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Chapter III

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1.)

Write a summary of chapter three.

The third chapter of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is about Nick’s first visit at
Gatsby’s parties. Nick describes Gatsby’s parties as excessive, crowded and
superficial.
One day Gatsby’s chauffeur delivers an invitation to Nick. That’s really
unusual, because normally nobody is invited to Gatsby’s parties. All guests of
Gatsby come simply without any invitation. After Nick has arrived at the party,
he feels a bit lonely, because he knows nobody. Finally he meets Jordan
Baker, who introduces him to those people she knows yet. In a small round
with Jordan, three men and two girls there are many rumours about Gatsby
uttered. After a time Nick and Jordan leave this group and join a group of more
polite people which come from East Egg. But they stay also not very long in
this circle.
In search of the host Gatsby they find a really confusing man in Gatsby’s
library. When they have left this confusing man they go back into the garden
and sit down at a table with a man. During the conversation with him it turns
out that the man is Gatsby himself. A few minutes later, after Nick and Gatsby
have talked about their times during the war in Europe. Then Gatsby is asked
for a phone call. Afterwards Jordan and Nick are in conversation for a short
time about Gatsby. However suddenly Gatsby’s butler arrives, and tells that
Gatsby wants to speak to Jordan alone. When Nick is alone he watches the
society a short time and enters then the hall. Just at the moment when he
wants to go, Jordan and Gatsby come back out of the library. Jordan is very
amazed of the new information about Gatsby and wants Nick to visit her
during the next days. After Nick has said goodbye to the host he goes outside
where he become witness of a confusing scene: The man from the library and
his drunken chauffeur had driven into the ditch. At the end of the chapter Nick
tells us that the up to now told happenings aren’t the only important things he
has experienced this summer. After a short affair with a girl he starts a
partnership with Jordan Baker. But he remembers a scandal about Jordan at
her first golf tournament.

T.W

Suggestion for a close reading in class !

2a.)

Taking chapter three into account, explain how the author introduces
Gatsby.

Fitzgerald introduces Gatsby to us gradually. You have to find out more and
more about Gatsby. Gatsby is like something unknown, even a little mystery.
Gatsby is first presented through the eyes of other persons, for example by
Myrtle Wilson’ sister Catherine. She tells us in chapter two that she heard
Gatsby should be a nephew or cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm‘s. Another person
who wants to know something about Gatsby is Lucille, a friend of Jordan
Baker. In Lucille’s view was Gatsby a German spy during the world war. In the
course of the action there are many rumours told about Gatsby. But nobody
really know who Gatsby is, where his money comes from, and why he gives
such excessive parties every weekend. In chapter three Gatsby makes his
debut. Nick has a short conversation with him at the first time.

M.P.

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Chapter III

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2b.) What effect does this have ???

In the process of the novel the reader learns more and more about Gatsby.
Each chapter conceals new information about Gatsby. The reader has always
to check which information are true and which are wrong. He has to discover
who Gatsby really is and what are the reasons for his way of behaving. M.P

3a.) Start to collect information about Gatsby.

Divide what the reader learns into two lists: what other people say about
Gatsby and what Gatsby says about himself. Continue this list while
reading the novel.

What other people say about him

What Gatsby says about himself

•

Gatsby doesn’t want to have

He was in the Seventh Infantry.

any trouble with anybody.

Has bought a hydroplane.

•

Gatsby had killed a man once.

He is an Oxford man.

•

He was a German spy

Doesn’t believe that he is a good host.

during the war.

•

Grown up in Germany.

•

He was in the American army.

•

They don’t believe that he’s an

Oxford man.

T.W.

3b.) What does the reader learn about Gatsby through his manner of

speaking, his appearance and his behaviour ?

Gatsby talks in a very correct manner, so that it sometimes sounds nearly a bit
absurd. Even before Gatsby has introduced himself Nick has noticed that
Gatsby picks his words with care. Everything he expresses is well thought out
(considered).
Nick describes Jay Gatsby as a man who smile understandingly while he
listens and is on the other side an elegant, young and rough-neck.
He is just one or two years older than thirty.
Gatsby is different from all these people on his parties. Gatsby retires very
often to observe his guests or to think about them. Jay Gatsby never does
anything without thinking about it, all the things he does are well thought of.
Gatsby stands out against his guests because he doesn’t drink alcohol. He
pursues his aims with eagerness.
But Gatsby is also a very generous man. His parties do without anything and
Gatsby compensate the dress of the girl in yellow. Jay Gatsby is also a very
chummy guy. It doesn’t matter that Nick doesn’t know Gatsby.

T.W.

4.)

A general introduction to Gatsby’s parties is given on pp.37-38.

Describe what the parties are like by dividing the impressions into four
categories: “food”, ”drink”, ”music”, ”people”.

