" There was dancing now on the canvas in the garden, old men pushing young girls backward in eternal graceless circles, superior couples holding each other tortuously, fashionable and keeping in the corners-and a great number of single girls dancing individualistically or relieving the orchestra for a moment of the burden of the banjo or the traps. By midnight the hilarity has increased....A pair of stage "twins" -who turned out to be the girls in yellow did a baby act on costume and champagne was served in glasses bigger than finger bowls...I was enjoying myself now. I had taken two finger bowls of champagne and the scene has changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental and profound".
The breakdown:
1. This passage is set up by Nick continuously introducing the reader to a pleasant thought, then quickly striking down this impression with an ugly reality. He makes it a statement how such an extravagant party is spoiled by such tasteless and morally corrupted guests.
2. The first sentence is a perfect example. Since Gatsby's party is described and understood to be magnificent and unbelievable, the reader would imagine any sort of dancing going on as dreamy and beautiful. However, Nick gives a sudden "slap to the face" to the reader by morphing these images. Images of flowing dancers turn into sights of old men pushing (notice the men are not leading, nor spinning the girls) backwards in eternal graceless circles. The idea of couples is replaced with a great number of single girls dance individualistically. Nick uses the euphemism of couples being "superior" by explaining how they dance holding each other tortuously and keep in the corners, which suggests how they do not act quite "superior".
3. Nick states that by midnight, the hilarity has increased. It is common in fairy tales, such as Cinderella, for the strike of midnight to expose the characters for what they really are. Cinderella goes from a beautiful, eye-catching princess into a dirty, poor maid. By midnight at Gatsby's party, however, the guests go from rowdy, uncoordinated people into embarrassingly misbehaved fools lacking propriety.
4. Nick realizes that the party is rather ironic. Before he drinks these huge finger bowls of champagne, Nick finds the dancing unappealing. Once he becomes drunk, he is able to view this party of fools through the same uncoordinated eyes and begins to enjoy the scene and almost like magic, it changes before his eyes into something "significant, elemental, and profound."
Hi Nicole! =]
ReplyDeleteI think your interpretation of passage four is very accurate. I agree with the fact that Nick believes the party's atomosphere is superficial during the beginning of the night. However, once he begins to drink the big glaases of champagne, his perspective of the party instantly changes. He now believes the party is "significant, elemental, and profound." He would not have thought of it unless he had lots to drink like everyone else at the party.
I also like your analogy of Cinderella and the striking of the clock to Gastby's party at midnight. GOOD JOB! :D