Chapter three undoubtedly develops Gatsby’s character. At the beginning of the chapter, we come to know Gatsby as a neighbor: the lavish parties he hosts, “oranges and lemons left on his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves” (43), the arrival of the orchestra (the party set up), the lighting/scenery….As the chapter progresses and Nick describes his first party at Gatsby’s, again, Gatsby is shown in a new, more personal light. He is the topic for gossip: that he once killed a man, payed for the repair of Lucille’s ripped dress, attended Oxford…- no one has a concrete explanation for who Gatsby really is- how he attained his mansion on Long Island, and how he’s come to host so many lavish parties, he has a very mysterious reputation. Before we even meet Gatsby, we come to see him from many different angles and perspectives all that contribute to perhaps a pre-image of what sort of a man Gatsby ought to be, what we would expect him to be. When we finally meet Gatsby we are caught off-guard, he, in his brief interaction with Nick, does not seem to match the picture of expectation rendered throughout this chapter and even previous chapters. How does the pre-image and pre-expectation for Gatsby’s character match/contrast etc. the Gatsby Nick meets? Furthermore, in Nick’s position, which image (rumors/ Nick’s personal experience/perception of Gatsby.…) would you observe/predict to be most accurate about Gatsby’s character? Take into account that sometimes first impressions aren’t entirely correct, that Gatsby could be reinventing himself (as mentioned in class for those there- the difficulty/ease to reinvent oneself…) after a life of these rumors, and that personal impressions always differ. What sort of overall picture do we have of Gatsby’s character as of chapter 3? How does the overall picture hold conflicting ideas/opinions/perceptions of Gatsby's character within it?
Also, Brooke and I are just curious about this, (if anyone would care to pose their interpretations, obviously you don't have to), what do you think about the meaning/symbolism of the "garden"mentioned throughout this chapter, in terms of the atmosphere of the party and how it contributes to the image of Gatsby's character?- "A wafer of moon was shining over Gatsby's house, making the night fine as before and surviving the laughter and the sound of his still glowing garden" (60).
Previous to our encounter with Gatsby, we do not know that much about him (as Grace and Brooke point out). We only can define Gatsby by rumors and parties. It is this mystery that Gatsby possesses that sparks the rumors we hear. The first is that he is related to Kaiser Wilhelm, a dictator, and the second that he has killed a man. The mystery that surrounds him sparks dangerous and cruel assumptions by the people that observe him, or even don’t know him. As Nick points out, “Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all” (45). This mystery almost lets us see Gatsby as this shady character lurking in the dark.
ReplyDeleteWhen we finally meet Gatsby we are proven wrong. He is very good-natured and personable, remembering Nick from the war. He even calls him “old sport” several times. Nick says “He smiled understandingly- much more than understandingly.
It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life.” (52) By the end of the chapter we see Gatsby as a reserved, but classy guy. He talks sincerely among his guests and is always polite and eager. Although we can see that he purposely makes himself this way in a party setting to be the host society demands (“Jordan Baker and Gatsby came out together. He was saying some last word to her but the eagerness in his manner tightened abruptly into formality as several people approached him to say goodbye.”(57)) by the end of his chapter we see Gatsby almost as a friend, although Nick has only spoken to him a few moments. Maybe this is from the influence he has on Nick, for we can see Nick pointing out his smile twice, once saying it’s understanding in the quote above and another “He smiled- and suddenly there seemed to be a pleasant significance in having been among the last to go, as if he had desired it so all the time” (58).
ReplyDeleteAs for Gatsby’s garden party, I don’t know if this is right but I saw it almost as a Garden of Eden, a garden that Gatsby turns into a place of innocence. Although definitely not innocent with illegal drinking going on, I feel that Gatsby creates such an innocent image with the lights and setting and such to make a place where people can escape underlying problems which society has made them keep inside.