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By reading the first paragraph of chapter 3 you would think Gatsby`s parties
are like an amusement park. He has got a raft, a piece of beach, two motor
boats, a hydroplane and a Rolls Royce. The Rolls Royce is used to carry
people to the parties and back. All people at the party use Gatsby`s property
and have fun with it. The relation between Gatsby as host and his guests is
very impersonal. Even Nick does not know who Gatsby is. The people that
come to Gatsby`s parties do not come on account of Gatsby but only because
of the society. Most of the people that come to the parties are not invited.
Nevertheless they come because of the social event or they accompany other
guests. Also the relation between the guests themselves is aloof. There is
only small–talk and all the guests act like “to see and to bee seen”.
Everything is very luxurious. Every Friday oranges and lemons are delivered to
Gatsby`s house. Even the drinks are very expensive. So a lot of spirits are to
old to be known by the younger visitors. The parties often end in excesses
because the guest drink a lot alcohol.
Also the music is abnormal for a party. It is not a band that is usual for party it
is a big orchestra that plays the music.

S.Z.

5.)

Compare the quality of East Egg with that of Gatsby’s parties.

Gatsby parties are completely different from the quality of East Egg.

On Gatsby’s parties exists everything in excess. Food, alcohol and music is
everywhere aware. Brightness and magnificence describes what Gatsby’s
parties like. Gatsby as host isn’t able to notice all his guests. There are so
many people that it’s really confusing. The mentality of the East Eggers from
the other side of the bay is more polite and noble. They wouldn’t celebrate
such sometimes even vulgar parties. It’s more important for them to have a
round of selected people at their party. That confusion on Gatsby’s party
stands out of the East Egg mentality.

Brightness confusion magnificence daring vulgarity excess excitement words
to

describe

Gatsby’s

parties.

T.W.

6.)

Why does nick call the scene “significant, elemental and profound”
(p.44, ll.15-16) ???

The scene is significant, elemental and profound because Gatsby appears at
the first time. Although Nick sits opposite Gatsby for a while yet, he doesn’t
know that the man he talks to is Gatsby. Nevertheless Nick feels this
conversation different, he feels that this conversation has a special quality.
And then a few lines later it turns out, that the man opposite Nick is Gatsby.
M.P.

7.)

Describe Gatsby’s relation to the party from the beginning until the last
guests have left.

Gatsby isn’t like the other persons on his party. Gatsby doesn’t drink alcohol, ,
he talks always very carefully and he is the opposite character from all the
other persons in the novel. Gatsby gives parties for people who are completely
different from him. During his party he observes his guests very carefully and it
seems that Gatsby is able to control the occurrence around himself. He is a

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sort of supervisor, who controls the happenings around him. Gatsby plays a
sort of game with his guests.

T.W.

8a.) Explain why Jordan Baker starts to play a larger part in the events

Jordan Baker starts to play a larger part in the events because she is the only
one who Nick knows at the party. Another reason is that Nick is attracted by
Jordan as we are told at the end of chapter 3. She becomes also more
interesting for Nick because after the she was alone with Gatsby Jordan told
him the she had heard some amazing things.

S.Z

8b.) What new areas of her character emerge in this chapter

The new area of her character which emerges in Chapter 3 is that she is a
chronic swindler. When Nick and Jordan were on a private party she left a
hired car out in the rain with the top down. But with the help of a lie she
managed the situation. Because of this occasion Nick remembers a story
about Jordan`s first golf – tournament. In this tournament she moved a ball to
improve her lie. So Jordan can`t bear to be disadvantaged.

S.Z.

9.)

The narrator turns his attention away from Gatsby and back to himself.
What do we learn about him, and why is this of importance ?

By turning his attention away from Gatsby Nick wants to make clear that he
has done many other things than go to parties. Nick tells us how he normally
spends his time. He gives us an idea of his work, his long walks through New
York and his preference for women. The careful reader notices that he is very
active, he searches the adventure, just as Jordan Baker. As consequence Nick
gets involved with Jordan Baker, particularly he sexually attracted to her. T.W.

10.)

What is the significance of the “bizarre and tumultuous scene”(p.50 l.10
– p.52 l.15) ?

This bizarre and tumultuous scene shows the reader, how drunk the people
are, who visited Gatsby’s party. Almost every person on the party obviously
likes to drink alcohol excessive. A good example for this is Nick`s way back
home, when he recognizes the car crashing against the wall. This accident
caused by a drunken man shows the careless of Gatsby’s guest. It seems to
me, that they don`t think about the future. They live for the moment and that is
the way how like it.

M.S.

Further questions to look at and to combine with the ones above:
a.) What is typical of Gatsby’s parties ???
b.) What is remarkable about Gatsby as a host ???

c.) What do we learn about Gatsby in this chapter ???
d.) What do we learn about Nick in this chapter!!!
e.) Is Jordan a suitable partner for Nick ???
f.) Does Jordan’s outer appearance reflect her true character???

g.) What are the man characteristics of the “Twenties” ???
h.) How did the “fast crowel “ live ???

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i.) How is the majority of Americans described ???