Chapter Three Analysis

Chapter three is set at Gatsby's mansion during one of the famous parties. The chapter begins with Nick's observations of the parties, of how "men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars." He talks about how Gatsby's "Rolls-Royce became an omnibus" to and from the parties, how "every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived" and describes how cleaners and caterers "toiled all day" and used "canvas and coloured lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby's enormous garden." There is an elaborate buffet of expensive food and drink and a grand orchestra. The parties seem like the epitome of upper class extravagance, and yet are depicted as beautiful and desirable. This is perhaps reflective of how Nick feels about the rich lifestyle; he knows it is excessive, but at the same time he is drawn to it.

This chapter is also the chapter in which Nick, and the readers, meet Gatsby. Fitzgerald first creates further mystery surrounding Gatsby; Nick receives a signed invitation to attend the party, however it is delivered by a chauffeur. At the party, guests gossip about Gatsby; one says "somebody told me they thought he killed a man once" and another argues "he was a German spy during the war." This highlights the shallow and immature nature of the guests, who happily slander their host and believe ridiculous gossip. These rumours also make Gatsby an even more enigmatic figure, and leave readers questioning just who Gatsby is. However, after Nick's build up of this mysterious man, the first appearance of Gatsby is actually rather anticlimactic - Nick does not even realise he is speaking to Gatsby for a while. This 'let down' could be synonymous with the events of the novel as a whole and the people Nick 'befriends'; they are not as exciting and wonderful as they were originally made out to be.

However, despite the anticlimax of Gatsby's introduction, this does not distract from Nick's admiration for him. He describes his smile alone as "rare", "eternal" and "irresistible." Nick's reverence and, arguably, infatuation with Gatsby is evident here. Nick uses Romantic language to depict this "elegant young roughneck" to readers; the description feels like something from a love story, and suggests his feelings for Gatsby exceed that of a standard friendship. Whether Gatsby is as "great" as Nick portrays him in the novel is debatable, as Nick's own emotions and opinions may be influencing the narrative; it is clear here that Nick's description of Gatsby is not objective, but coloured by his own feelings.

Chapter three also contains striking symbolism in the form of the 'owl-eyed man'. The owl-eyed man is found in Gatsby's library and is excited about the books being real as he "thought they'd be a nice durable cardboard." However, the pages have not been cut, meaning the books have never been read. The man calls Gatsby a "regular Belasco" - David Belasco being a theatrical producer - commenting on Gatsby's deception and the lengths he has gone to to create a 'realistic' library. Gatsby knows knows others won't check whether the books have been read as they are just as false as he is; the library is about appearances and nothing more.

Owls are known to be a symbol of wisdom, and the owl-eyed man also has glasses, linking him to Dr T.J. Eckleburg and the idea of God; in the way that "God sees everything" and knows the truth, the owl-eyed man sees through Gatsby's façade. However, owls are also viewed as harbingers of death or bad luck. The car accident at the end of this chapter mirrors the one in chapter seven; the owl-eyed man's car crashes into a ditch, but it is revealed someone else was driving; and in chapter seven, when Daisy hits Myrtle in Gatsby's car, it is Gatsby who is blamed. The owl-eyed man acts as a death omen and foreshadows the car accident later in the story.

Distance between Nick and the other characters is also created in this chapter. When the party is underway, Nick appears to be separate from the other guests; they are portrayed as confident "moths" flitting around the social scene, whereas Nick is on edge and doesn't quite fit in. He describes how he "wandered around rather ill at ease among swirls and eddies of people [he] didn't know" and comes across as awkward and uncomfortable. At the end of the chapter, Jordan tells Nick; "I hate careless people. That's why I like you." Once again this separates Nick from the other characters, who all prove to be careless people by the end of the story. Nick is clearly different, however it is important to remember that Nick has the benefit of hindsight when writing this story. Knowing the outcome, he may alter how he is portrayed in order to create this distance from the characters who ruined things for Gatsby, alleviating some of the guilt he feels over what happened and reassuring himself that he is 'nothing like them.'