Uhm, could the question have been a little bit longer please? Just kidding, I feel like I almost had to make a graphic organizer to figure out how to tame this bad boy. I figure I’ll just cut it off at the knees and respond to the last little paragraph of it, the section about the significance of the garden.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, (and I may be completely off base here), the garden is what makes Gatsby seem both human, and supernatural at the same time. The garden during the day is described as nothing more then a bed of flowers, but then at night, it is shown as this transformation into a lively party scene. “And on 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”(43). It is this clean up and non-illuminated garden that makes Gatsby seem like less of a mystery and more of a normal person. The reader obviously gets the impression that Gatsby is something like the Wizard of Oz in that few people actually know him, and more just know the name. The difference is that, instead of creating a hideaway to make himself seem almost godlike, people created one for him. He is known for throwing crazy parties where people get smashed and drive into walls afterwards, but the only thing that remains constant is the garden.
Just on Gatsby himself now, he has become the most obvious contrast in the entire book. On one hand, his party goers think that he has killed a man, while on the other, he is actually the nicest character we have met thus far. I get a slight impression that he throws these parties not for his sake, but for that of those around him. He never really gets involved, seeming to watch everyone having a good time from a distance, and then says goodbye at the end. He says him self that he is an “awful host”, but at the same time he is a spectacular host. I mean correct me if im wrong, but Gatsby seems to throw a pretty nice party and not complain about anything that goes on during it.
And Emma i cant believe you beat me by like a nano-second on the post.
ReplyDeleteInitially, I viewed Gatsby as a mysterious character, who seems above attending his own party. Very few know him personally, and most people attending his party were not even invited. Speculation rises that he has killed a man among the gossip of the people. People seem to fear Gatsby, but also seem to be very careful when talking about him.
ReplyDelete“It was testimony to the romantic speculation he inspired that there were whispers about him from those who had found little to whisper about in the world (Fitzgerald, 48). The fact that people are whispering implies they care about what Gatsby possibly hearing what they were saying about him. This carefulness or whispering is in great contrast to the overall carelessness of the people at the party, which is emphasized throughout the chapter.
When Nick finally meets Gatsby, he doesn’t even know who he is at first, which makes it seem as though he wouldn’t stand out as a wealthy person who throws such elaborate parties. He also appears to be extremely tolerant of the situation.
“He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life…it understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you liked to believe in yourself and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best you hoped to convey…Some time before he introduced himself I’d got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care” (52-53). I thought this passage was central to the main idea of the chapter because it elaborates the care and empathy of Gatsby, which completely contrasts the initial idea of him being a cold, distant person.
I also feel that because he takes so much thought and care into everything he does, his priorities are slightly unrealistic. An example of this is on page 58, when he is informed Philadelphia is on the phone, while he is talking to Nick. The idea that Philadelphia, or something or someone significant in Philadelphia is on the phone and he decides to continue his conversation with a single person of less significance demonstrates the possible disadvantage of his caring attitude. I get the idea that he is lonely and throws parties, even while generally keeping a distance to fill the void in his life. “…A sudden emptiness seemed to flow now from the windows and the great doors, endowing with complete isolation the figure of the host who stood on the porch, his hand up in a formal gesture of farewell” (60).
ReplyDeleteSo I thought I was first to post but I'm actually the third person! So I didn't see that Emma had already talked about the quote about Gatsby smiling understandingly.
ReplyDeleteI think the reference to the garden could be representing the constant care of something that is superficial in the way that gardens are nice to look at but not productive in anyway. And I think the idea of caring about superficial things corresponds to the values of the people attending Gatsby's party. I could be wrong though.
Before I even finish reading, Greg, you made me laugh out loud: "I feel like I almost had to make a graphic organizer to figure out how to tame this bad boy.:
ReplyDeleteNow... my friends (I know, weird, I have them even though I wrote my college essay about Nick Carraway and spend Friday nights talking about Prufrock with Fucci!) are trying to convince me to be less consumed by my job so I"m going to read what else you all have written and then check back later in the night (as opposed to the refreshing the page every 2 minutes routine I was up to on Sunday).
