Fiesta Talk with Hor

 

¡Bienvenidos damas y caballeros! Today, we’re going to discuss three parties that were in the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby, and then I’ll tell you which one I would attend.

Chapter 1: Dinnah

Have you ever been to a gathering (or a party in this case) where one person was just straight up dominating the conversation? Whether it be politics, or what Joe Schmo did in the latest episode of Who gives a crap anyway? That’s what Daisy’s dinner party was like. In chapter one, narrator Nick Carraway travels to the Buchanan house, home of Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Daisy, Nick’s second cousin, is far too posh to pay much attention to her cousin that she hasn’t seen in years. In their “cheerful red-and-white Georgian colonial mansion,” Tom Buchanan dominates the conversation by discussing a book known as “The Rise of the Coloured Empires,” while spreading his radical views on colored folk. He makes it very clear that he is not in support of inclusion. Also in attendance at the dinner party is Daisy’s friend and pro-golfer, Miss Jordan Baker. She sports a more masculine physique than one would expect. While Tom steps away for a phone call, Miss Baker exposes his Empire State lover, describing her as “some woman in New York.” After the racist rant and the exposure of Tom’s affair, it’s safe to say that poor Nick had an awkward and likely uncomfortable visit to the Buchanan mansion.

Chapter 2: Myrtle the Turtle

What better way to pass time than by visiting the Valley of Ashes? That sounds fun, right? In chapter two, our wonderful racist pal Tom Buchanan takes Nick to a garage right outside of the valley of ashes. The owner of the garage, George Wilson, is the husband to Tom’s lover, Myrtle. Tom then takes both Nick and Myrtle to his apartment in the city, which happens to be where Tom and Myrtle exercise their affair. Here, they hold a gossiping get-together with Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, and the McKees. This party was filled with boring gossip about Jay Gatsby and wasted guests. Though it was a morally inappropriate party for Nick to attend (being that it was held by Tom, his cousin’s husband, and his lover whom he had just met), it seemed as if he was too compelled by it to leave. Tom and Myrtle’s affair is extremely public, yet it doesn’t seem to affect either of the two. In fact, Tom practically embraces the publicized affair but intends to keep it away from his elaborate mansion in the East Egg.

Chapter 3: Gatsby Revealed

Heck yeah! Parties every weekend? Count me in! Described as an “opulent” gathering, (meaning rich, luxurious, and lavish) Gatsby’s party is full of East and West Eggers, if you will. I guess you could say everyone and their mother was at Gatsby’s party. Nick states that he “was one of the few guests who had actually been invited” to Gatsby’s party. As for the guests, Nick claims that “sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all.” At the party, Nick floats around until he notices Miss Jordan Baker, prompting him towards her, being that she was the only one he knew of that was there. The two spend much of their time looking for their mysterious host. Though he is nowhere to be found, they begin to mingle with some of the party-goers - three of which are named “Mr. Mumble.” They all begin to discuss Gatsby, with Lucille pointing out that she thinks Gatsby was “a German spy during the war,” a continuation of gossip surrounding Gatsby in the second chapter. Later that night, Nick and Jordan venture outside of the mansion. They sit at a table accompanying a young man and a “rowdy little girl.” Nick and the mysterious man realize that they both served in the war together, to which the man then introduces himself as none other than Jay Gatsby himself. Gatsby’s favorite two words seem to be “old sport,” fascinating, isn’t it? Also fascinating is the fact that Gatsby doesn’t partake in his own party events, rather he stays afar and watches the party. Soon after, Gatsby orders one of his butlers to retrieve Jordan to “speak with [her] alone.” When Jordan returns, she claims she has heard “the most amazing thing.” How mysterious.

Which party would Hor go to?

No Scalia, I would not go to Gatsby’s party. I do not fall victim to your stereotypes. I would actually rather attend Myrtle’s party from chapter two. Why you may ask? Well, it’s quite simple actually. I want to hear the gossip! I personally despise being part of the drama, but boy do I love being in the know when it comes to it! Keep me in the loop, always. At Myrtle’s party, we learn quite a bit about the novel’s characters and get Nick’s perspective on them as well. He claimed he reserves judgment in chapter one, but in this chapter, I didn’t see that. The dinner party at the Buchanan house would be extremely awkward and uncomfortable for me. I wouldn’t be able to be in the same room as Tom Buchanan while he’s talking about a “Coloured Uprising.” As for Gatsby’s party, though it seems fun, I wouldn’t find myself enjoying it. I’ve never been a party person, let alone one that’s full of people that I don’t know. But that’s just me.