How does Fitzgerald tell the story in Chapter 3?

Nick's narration opens the chapter describing the buzz that is surrounding his mysterious neighbour, describing how music played through the night and 'men and women' came and went like 'moths', this simile illustrates the frantic qualities about his neighbours home. Through Nick, Fitzgerald tells us of the events surrounding many days and nights at his parties 'on weekends his Rolls Royce became an omnibus' , as Nick is narrating in the past tense he is able to span information around many days to accentuate the business and grand eccentrics surrounding Gatsby 'every friday crates arrived from a fruiter in New York'.

Nick then prides himself as 'one of the only guests who was invited'- being invited Nick feels his is able to feel superior to the number of the guests who turn up 'in automobiles', however he is notably out of his depth as he feels 'ill at ease' when walking around the party. Nick has began to become immersed into the party lifestyle, yet he still does not fit in. He remarks on 'getting roaring drunk from sheer embarrassment' before attaching himself to Jordan, he needs some sense of familiarity. Fitzgerald then incorporates many voices to reflect on the busy nature of Gatsby's party, rumours begin to circle as the readers learn of his criminality 'i heard he killed a man' while others remark him as a 'war hero'. Nick only feels comfortable when devouring 'two finger bowls of champagne' to which the scene had become 'profound and elemental' - the fact that Nick only begins to absorb and feel comfortable with his surroundings after drinking shows a satirical view towards his surroundings, it seems he has to indulge in the drunken antics to feel involved, else he would be further marginalised.

Fitzgerald greets us to Gatsby in an almost anti-climantic fashion, through Nicks misunderstanding he is forced to introduce himself 'I'm Gatsby ' which doesn't seem to fit with the suspense that was building around the character, as Nick described him so fantastically in previous chapters we would expect his introduction to be on a much grander scale. He then regenerates the majestic qualities surrounding the character when describing his smile as 'one that you would only see once in five years' however Nick then changes his speech describing Gatsby as 'absurd'. His flippant tone represents the frequent change of opinion surrounding Gatsby. Jordan too 'doesn't believe' some of the stories surrounding Gatsby, at this point Fitzgerald gives us no solid opinions of (Great) Gatsby, every voice, voices, a different opinion of the character creating a sense of mysteriousness around him.

Nick provides a description of Gatsby being in pristine condition 'as if he had [his hair] cut every day' as he looks at his guest with 'approving' eyes, the man is in control of something that we would expect to have no control over, as the party continues Gatsby's characterisation deepens as Nick builds his own opinion of the character. As the party has climaxed the setting is less of a wild party but now full of the drunk and 'men arguing with women' which links back to the previous chapter when, as the drink was finished, tension rose and Tom broke Myrtle's nose. It appears the glamorisation of drinking bitterly ends with bickering as the characters begin to get a conscience back. As the guests begin to leave and the night seems resolved there is one last point of issue when the wheel of the automobile has been torn off. This destruction foreshadows Gatsby's inpendant destruction, also significant of the automobile. Jordan states that 'it takes two to cause an accident'.

Fitzgerald ends the chapter with Nick narrating the inbetween days of his life that didn't involve Gatsby, stating about his job but also his involvement with Jordan, he admits he had a 'tangle' at his previous home which we infer he means is a relationship, yet he signs of with the statement 'i am one of the few honest men i know' ironic.