Gatsby’s parties

“There was music in my neighbour’s house through the summer nights”, informs the reader that parties were a regular occurrence, alluding to the indulgence of the host. It is clear that Gatsby’s parties involve drinking on a grand scale, so they were in themselves unlawful at this time of prohibition.

This opening presents us with a beautiful image of Gatsby’s party, it portrays the carelessness of Gatsby’s guests “…In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars…”

Fitzgerald explores the wealth and glamour of the 1920s in the opening of chapter three. It focuses on the gap between perception and reality and is devoted to the introduction of the main character Jay Gatsby and the lavish, showy world he inhabits. Fitzgerald develops the readers’ responses to Gatsby’s parties by different means. By first exposing Gatsby’s status by describing the exceptional extravagance of his house and the preparations of the party enables the reader to imagine what the parties are like. Fitzgerald gradually brings us to this magical world of parties and let us experience the atmosphere for ourselves. By also bringing in the social aspect through characters and the anticipation of meeting the host adds to the development of response from the reader.

This scene of indulgence and pleasure seeking is established. Guests marvel over Gatsby’s Rolls-Royce, swimming pool, beach and hydroplane. These are status symbols which indicate Gatsby’s wealth. Everything is an extremity on such a huge scale; it is trying to be refined yet gives the feeling of lacking taste and class.

“…On weekends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus…”p.41Gatsby’s Rolls Royce is reduced to just a simple bus for everyone at the weekends so therefore losing its exclusiveness. The preparations for the party are then explained revealing what a great spectacle the party is going to be with its extravagant foods, full array of cocktails and a complete orchestra, again showing a small group of musicians would not satisfy Gatsby but an entire orchestra would.

Gatsby’s parties can be viewed from two different perspectives. Initially they are a place of the imagination and high spirits. But Nick’s narration points out how much physical labour is undertaken by Gatsby’s servants to achieve the effects of the party. For example, the unfortunate Butler has to press a button two hundred times to extract the juice from the oranges and lemons. The reality of the servants’ lives acts as a contrast to Gatsby’s as they are completely different. By mentioning the role of the servants it underpins the glamour of everything, exposing the veiled truth. Their hard work is taken for granted. Guests devour the endless supply of food and drink without giving a single thought to how much effort has been put in to its preparation just for their own selfish pleasure.

Gatsby’s parties can be viewed from two different perspectives. Initially they are a place of the imagination and high spirits. But Nick’s narration points out how much physical labour is undertaken by Gatsby’s servants to achieve the effects of the party. For example, the unfortunate Butler has to press a button two hundred times to extract the juice from the oranges and lemons. The reality of the servants’ lives acts as a contrast to Gatsby’s as they are completely different. By mentioning the role of the servants it underpins the glamour of everything, exposing the veiled truth. Their hard work is taken for granted. Guests devour the endless supply of food and drink without giving a single thought to how much effort has been put in to its preparation just for their own selfish pleasure.

– Loneliness

Even in the midst of a thousand laughing, merry people, Gatsby is still separate from them; he is still alone.

“People were not invited– they went there . . . Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all”(p.41). This is the first glimpse that can be seen of Gatsby’s loneliness. Gatsby throws gigantic parties in which no one seems to care if he is there or not. They come and leave; they don’t really care about him.

Quote from pg 51. This reveals firstly that, although Gatsby throws big parties, he is somewhat of a loner. Gatsby looks over his guests approvingly while unknown to him they are concocting wild and fanciful rumours about his past.