The Great Gatsby Chapter 3 Notes Gatsbys Parties

The Great Gatsby: Chapter 3 Notes:

Gatsby’s Parties: • -elaborate, people come but most are not invited, many rumors and much gossip about what he doeswhat could his parties represent? Nick’s observations: • East Eggers and West Eggers- “East Egg condescending to West Egg, and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic gayety” (49). *study of interaction between matter and radiation- of visible light dispersed by its wave length by a prism • Englishman are there: “well dressed, all looking to solid and prosperous Americans”- Nick is sure they are selling something – Social classes (lens)/ prosperity of the time period • Men and women argue – wives don’t want to leave (Feminist view) • Jordan- takes Nick “as a promise she’d take care of me in a minute” – Feminist view- she goes against stereotypical view of women. Symbol: Owl Eyes- omniscient presence Theme: Carelessness- car accident after the party- drive was intoxicated and Jordan’s comment:

Chapter 3 cont… • “ They’ll keep out of my way, she insisted. “It takes two to make an accident” – foreshadowing/ careless view of the time period • Jordan: liar • Gatsby- genuine smile: “it understood you as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you…. ” / “elegant young rough neck, a year or two over thirty…”

Chapter 8 and 9: • The fog horn and Nick’s sleeplessness at the beginning of ch. 8 foreshadow Gatsby’s demise • Could Gatsby be seen as a tragic hero? Flawed, reversal of fortune, excessive pride, char. fate is greater than what is deserved • Gatsby’s dream is illustrated again in a flashback: youth and beauty seem to be the focus and these seem tied to money- Daisy’ porch is “bright witht the bought luxury of starshine” and she “gleams like silver” • The reference to Daisy as a grail has a religious or spiritual connotation- it is sacred like a knight pursuing the Holy Grail. • Disillusionment of America: the hopes of the nation were tied to material wealth • Autumn: the end is near (falling leaves and draining pool) – Beginning of the novel is the Spring, climax is the heat of the summer, closes with the fall.

Chapters 8 cont… • Nick’s statement to Gatsby that he is “worth the whole damn bunch put together” is the summation of what Nick has learned during his stay. He respects Gatsby’s fortitude and strength, his idealism and unselfish nature. • Wilson’s observation of the eyes of TJ Eckelberg show that the eyes are still an omniscient presence and Wilson even says they are the eyes of God watching • He is associated with the color grey and is described as an “ashen, fantastic” which echoes the description of the Valley of Ashes. He has lost himself and his spirit (ghostly). • Gatsby’s death: still clinging to faith that Daisy will call- although Nick speculates him losing this/ Gatsby’s dream is unshakeable and this is admirable to Nick (and to readers).

Chapter 9: • Nick feels it is his moral responsibility to find people to attend Gatsby’s funeral • Wolfsheim, Klipspringer do not have enough real feelings to attend- only Owl Eyes and Nick take an interest in giving him a proper burial • Daisy does not admit to driving and murdering Myrtle- “grotesque” carelessness that infiltrates eastern society. He references a scene from an El Greco painting and talks about four men walking on pg. 176: http: //www. ibiblio. org/wm/paint/auth/greco/toledo. jpg • Nick now feels “haunted” by the East- sees Tom and at first, refuses to shake his hand: Tom worries about the loss of his mistress and becomes sentimental about dog biscuits, but does not feel guilty about sending Wilson to murder Gatsby: “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money and vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together…” (179).

Ch. 9 cont… • In contrast to Tom and Daisy’s mess, Nick feels a need to leave things in order, including saying goodbye to Jordan. East Eggers: arrogant, careless vs. West or the valley (common man) • This reflects back to the fact that he believes he is one of the few honest people he has known in ch. 3 • Mr. Gatz’ visit is a representation of Gatsby’s boyhood but also reveals he didn’t really know his son- he pieces together Gatsby’s life. • Gatsby’s “schedule” echoes Ben Franklin’s Autobiography and two admirable American hero qualities: hard-working ambition and thirst for adventure • Nick looks across the bay and thinks to Ellis Island that once “flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes- a fresh, green breast of the new world” (180). “Breast” can be equated to a woman- Gatsby’s dream is embodied in a woman.

Ch. 9: Fitzgerald’s overall message • The corruption of the American dream is the result of materialism: Green freshness of America has been tainted and is now a valley of ashes.