The Great Gatsby (Blog 4)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

This picture depicts Jay Gatsby's house in the
film adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

Although I am not very far into this novel yet, I have already frequently taken note of Fitzgerald's excessive use of imagery.  He fabricates some really elaborate pictures for his readers.  When I first began chapter 3, I was really impressed with how much I was able to envision the extravagant parties at Gatsby's that Nick Carraway described.  Early on in the novel, the description of Gatsby's West Egg mansion helped paint a vivid picture in my mind; however, now I am able to envision more little details about his house.  Also, I am able to try to picture what his parties and guests looked like.  "On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains.  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" (Fitzgerald, 39).  This thorough description proves that Gatsby goes all out for his parties, and he certainly invites a large number of people (although, Nick says that most people show up without an invite).  It also sounds like a great deal of drinking occurs at Gatsby's parties.  "The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other's names" (Fitzgerald, 40).  Apparently so many people show up at Gatsby's that it is impossible to remember everyone's names.  Nick does end up mentioning that he was actually invited to one of Gatsby's parties.  "I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby's house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited" (Fitzgerald, 41).  I am only a couple pages into this chapter, but I find it interesting that Gatsby invited Nick, considering they have never formally met.  When Nick described how he got invited, I was pretty surprised because it seemed so random.  However, I feel like Nick is going to become good friends with Mr. Jay Gatsby, even though he criticized Gatsby's showy way of life at the very beginning of the novel.