The third chapter of The Great Gatsby is where readers are actually introduced to Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, only known because of his reputation to throw over-the-top, grand parties, for which Carraway is extremely delighted and surprised to be invited to. As Carraway begins to enter Gatsby's establishment, he immediately notices the peculiarity of the rich guests attending the party– people seemed to lose themselves in the party, sometimes behaving sinfully reckless, causing Carraway to feel semi-isolated among the chaos. However, while the mass of people is attracted to Gatsby's festivities, and certainly know him, they don't really know him. No one, actually seems to have a clear understanding of who exactly this man is, as Carraway is informed through the rumors of several party-goers, including Jordan Baker and her friend, Lucille,
“'Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.'”
"A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumbles bent forward and listened eagerly."
"'I don’t think it’s so much that,” argued Lucille sceptically; 'it’s more that he was a German spy during the war.'"
"One of the men nodded in confirmation."
"'I heard that from a man who knew all about him, grew up with him in Germany,' he assured us positively."
...
'"Now you’re started on the subject,' she answered with a wan smile. 'Well, he told me once he was an Oxford man.' A dim background started to take shape behind him, but at her next remark it faded away."'
The likelihood of Gatsby being a wealthy American, a former German spy, and an Oxford graduate is very slim, and such a speculative reputation is most likely the result of lies Gatsby has told, or several misinterpretations. This adds to the motifs of facades and perception vs. reality.
The questionable identity of Gatsby, being somewhat unbelievable, is reflected in the anatomy his party. The way in which Carraway describes it is almost unreal: a party complete with a marvelous Rolls Royce, the dual spectacle of both beach and pool, crates filled with fresh oranges and lemons (citrus colored gold to give a sense of luxury, or a representation of new money), an orchestra under the stars, liquor...
On Ms. Baker and Carraway's search for the elusive host, Owl Eyes, a rich man with giant spectacles (possibly a representation of his strong sense of sight), notices that while the scholarly books Gatsby bought are, in fact, real, the pages are unturned, as the gold-leaf seal hasn't been broken; this reveals exactly how much care Gatsby takes into putting on heirs, how he genuinely cares about his appearance, while still putting on a facade. Gatsby is then introduced, as a stranger who served in the same regiment as Carraway. When it is revealed that Carrway's war-buddy is Gatsby, he is immediately starstruck by the reevaluation and inevitably develops an infatuation for the host. Gatsby, an unusual host, is somewhat remote in his one party, preferring not to dance, or even indulge in a drink, revealing there might be an ulterior motive for creating such a party.
The true recklessness of the rich is illustrated as Owl Eyes crashes his car in a ditch, due to him being drunk out of his mind, essentially beyond function. Quite hilariously, Owl Eyes tries to drunkenly make sense of the situation before him,
“'Wha’s matter?” he inquired calmly. 'Did we run outa gas?'”
“'Look!'”
"Half a dozen fingers pointed at the amputated wheel— he stared at it for a moment, and then looked upward as though he suspected that it had dropped from the sky."
“'It came off,' some one explained.'"
"He nodded."
“'At first I din’ notice we’d stopped.'”
"A pause. Then, taking a long breath and straightening his shoulders, he remarked in a determined voice:
“'Wonder’ff tell me where there’s a gas’line station?'”
"At least a dozen men, some of them little better off than he was, explained to him that wheel and car were no longer joined by any physical bond."
“'Back out,' he suggested after a moment. “Put her in reverse.'”
“'But the wheel’s off!'”
He hesitated.
“'No harm in trying,' he said."
The rich being so unexpectedly reckless, furthers the motif of deceptive perception.
“'Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once.'”
"A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumbles bent forward and listened eagerly."
"'I don’t think it’s so much that,” argued Lucille sceptically; 'it’s more that he was a German spy during the war.'"
"One of the men nodded in confirmation."
"'I heard that from a man who knew all about him, grew up with him in Germany,' he assured us positively."
...
'"Now you’re started on the subject,' she answered with a wan smile. 'Well, he told me once he was an Oxford man.' A dim background started to take shape behind him, but at her next remark it faded away."'
The likelihood of Gatsby being a wealthy American, a former German spy, and an Oxford graduate is very slim, and such a speculative reputation is most likely the result of lies Gatsby has told, or several misinterpretations. This adds to the motifs of facades and perception vs. reality.
The questionable identity of Gatsby, being somewhat unbelievable, is reflected in the anatomy his party. The way in which Carraway describes it is almost unreal: a party complete with a marvelous Rolls Royce, the dual spectacle of both beach and pool, crates filled with fresh oranges and lemons (citrus colored gold to give a sense of luxury, or a representation of new money), an orchestra under the stars, liquor...
On Ms. Baker and Carraway's search for the elusive host, Owl Eyes, a rich man with giant spectacles (possibly a representation of his strong sense of sight), notices that while the scholarly books Gatsby bought are, in fact, real, the pages are unturned, as the gold-leaf seal hasn't been broken; this reveals exactly how much care Gatsby takes into putting on heirs, how he genuinely cares about his appearance, while still putting on a facade. Gatsby is then introduced, as a stranger who served in the same regiment as Carraway. When it is revealed that Carrway's war-buddy is Gatsby, he is immediately starstruck by the reevaluation and inevitably develops an infatuation for the host. Gatsby, an unusual host, is somewhat remote in his one party, preferring not to dance, or even indulge in a drink, revealing there might be an ulterior motive for creating such a party.
The true recklessness of the rich is illustrated as Owl Eyes crashes his car in a ditch, due to him being drunk out of his mind, essentially beyond function. Quite hilariously, Owl Eyes tries to drunkenly make sense of the situation before him,
“'Wha’s matter?” he inquired calmly. 'Did we run outa gas?'”
“'Look!'”
"Half a dozen fingers pointed at the amputated wheel— he stared at it for a moment, and then looked upward as though he suspected that it had dropped from the sky."
“'It came off,' some one explained.'"
"He nodded."
“'At first I din’ notice we’d stopped.'”
"A pause. Then, taking a long breath and straightening his shoulders, he remarked in a determined voice:
“'Wonder’ff tell me where there’s a gas’line station?'”
"At least a dozen men, some of them little better off than he was, explained to him that wheel and car were no longer joined by any physical bond."
“'Back out,' he suggested after a moment. “Put her in reverse.'”
“'But the wheel’s off!'”
He hesitated.
“'No harm in trying,' he said."
The rich being so unexpectedly reckless, furthers the motif of deceptive perception.