The Great Gatsby: Chapter 3

1. Brandon McClung, Ian Edmiston, Luke Lish, Cole Haynes The Great Gatsby: Chapter 3

2. An important symbol in this chapter is Gatsby’s wealth and material possessions. They symbolize the American Dream of the 1920’s and everyone wanted to be like Gatsby. pg 49- “Anyhow, he gives large parties,” said Jordan. “And I like large parties. They’re so intimate.” The idea of East Egg vs. West Egg is also a symbol in chapter 3. Eggs are white on the outside, representing purity and honesty. Both Eggs act as if they are the perfect. Then the inside of an egg is yellow, that no one can see, representing corruption and deceit between the two eggs. East Egg thinks they’re better than west, but they both secretly have their issues. Pg 44- “Instead of rambling, this part had preserved a dignified homogeneity, and assumed itself to the function of representing the staid nobility of the countryside – East Egg condescending to West Egg, and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic gayety. “ Symbols

3. Plot • Nick gets invited and goes to Gatsby’s party • Sees all of the rumors and gossiping people were doing • He meets Jordan Baker • Having curiosity about who Gatsby was, Jordan and Nick set out to find him • They run into a middle-aged man sitting in the library • Then they go outside to see the entertainment and sit down at a table with a nice young man • The young man turns out to be Gatsby who Nick had served in the war with • Jordan has a meeting with Gatsby and comes out saying he had told her something extraordinary • The party then ends and Nick starts walking home when he sees the man from the library outside his car which he ran into a ditch • Him and the man talk about their lives to each other • Nick tells him how he does more with his time then attend parties and that he is starting to see Jordan Baker but doesn’t like the type of person she is because she is dishonest but he is attracted to her

4. Character Development • Gatsby- • He finally meets Nick at one of this huge parties that he hosts • People speculate about how he has made all his money • Nick learns that Gatsby is an oxford man • He tells Jordan something amazing but doesn’t talk about it • Nick observes that he seems detached and far away from most people.

5. Character Development • Nick- • Finally gets to meet Gatsby, although unaware of it at the beginning, at the party he was invited to • Finds out he has seen Gatsby before when they were in the War • Starts spending much time with Jordan and wants to end his commitments at home so he can start a relationship with her. • “I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others - poor young clerks who loitered in front of windows waiting until it was time for a solitary restaurant dinner - young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life.” --Nick

6. Character Development • Jordan- • Gatsby tells her something very interesting but we don’t know what it is yet. • She starts spending a lot of time with Nick and enjoys the time she has with him. • Jordan is very good at golf. • “Sorry you didn’t win.” “That was for the golf tournament. She had lost in the finals the week before.”

7. Theme • A theme in this chapter is the extensively rich sometimes exaggerate their wealth to an unreasonable level. Nick tells the reader that Gatsby has 2 motor boats, a Rolls Royce, eight servants, a huge mansion, a personal gardener, and a chauffeur. At the party he is throwing, he has an orchestra playing, an unending supply of liquor, tons of snacks, and buffets. No regular weekend party needs all of this stuff. • On pg. 39, Nick tells the reader of the extravagance of Gatsby’s wealth. “There was a machine in the kitchen which could extract the juice of two hundred oranges in half an hour if a little button was pressed two hundred times by a butler’s thumb.” I’ve never heard of such a device, and it seems a little unnecessary. Also, having a butler doing this is also a bit extreme.