Kelso High School

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Kelso High School

• English Department

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The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Chapter Three

• 
  

Characterisation Gatsby, Jordan,
Nick Style Theme
Perception
versus Reality
Structure Symbolism
Cars, Owl Eyes
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Structure - Delayed Introduction of
Gatsby

• In the first two chapters of the novel the reader
  has
• i) seen Gatsby from a distance
• ii) heard other characters
  talk
• about him
• iii) heard Nicks thoughts on
  him
• Yet, we have not met him
• Discussion why has Fitzgerald structured the
  opening chapters in this way?

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Structure Delayed Introduction of Gatsby

• Chapter Three is devoted to an introduction of
  Gatsby and the lavish showy world he inhabits
• Yet, Gatsbys introduction is further delayed
• Sometimes they came and went without having
  met Gatsby at all

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Structure/Style Repetition of Conjecture about
Gatsby

• Somebody told me.
• Somebody told me they thought he killed a man
  once
• Its more that he was a German spy during the
  war
• The repetition of the conjecture about Gatsby
  further adds to his mystery

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Style - Mystery created around the character of
Gatsby

• When we do eventually meet him-
• Im Gatsby, he said suddenly.
• What! I exclaimed. Oh, I beg your
  pardon.
• Yet our first proper meeting with him further
  adds to the mystery. The low profile he
  maintains is out of place with his lavish
  expenditure

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Style Mysterious like atmosphere created around
Gatsby

• Repetition of Old sport further adds to the
  mystery of Gatsby as it makes him sound more
  English
• Jordans words create further mystery Ive
  just heard the most amazing thing, she
  whispered.it was simply amazing, she repeated
  abstractedly

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Style - title The Great Gatsby
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Style The Great Gatsby - title

• The title is reminiscent of a vaudeville billing
  or the name of a magician like The Great
  Houdini
• Is this to emphasise the theatrical and perhaps
  illusion like qualities of Gatsbys life?
• This is further conveyed by-

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Style - Dreamlike quality of proceedings

• the fact that throughout this chapter description
  is used to create a dreamlike atmosphere-
• In his garden men and girls came and
• went like moths
• A tray of cocktails floated at us through
  the
• twilight
• Again an air of illusion is successfully created

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Characterisation - Gatsby

• Does this perhaps suggest that there is something
  illusionary about Gatsby himself?

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Characterisation - Gatsby
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Characterisation Gatsby

• Not only is an air of mystery created around
  Gatsby
• He is also portrayed as being almost like royalty
  signed Jay Gatsby in a majestic hand
• He is portrayed as doing everything to excess

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Characterisation - Gatsby

• Discussion
• Explain the way in which the following quotes
  suggest excess-
• the orchestra had arrived, no thin five
  piece affair but a whole pitful of oboes and
  trombones and saxophones and viols and

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Characterisation - Gatsby

• the cars from New York are parked five deep in
  the drive
• At least once a fortnight a corp of caterers
• Enough coloured lights to make a Christmas tree
  of Gatsbys enormous garden

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Characterisation - Gatsby

• Yet, Fitzgerald clearly creates an air of
  isolation around Gatsby
• standing alone on the marble steps and
  looking from one group to another
• Sometimes they came and went without having
  met Gatsby at all

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Characterisation - Gatsby

• Think back to previous chapters
• Discussion
• In what other ways has Gatsbys isolation
  been conveyed?

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Characterisation - Gatsby

• The repetition of the business calls early in the
  morning perhaps suggests underworld business
  connections
• Discussion
• Why is this idea reinforced by the calls
  coming from Chicago?

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Characterisation - Nick

• Again Nicks reliability as a narrator is
  questioned
• Discussion
• Explain why the following quotes make us
  question Nicks reliability-

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Nicks reliability as a narrator

• I had taken two finger bowls of champagne, and
  the scene had changed before my eyes into
  something significant, elemental and profound
• It was one of those rare smiles with a quality
  of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come
  across four or five times in life

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Nicks reliability as a narrator

• Read the following-
• Reading over what I have written so far, I
  see I have given the impression that the events
  of three nights several weeks apart were all that
  absorbed me
• Here he reminds us that he is the writer as well
  as the narrator. Events have therefore been
  filtered and recollected by him. Is he reliable?

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Nicks reliability as a narrator

• Read the following-
• I even had a short affair with a girl who
  lived in Jersey Citybut her brother began
  throwing mean looks in my direction
• Why?
• Nick is supposed to be honest and reliable. Is
  this a warning? Does he only tell us what he
  wants us to know?

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Nicks reliability as a narrator

• Consider the final sentence of the chapter -
• Every one suspects himself of at least one
  of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine I am
  one of the few honest people that I have ever
  known
• Discussion
• In what ways is this sentence given
  significance?

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Nicks reliability as a narrator

• Yet, if he is so honest, why is he attracted to
  Jordan - I felt a sort of tender curiosityfor
  a moment I thought I loved her
• He acknowledges that she is dishonest a
  suggestion that she moved her ball from a bad
  lie
• Yet, It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in
  a woman is a thing you never blame deeply

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Nick characterisation

• Nick is undoubtedly lonely-
• Consider his description of New York
  forms leaned together in the taxis as they
  waited, and voices sang, and there was laughter
  from unheard jokes and imagining that I too, was
  hurrying towards gaiety and sharing their
  intimate excitement, I wished them well

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Nick characterisation

• This extract clearly conveys Nicks loneliness.
  He is merely reporting the situation, he is not
  part of it
• Most of the time I worked - Nicks loneliness
  is further emphasised by the fact that his life
  is far different from those of Gatsby and the
  other characters

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Characterisation - Jordan

• Discussion
• Consider the following quotes. For each
  explain why they again suggest a negative
  impression of Jordan-
• she responded absently as I came up
• she was incurably dishonest

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Symbolism - Cars

• His Rolls Royce became an omnibus
• Cars represent the wealth of America, but Gatsby
  is not happy with a Ford motor car most
  Americans who could afford a car had one.
  Remember the connotations of a Rolls Royce
  great wealth and social privilege

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Symbolism Owl Eyes

• Absolutely real have pages and
  everything.they are absolutely realIt fooled
  me
• Owl Eyes is surprised to discover that the books
  are real and not just empty covers and cases.
  Does this suggest that the people of West Egg and
  East Egg are ornate covers too? Does their
  outward show of opulence cover up their inner
  corruption and moral decay?

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Symbolism - Owl Eyes

• Does this tie in with the theme of Perception
  versus Reality?
• The party is an elaborate theatrical production.
  People do not even really like each other East
  Egg condescending to West Egg. Does Owl Eyes
  perhaps suggest that Gatsbys whole life is
  merely a show?
• Discussion
• Any thoughts on the name Owl Eyes?

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Theme Perception versus Reality

• The behaviour of the American Upper classes
  suggests that their wealth covers up their vulgar
  behaviour-
• They conducted themselves according to the
  rules of behaviour associated with an amusement
  park

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Theme Perception versus Reality

• Most of the remaining women were now having
  fights with men said to be their husbands
• Lavish appearances cover less positive realities
• This ties in with the idea of DISTORTED VISION

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Theme - Perception versus Reality

• Discussion
• Briefly list the examples of DISTORTED VISION
  or examples within the novel so far when
  Perception differs drastically from Reality
• What could this suggest about Gatsby himself?

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Well-done!!!!