Mckee’s. They are photographers who wish to take photos of the people at the party. This isn’t too hectic until we note that Tom literally breaks Myrtle’s nose after a yelling match over Daisy, more specifically in the mentioning of her name in general. Myrtle’s nose bleeds profusely and the party is basically wrapped up from that point with Mr. Mckee and Nick both leaving with no judgment spoken. The third party, being that of Gatsby’s, is taken place in his West Egg mansion. This party was quite grand and organized. The process which, has obviously been used and repeated by Gatsby, consists of “Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiterer in New York - every Monday these same oranges and lemons left his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves” with “...Mondays eight servants, including an extra gardener, toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the ravages of the night before”. This lengthy and thought-out process is just the beginning, with caterers and bar being set up in the house and yard Gatsby has. In this chapter, we meet Jay Gatsby and some other randoms who show up with or without invitation. More importantly, we see that Gatsby isn’t like how people describe him. With rumors of secret murders and spying that he did in the war, Gatsby is seeming to be a stand-up guy. Unbeknownst to Nick, we meet Gatsby, who is kept busy over the phone, and wants no issues with anyone. In an anecdote from one of the girls that Jordan Baker knew from a previous Gatsby event, we find out from her that “When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and he asked me my name and address- inside of a week I got a package from Criorier’s with a new evening gown in it.”n This shows the type of character that Gatsby possesses.
When choosing which party to go to, I believe I would choose Gatsby’s party by a long shot. I love seeing lots of people at social events and easily get bored of talking with a select few people for an extended period of time. It seemed to be fancy and organized whilst having elements of surprise and obvious niceties like a bar and catered food. Especially when we compare this party to the tense sitdown/ argumentative parties that were held in privy to this party. This makes it an obvious choice to attend Gatsby’s party.
Comments
Post a Comment