The Parties

In the first two chapters of Gatsby, you can see two very different types of lifestyles going on during the "roaring twenties". This contrast is most clearly seen when looking at the party at the Buchanans and the party at Myrtle Wilson's apartment. At the first location, the reader gets the sense of a very refined way of living. That characteristic is first exemplified by the Buchanan's house. Beautiful lawns and gardens decorate the exterior, and upon entering, Nick gets an impression that the interior is simply an extension of the beaty outside with the "fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house" (8) and the breeze filtering in and setting the room into motion. The house has a feeling of decorative perfection. The refined nature of the house seems to be carried over into the dinner and the conversation. The dinner seems to be perfectly arranged with a butler waiting on all of the guests. And although there is some verbal sparring between Tom and Daisy, the feeling of the conversation seems refined and almost structured. This party is very different from the one Nick experiences in chapter 2 at Myrtle's apartment. As soon as Nick walks in the door, he gives an image of the setting that sharply contrasts the Buchanan's house, describing the apartment as overcrowded with furniture and poorly decorated. The disorder of the room is an augury of the disorder of the party to come. It involved Nick getting drunk, one of just two times he has ever done so, conversations about Tom and Myrtle cheating on their spouses, and finally, Tom breaking Myrtle's nose. The chaotic, action-filled scene at this party shows another side of twenties life that displays a sharp contrast to the well-mannered party at the Buchanans.