The Great Gatsby Chapter 3

Chapter 3

55 or so pages in and we are introduced to the brilliant, or great, Gatsby. This chapter is brilliant as it finally shows why the title is what it is. Nick finally attends a party at Gatsby's house and enjoys himself, has a few drinks, takes in the atmosphere and admires the women, Jordan in particular.

As the rest of the book, it follows the fast paced descriptive narrative and gets increasingly engaging. The narrative is easy to follow and it's a brilliant way to give the title of the book justification, giving Gatsby positive descriptions... Polite, understanding and comments of his appearance and smile in particular regularly. It is clear that Nick has taken quite an affection towards Gatsby.

I get the impression that Nick in vulnerable and lonely, a lot of the people he makes contact with are people he knows fairly distantly and hasn't got a very strong bond with them. However he does appear affable with strangers, particularly noticeable at the Gatsby party. When people approach him he will make these attempts to be affable and pleasant. Thought the chapter is the beginning prolonged engagement of Gatsby, it leaves me wanted to know more about him, and wanting to see the rest of his brilliance, rather than just his wealth and affable charm which is so obviously apparent.

The second section of the chapter is yet again more indulgence to Nick Carraway. He begins to explain himself more and more of what he partakes in, in his recreational time. The arguments that Nick may be selfish, arrogant and vain can perhaps be justified in the end line of the chapter... 'I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.'


Joe