The Great Gatsby

Chapter 3 Summary Gatsby is having another party, and Nick is invited to attend. Nick sees Jordan there and hangs out with her while they listen to the guests gossip about Gatsby. They meet a man that Nick calls Owl Eyes, Nick meets Gatsby, and Jordan is called to speak privately with Gatsby. At the end of the party, Owl Eyes crashes his car into a ditch, and a wheel breaks off. In the days following the party, Nick hangs out with Jordan more and sees that she is dishonest while he considers himself to be one of the most honest people he knows.

Syntax 1 “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (pg. 39). -The usage of polysyndetons in the sentence helps the sentence flow. Instead of making it sound like a list, it continues on like one thing, it makes the sentence sound like an action that is occurring.

Syntax 2 “The group changes more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath; already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the center of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under constantly changing light” (pg ). -Through the use of polysyndeton, it gives rise to the action that occurs in the sentence. The commas help the reader see the party and how the people come and go and move all around in Gatsby’s house.

Syntax 3 “At the enchanted metropolitan twilight I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes, and felt it in others-- poor young clerks who loitered in front of windows waiting until it was time for a solitary restaurant dinner--young clerks in the dusk, wasting the most poignant moments of night and life” (pg ). -Through the use of anaphora, we understand how dark Nick’s surroundings with young clerks being repeated.

Diction Ex. Analysis and Chapter Diction “When the Jazz History of the World was over, girls were putting their heads on men’s shoulders in a puppyish, convivial way, girls were swooning backward playfully into men’s arms, even into groups, knowing that someone would arrest their falls--but no one swooned backward on Gatsby, and no French bob touched Gatsby’s shoulder, and no singing quartets were formed with Gatsby’s head for one link” (pg. 50). -A mixture of formal and informal diction such as: “puppyish”, “convivial”, and “swooning”, contribute to the positive energy and party atmosphere coming from the crowd. Regarding the chapter in its entirety, it follows suit and is in general the same. The chapter is mainly about the party.

Figurative Language 1 “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (pg. 39). -When Fitzgerald uses the simile, he compares the guests to moths, showing that people come and go. They never stay for long. You can see the image of men, girls, and other guests partying in a lavish garden, but they seem to keep moving, never stopping for anything. While the scene looks fun and festive, there is an underlying feeling of loneliness to the scene. Like moths, they disappear, leaving you alone. This foreshadows how no one will come to Gatsby’s funeral despite them flocking to his parties now.

Figurative Language 2 “The group changes more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath; already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the center of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light” (pg ). -The use of metaphor by the comparing the people to the sea shows how the people are always moving and never calm. This also helps show the action of the party and the party goers on how they move in and out of the group.

Figurative Language 3 “She was hurrying off as she talked-her brown hand waved a jaunty salute as she melted into her party at the door.” -Through the visualization, it describes how Jordan walks into a crowd of people at Gatsby’s party and melts away in the crowd with no trace where she went.

Figurative Language 4 “ The tears coursed down her cheeks-not freely, however, for when they came into contact with her heavily beaded eyelashes they assumed an inky color, and pursued the rest of their way in slow black rivulets” (pg. 51). -The use of personification with the tears help the reader see how the tears flow so quickly and how the black tears stain the face of the one who cries these tears.

Figurative Language 5 “The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside until the air is alive with chatter and laughter” (pg. 42). -The use of personification in this instance is that Nick is personifying the air outside to give human qualities such as talking and laughing. It gives the reader a unique look at the interactions between people, outside.