Party, Party, Party!

            Daisy’s introductory party took place on the Buchanans’ rosy-colored porch. The sunset presented itself behind the dinner table and Tom had placed four flickering candles on top. The dinner began with Daisy criticizing Tom for lighting the candles on that night and suggesting lighting them for the longest day of the year instead. Then, Daisy accused Tom of bruising her knuckle. She complained, “That’s what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen of a-” Even after he said that he did not like being referred to as “hulking,” Daisy persisted to repeat the word, and this built awkward tension at the party. Subsequently, Tom tried to explain how he was reading a book that embraces racism and white supremacy called The Rise of the Colored Empires. Tom’s personal beliefs were represented and expressed as the Georgian Colonial that he and Daisy live in. During his conversation about the book, Tom received a call from his New York mistress, Myrtle Wilson. This call catalyzed the growth of the tension at the party. Daisy and Tom began to bicker and Nick felt very uncomfortable.

In the second chapter, Myrtle hosted a party in an apartment in Manhattan. This apartment is shared between Tom and Myrtle because this is where they come for their affair. The guests of the party were Nick, Catherine, Mr. McKee, Mrs. McKee, and Tom Buchanan. The party was filled with multiple different personalities. Mr. McKee was very quiet and did not contribute much to the party. His wife, however, bragged the entire time about how often her husband takes photographs of her. Catherine was a possessive character that acted as if she belonged at the party. The party was a very talkative environment until Myrtle mentioned Daisy’s name. Tom eventually was fed up with the incessant shouting and, “broke her nose with his open hand.” After this took place, all the guests felt very uncomfortable and began to leave. 

Gatsby’s party consisted of glowing lights, dancing music, alcohol, and guests of high class. The garden was beautifully lit and the property was flooded with laughter and entertainment. Caterers walked around the house with spiced baked hams, golden turkey, harlequin-style salads, and pastry pigs. Guests indulged in these delights and drank champagne for hours. Nick spent a while of his time in search of Jay Gatsby. For most of the night, Jordan Baker took him under her wing. Many of the guests spent their time drinking and dancing. Women wore cocktail party dresses that matched the happy and yellow cocktail music. Near the end of Gatsby’s party, Nick spoke with Gatsby but didn’t even realize that it was him until Nick mentioned how he hadn’t yet met the host.

If I was to attend any party from the first three chapters, I would hands-down attend Gatsby’s party. The party possesses a mood-lifting and carefree atmosphere which seems like such a lively and enjoyable place to be. As mentioned on page forty, “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 name.” The environment described seems like a party I would love to attend. Additionally, there wasn’t any drama like there was in chapters one and two. Both parties involved hosts who stirred the pot and initiated the problems that arose. While Daisy Buchanan’s and Myrtle Wilson’s parties had instances where their guests felt nervous and uncomfortable, Jay Gatsby wanted to make his guests feel welcomed and secure. By doing so, he also avoided issues with people as much as possible.