Nicole--good point about Gatsby being lonely. You are absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only person who thinks the phrase "graphic organizer" is funny and absurd? Maybe it is just because this term didn't exist when I was in school... and the fact that everyone, teachers and students alike, have embraced the term really cracks me up.
Well that question was a wee bit longer than I expected. That being said, I will focus on the prejudices the characters form of Gatsby before they even meet him. As it has been talked of above, Gatsby is viewed in a very negative light (by those who have met him). Previous posts (aka Nicole, Greg and Emma) have provided ample evidence to prove that point. I find it interesting that when people do not know much about another, they tend to blow the facts up to the point where the image is blurred beyond recognition, like how "the only picture [in Tom's apartment] was an over-enlarged photograph" (Fitzgerald 33). The willful misinterpretation and application of information on hand seems to be a recurring theme in The Great Gatsby.
ReplyDeleteIt is also interesting how class plays a role in prejudices. The overwhelming images of Gatsby presented by the ignorant party goers are those of an oppressive murderer and a mysterious millionaire. I don't have any quotes at the moment to back this up, but it is my opinion that the negative prejudices surrounding Gatsby could be a product of his social standing. After all, though he is rich, he still lives in the inferior West Egg.
My main intent, however, is to show the disproportional nature of the guests' expectations of Gatsby. In fact, Nick's prejudice of what Gatsby is so severe that he talks to Gatsby himself about the absent host (Gatsby). It is at this point that Gatsby says "I'm Gatsby" to which Nick responds "What...oh, I beg your pardon" (52). Nick, who declared himself to not be judgmental, formed an opinion of his host, before even meeting him, that was real enough to shock him when he found out it was false. This shows not just the hypocritical nature of Nick, bust the inordinate expectations of society, who judge and convict people based on hearsay.
ReplyDeleteWell this is quite the question!
ReplyDeleteBefore the rumors about Gatsby and his past had even begun forming, I imagined him to be a very important, influential man, with high standards and many important, equally wealthy friends. However, as the Chapter continues, we learn that there are many mysteries surrounding his life, and as Nicole said, it makes him appear to be extremely mysterious. I really liked what Greg said about Gatsby being like the Wizard of Oz!!! I definitely agree with that idea- Gatsby seems like a huge power at first, and but then when we actually meet him, he is just a tiny man sitting behind a curtain. In fact, as Nicole points out, Gatsby does not even stand out among his guests, so little so that Nick cannot even tell him apart from a party-goer. I think that this point is really crucial to the character of Gatsby, and will help to piece his character together later on.
Again, going off of what Nicole said, Gatsby seems to be really lonely, and he doesn't even know the majority of the people at his party, because, "People were not invited-they went there" (Fitz 45). The fact that Gatsby does not appear to have many friends or even acquaintances at his home suggests that he is indeed a loner, which sort of contradicts the fact that he is talking to "Chicago" and "Philadelphia". Telling that Gatsby has what appears to be an entire city waiting to speak with him suggests that he has a superior power to those around him. This is probably true, and you can kind of tell that just from looking at the title...
Gatsby also seems to be very courteous and aims to please EVERYONE at his party. "...my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes...I could see nothing sinister about him. I wondered if the fact that he was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seems to me that he grew more correct..." (54). In this quite, we see Gatsby checking to make sure that everyone is enjoying their time at his home, although he claims to be a "horrible host". Also, just to go back to the courteous idea, we read that he paid over 200 dollars to have a woman's (Lucille) dress replaced after she had torn it at his last party that she had attended. Clearly, this man cares a lot about what others think of him, but yet at the very same time, he does not appear ostentatious as one would expect this type of wealthy, party-throwing, people-loving man to be.
