Chapter 3

Summary

Nick Carraway describes the customs of Gatsby's weekly parties: the arrival of crates of oranges and lemons, a corps of caterers and a large orchestra. On the first night that Carraway visits Gatsby's house, he was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. When he arrives, he is delighted to see Jordan Baker, a familiar face. He had not seen her since meeting her at his cousin's house. They strike up a conversation and she tells him that she has recently lost a golf tournament. They then start to talk about Gatsby and the ridiculous gossip that surrounds him ' he supposedly killed a man, or was a German spy.

Nick expresses a desire to meet his host so that he can thank him for the invitation. They start to look for him and walk into the mansion. They reach Gatsby's library and find another guest there, a man wearing very large eyeglasses. At first Jordan thinks that the books are not real and is surprised to find that they are. After looking into a few other rooms, they return to the garden.

Later that evening, a man who recognizes Nick from the war talks to him ' Nick does not know that it is Gatsby. Suddenly, after he identifies himself, Gatsby gets a phone call from Chicago. Afterwards, Gatsby asks to speak to Jordan Baker alone. When she finishes talking to Gatsby, she tells Nick that she heard the most amazing thing and will tell him about it at some later time.

Guests begin to leave the party. Some are too drunk to drive and a group has a car wreck in Gatsby's driveway. One of the involved people happens to be the man whom Nick saw in the library earlier that evening.

This was merely one event in a crowded summer. Carraway, who spent most of his time working, began to like New York. For a while he lost sight of Jordan Baker. He was not in love with her, but had some interest in her.

Interpretation

Even upon his introduction, Jay Gatsby remains a mystery. At his parties few of the guests know the host or are even invited at all. This chapter builds on the idea that there is something not only mysterious, but also sinister about Gatsby. All of the gossip that relates to Gatsby is borderline monstrous; whether committing murder or spying for the Germans during the war. When Nick finally meets Gatsby, the man is unassuming and ordinary, easily mistaken for another guest. Among the others he is isolated. He alone does not dance.

The sense of mystery that surrounds Gatsby is compounded by the long discussion that he has with Jordan Baker. There is some amazing news about Gatsby that Jordan will soon reveal to Nick. Another contemporary touch that Fitzgerald adds to this chapter is the use of cars. At the time of this book's publication, they were still novelty items, and Fitzgerald presents them with a sense of luxurious danger. A car accident disturbs the end of the party, when one of the guests drives drunk, and Carraway realizes that Jordan is a terribly unsafe driver. Her near car accident serves as a metaphor for the behavior of her contemporaries: Jordan is a careless driver because she expects others to be careful and stay out of her way in the event of an accident.