Allie Lowy

Ms. Melissa Kaplan

AP Language
18 December 2014

In Chapter Three, Fitzgerald portrays one of Gatsbys illustrious parties,

suggesting that the upper classs outward display of opulence masks their moral and
spiritual bankruptcy. The party, a showcase of the wealthy at their most lavishly
ostentatious, ushers in hordes of guests who come and go like moths (39). Fitzgerald
likens the partygoers to light-seeking insects to elucidate their inner emptiness, as they
wander without purpose, mindlessly attracted to excitement, only to find that the
extravagance to which they are drawn is ultimately destructive -- like a moth to a flame.
Fitzgerald details the initial grandeur of Gatsbys garish spectacle, observing turkeys
bewitched to a dark gold (40). While gold symbolizes old money and elegance,
bewitched has supernatural connotations, intimating that the partys attempt to embody
sophistication and glamour is artificial and a magical faade. Fitzgerald also describes
floating rounds of cocktails (40) that guests drink to intoxicate themselves. By
rendering the drinks floating, Fitzgerald sheds light on the enchanting yet ephemeral
nature of the partys luxury, also insinuating that the guests are ungrounded to purpose
and meaning. When the night has nearly drawn to a close, Fitzgerald notes that a sudden
emptiness seemed to flow (55). Describing the emptiness as sudden exhibits that the
magical nature of the night was short-lived, while emptiness [that] seemed to flow
suggests the pervasive hollowness of the lives of the rich. Ultimately, the depiction of the

party reveals that the upper classs appetite for glamour is a fleeting and ultimately
unsuccessful attempt to fill a void in their lives. Despite the extravagant nature of the
upper classs lifestyle, their lives are, in actuality, vapid and devoid of meaning.