And one last thing, Nicole, I believe you are spot on with the superficial idea. His guests care about material things, whereas Gatsby just wants everyone to be happy, and he can provide that for them.
hahaahah Greg
ReplyDeleteAnyway,
I was so excited when we met Gatsby. As previously mentioned, we had so many contrasting ideas regarding him before we had even seen the man in the light. I won't requote what has been said, but we have heard from various sources, all equally unreliable, all together telling us that Gatsby has killed a man, and was a German spy, who went to Oxford...it seems that it its unlikely that all of this is true. As the reader, hearing these peculiar tid bits of information about this man has led me to believe absolutely nothing we are being told from an indirect source. i suppose we cannot say that any of the impressions Gatsby made on us, as the reader, are incorrect, or even contradicting our previous opinions of the man. Personally, before we actually encountered Gatsby inhis discussion wiht Nick, i did not believe what we were being told about him through the superficial gossip of the women at this lavish party. maybe its just me, but i don't believe things until i hear it from the source or see it myself. Therefore i was not surprised by Gatsby's character.
Also, i don't believe that it necessarily contradicts the rumors that surround him. This may sound weird, but just because a person has committed a murder or was a German spy, does not automatically mean they are a horrible person, or a person who can act as though they are NOT a horrible person, even if they are. (just a thought, im not really sure what it means)
Lastly, i think that the point nicole mentioned earlier about how Gatsby is lonely is very important. The fact that the only other time we saw Gatsby thus far was at night, with him staring out into the sea at a green light, trembling, is significant and makes the reader think. this image of Gatsby is different than the one portrayed at his party in some ways but not others. Still at the party, he is alone and seems to just be observing what is occuring around him. however at the party he SEEMS content, unlike when he is outside in the dark. however, we cannot know his true feelings as we are not inside Gatsby's head and don't knowhim well enough yet to infer why he acts the way he does.
I think Gatsby's character is so central and important to the novel, and this is why Fitzgerald deliberately chooses not to introduce Gatsby himself until chapter 3. He lets us kind of wrap our heads around Nick Tom Miss Baker Daisy and the other characters he presents, and then once we begin reading chapter 3, we can devote all of our attention to the analysis of Gastby himself. I know Nicole and Emma already mentioned this but i LOVE the quote about Gatsby's smile. I really think it reveals Gastby's true character, that he seems to hide from many of the people he knows. Immediately following this beautiful quote Fitzgerald writes, "Almost at the moment when Mr. Gatsby identified himself a butler hurried toward him with the information that Chicago was calling him on the wire." (53). I feel as though Gatsby is not one to reveal his true self to many people, and because Nick had the privilege of experiencing this, Gastby must have a special connection to Nick's personality. He calls him "old sport," because he feels as though he is on a familiar basis with Nick. Even though they were in the war together, Fitzgerald does not make it sound like the two were very close. Maybe Gatsby is looking out for Nick? Taking him under his wing? Maybe Gatsby feels like a bird who is caring for its egg (symbolism, again) that will eventually break out and become an animal? Has Nick made his break by coming to the East? Or is it still waiting to happen?
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, after his true character is revealed through the simple gesture of a smile, Fitzgerald snaps his audience right out of it, and shows the other side to Gatsby's character, the hard-working, overachieving, extremely successful buisness man.
When anaylzing Gatsby, the first thing I feel we need to take into account is the title of the book. "The Great Gatsby" provokes a very mysterious air around this character. Why is he great, and what does the word "great" actually mean in regard to Gatsby? His mysteriousness if further taken into account when Nick receives the invitation to his party. Even though the two have never met, Gatsby says in his message that he has seen Nick "many times" and had "intended" to call on him long before but a "peculiar combination of circumstances" had prevented him from doing so (Fitz 46). At this point, Nick's got to have a pretty curious view of Gatsby. He already regards Gatsby in a godly manner, due to Gatsby's handwritin being described as "majestic" (46).
