Gatsby's Party

Chapter 3 opens with yet another house party and we are finally introduced to Gatsby. From the very beginning, the reader can detect that there is something different about Gatsby that sets him apart even at his own house and at his own party. Many of the guests at the party are wealthy and also seem to be very vain. Most guests are drunk, and seem to talk with other guests just to fit in. At the beginning of the party, the men and women, “glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light.” This constant change and external stimuli show that the guests are incapable of simply interacting with each other, but need materials and worldly entertainment in order to be happy. At the party, Nick hears even more rumors and speculation about Gatsby. This “romantic speculation [Gatsby] inspired” caused much whispering by the guests, “who found very little that it was necessary to whisper about in this world.” All of the guests are wealthy, well off, and feel no reason to be insecure or to whisper. As we learn from the description by the other guests, Gatsby does not fit in well in these parties and almost never engages in conversation or drinking that often occurs. Also, Gatsby is the only character, with which Nick seems to connect and admire. While Nick feels awkward trying to talk with the other guests, he is “reassured” by Gatsby’s “rare smiles.” Gatsby seems to be disconnected from the stereotypes of the Twenties. During this time, many people drank alcohol and partied openly, but Gatsby seems reserved and contented with himself, not needing to establish false relationships with others in order to boost his self-esteem. Gatsby seems to be content with the world and distant from its problems. Even as “the caterwauling horns had reached a crescendo… a wafer of a moon was chining over Gatsby’s house, making the night as fine as before.”