The 3 Parties

    The first party introduced in the first chapter is Daisy’s party. It is held in East Egg at a fashionable house with an enormous lawn. There are french windows and an opening front porch. During the party at Daisy’s house, the characters all have the chance to talk amongst themselves before the dinner. The characters joining include Nick, Tom and Daisy, and Jordan. Nick is the narrator of the story. Because of the way he grew up with his father, he is very smart and reserves his judgement. He lives in West Egg next door to Gatsby. Nick's reason for knowing the Buchanan's is that Daisy is his “second cousin removed” and he knew Tom in college. Therefore, this party would be his first time meeting the famous Jordan Baker. She is a professional golf player who is confident within herself and a strong woman. She does like to drink and party a lot, still being independent and driven. Tom and Daisy are obviously married; nevertheless they have their issues. Tom is the image of rich and perfect as he plays polo and lives fashionably. He is abrupt and rude while Daisy just follows whatever he does. The main conflict of this party happens during the dinner. Daisy is explaining how, “he did do it,” referencing Tom cheating on her. She continues to call him, “a brute of a man.” By the end of the party as well as the chapter, Nick explains his feelings saying, “confused and a little disgusted.” I can also agree with this feeling after how the first party ended. The tone was mostly cool and inviting throughout, but the end brought wanting more.  

    The second party is Myrtle’s. It begins with Nick and Tom taking a train up to New York one afternoon. This is all done by Tom as he wants Nick to meet his ‘girl’. They arrive at the car shop of George B. Wilson. It is located in the ‘Valley of Ashes’, having the words ash and ashes repeated many times to represent lower class. However, this was no ordinary car shop. Above, there were, “sumptuous and romantic apartments.” Tom and Wilson talk about business when a woman arrives; Myrtle Wilson, or Tom’s mistress. The other two characters introduced during the party include Mr. and Mrs. Mckee. Mrs. Mckee is Myrtle’s sister. The main theme during the third party is people cheat. Myrtle is at her own party in a small, top floor apartment with her husband and the man that she has been having an affair with. She is constantly expressing how miserable and embarrassed she is in her marriage, stating, “at least you didn’t marry him.” The party comes to an end with Tom breaking Myrtle’s nose after she chants Daisy’s name. This created the sense of shame and embarrassment with Tom. 

    The final party in the third chapter is Gatsby’s. This party gives off a much different feel compared to the others. It is located at Gatsby’s house, right next door to Nicks in West Egg. The house is big and fancy. Gatsby has finally introduced himself in the book during his own party. We are also reintroduced to Jordan Baker. The party gives off a fun vibe with many people. The characters are all calm and inviting during the beginning of the party. Jordan and Nick make good conversation for a while when he learns a rumor that Gatsby supposedly killed a man. Then, Nick finds himself talking to a guy about a War they may have been in together. Unknown to him, Nick is actually talking to Gatsby. Once he knows this, Nick is invited on a fishing trip by Gatsby as if they are old friends. As Nick was about to walk home, he noticed a very drunk man had crashed his car into a ditch, unknowing of what he had just done. The mood during the party is exciting, but also suspicious in a way. It also feels as if Nick is a little uncomfortable in this type of scene as everyone is there to drink. It is also odd how Gatsby finds Nick and treats him like they are catching up after lost years. 

    I would choose Gatsby’s party to attend. In my opinion, it felt the most interesting and fun. It would be so exciting to be at one of the best parties in town. My second choice would be Daisy’s party as it gives off a welcoming atmosphere. However, there were the issues with Tom and Daisy and how neither of them chose to accept that their marriage wasn’t working. I would not choose to go to Myrtle’s party because all she talked about was how unhappy she is in her marriage and all they did there was drink. At Gatsby’s, it is exciting and something new and mysterious. There is a feeling that something is coming next and you have no idea what it is or what may happen.