ReplyDeleteGatsby being interpreted as such a big and mysterious character again occurs during the party when Nick observes other guests gossip about the man and his supposed past origins, such as being a murderer or a "German spy" (48). However, all of this dramatic build-up is humorously erased when we finally meet Gatsby, who simply says, "I'm Gatsby," as if he doesn't expect his guests to think of him highly (52). From this moment, Gatsby doesn't seem as big and powerful as he was previously alluded to being; however, we begin to see his greatness in a different sense through the eyes of Nick. When Gatsby smiles, Nick considers it one of those "rare smiles" with a quality of "eternal reassurance" in it, once that people may only come across a few times (52). Gatsby seems now like more of an actual person than anyone else in the novel other than Nick. The fact that Gatsby's character is much more detailed than any other character does suggest how important he is, and we later see why in his relation with Nick.
Nick is obviously a lonely man; the book tells of how he likes to follow random men and women around New York City and pretend that he's a part of their lives. Their laughter and enjoyment that Nick observes causes him to admit that he feels a "haunting loneliness" sometimes (62). We feel the same kind of loneliness stem off from Gatsby before this, too. When the women on the dancefloor are descibed as "swooning backward playfully" into men's arms, it ends up being mentioned that "no one" swooned backward on Gatsby (55). The fact that all of these people come to the party on their own and without invitation, as well as the fact that they don't interact with Gatsby at all, really shows how they seem to attend the parties for status and don't actually care about Gatsby. Also, as Nick is leaving the party, he turns around and looks upon the front steps, where a "wafer of a moon" was shining over the house, making the windows seem to have a "sudden emptiness" flowing out of them, and also endowing Gatsby with "complete isolation" as he held a hand up in farewell (60). It seems like two lonely men have finally found each other and are now eager to pursue a deep friendship (but regarding Nick's previous history, it might be more than that, har har). It might be Nick's such positive views that constitute the greatness of Gatsby in the book, and the very title of it might be sprung off of Nick's interpretation of him.
As many of you have touched on, Gatsby has been depicted as very mysterious until this point in the book. In ch 3 Gatsby seems impersonal, the fact that Nick first begins by saying "There was music from my neighbors house..." (43), using "my neighbor" instead of Gatsby mane me immediately question the reason. I believe it shows the unfamiliarity Nick has with Gatsby, after living there and being neighbors for a decent mount of time it shows he may not be so "friendly" for only referring to him as "my neighbor". This impersonal characteristic of Gatsby is shown through his lavish parties, which many of you have touched on, that Nick only observes. The fact that many guests have no idea who Gatsby is and have not met him shows that perhaps he is lonely, or needy of attention and status which may come from these parties. During his party, when Nick attends, he hears many rumors of Gatsby, and upon meeting him would never of guessed it was him because he acted the complete opposite. Gatsby was very humble, and personal towards Nick when initially introduced, completely opposite from the earlier interpretations we had of him.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to make a connection to the comment which Jordan makes, "Anyhow he gives large parties... And I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy" (54). I found this remark interesting, and possibly connects to Gatsby. His parties seem so impersonal because of their large size but perhaps the personal conversations he is able to encounter, such as his with Nick, is what he enjoys? I'm not sure if that is really accurate but I'm still trying to annotate this connection further...
There doesn't seem to be much left to say about the character of Gatsby, and I didn't really want to talk about it nor beat the idea to death anyway.
ReplyDeleteSo, instead I'll talk about the garden that only three people have mentioned so far. In my opinion, I'm going to have to agree with Emma when she says that she "saw it almost as a Garden of Eden, a garden that Gatsby turns into a place of innocence".
Specifically, I believe that the garden represents an area that is sequestered away from society, a kind of pastoral world that is offered in harsh contrast to the real world outside.
At this point, my clock currently says 9:59 so I'm put up specifics in the next post:
So many good things have already been said, i don't really know what's left to talk about (i guess that's the disadvantage of posting late). Since a lot has already been said about the rumors surrounding and shaping Gatsby's character, i want to talk about the appeal of Gatsby to what seems like everyone in the city. I thought it was kind of weird how Jordan and the others were talking about how Gatsby is a murderer while they were at Gatsby's house. As Nicole mentioned, they were concious of this fact, yet i was wondering why they would be at a someone's house who they conceived to be a murderer. It seems that the appeal to Gatsby and what draws all these people together for these parties are things. The girl who received a dress from Gatsby in the mail, the man who is impressed by the library, the description of this lavish party that Nick includes, all these things create the party goer's view and relationship with Gatsby. So little seems to be known about Gatsby--what could possibly be drawing these people to his parties but his wealth. It is interesting, though, that despite his wealth, Gatsby remains level-headed unlike the arrogant Tom. As already discussed, Gatsby is a contradiction to the impression of the wealthy we have thus far seen on Nick. Even though we have so far seen Gatsby as a very likable character, it is very odd that so few people at the party know him and are attracted to him not by who he is as a person, but his wealth and his ability to throw a good party.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, I will try to respond to this, I know I am late but I had to be in the locker room at 6 (posted at 6:08) and I literally just got home because my coach kept us for an hour screaming in our faces about how bad we are... needless to say I have had a rough night. I read the chapter after school so I will attempt to respond, but I may just not have it in me to create something insightful tonight.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I say that Gatsby's garden represents a world shut off from reality in the way that it is presented. For example, the first depressing incident we hear of in this chapter is the one involving the crashed car: "Fifty feet from the door a dozen headlights illuminated a bizarre and tumultuous scene. In the ditch beside the road, right side up but violently shorn of one wheel, rested a new coupé which had left Gatsby's drive not two minutes before," (Fitzgerald, 58).
ReplyDeleteI feel that this is key in that it shows that Gatsby's garden is a sort of safe haven for all. The same drunkard who was in the vehicle did not encounter any sort of trouble on Gatsby's grounds (he even feels sobered - "'I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library ,'" (50)). Yet, a mere fifty feet off of Gatsby's property, he encounters "reality" and crashes the car.
This furthers Gatsby's character in that it begins to represent him as though he were some sort of unknown, mysterious deity from the outside. Yet, at the same time, we see Gatsby being developed as just another man. In fact, Jordan even says it, "'He's just a man named Gatsby,'" (53) - there appears to be nothing special about him, he's just some guy named Gatsby. These conflicting notions in turn represent the conflicts between rumor and reality. From the outside, Gatsby is viewed as mysterious and all-powerful just as the rumors say that he is influential and very distinguished. Yet from the inside, Gatsby is shown simply as a generous, kind, and otherwise normal person just as the reality shows.
The only confusing thing that I realized just now is the idea that rumors are juxtaposed with reality and reality is associated with the optimistically idyllic.
Ok obviously we learn a lot about Gatsby in this chapter, yet we are still not exactly sure what to make of it. Between all of the rumors and whispers of the party, we are given many perspectives on his character. I think that this only contributes to how lonely he is. Nobody really knows him, they only know about him. "A sudden emptiness seemed to flow now from the windows and the great doors, endowing with complete isolation the figure of the host who stood on the porch, his hand up in a formal gesture of farewell" (60). This really emphasizes his separation from the crowd, and connects to the earlier quote where he stood "trembling" with his arms outstretched. Also, his loneliness is further shown in the following quote, "... just as my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps, and looking from one group to another with approving eyes" (54). Perhaps this is the reason he so openly welcomes Nick, as he sees potential for a true friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I didnt say more, but my brain is pretty much dead right now and I'm on Tv, (channel 14) so I'm in a tight spot.
George, I'm glad you picked up on the car scene... it foreshadows things to come, and as many of you have aptly pointed out, the garden at Gatsbys house does represent a remove from reality (in every way--the reality of Gatsby's past, the reality of the law--prohibition--, the reality of the grimy city that is the source of all this income)
ReplyDeleteLuke, I'm sorry you got screamed at. Someone remind me to tell you in class about my optional if you miss one blog assignment.