The Cocktail Party as Social Commentary in Literature

This essay provides a comparative analysis of the theme of social gatherings, specifically the cocktail party, in three significant novels: F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse," and Nella Larsen's "Passing." The essay explores how each author uses the party setting to comment on societal structures, class distinctions, and interpersonal relationships. In "The Great Gatsby," the party serves as a critique of the excesses of the Jazz Age and the superficiality of the wealthy elite. "To the Lighthouse" uses the dinner party to explore themes of social harmony, isolation, and the complexities of human connection. "Passing" employs the party scene to dissect issues of race, identity, and the constraints of social expectations within the context of racial passing. The essay incorporates critical analysis from secondary sources to support its arguments, highlighting the nuanced ways in which each author uses the party as a lens through which to examine the complexities of the human experience and societal dynamics.

Running Head: ENGLISH LITERATURE
English literature
Student’s Name
University Name
Author’s Note

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Introduction
The following essay aims to discuss about the theme of cocktail party in the three
novels. The chosen novels are The Great Gatsby, To the Lighthouse and Passing. These novels
have depicted the society and how people in the society have behaved in different manners. The
different events in the society and societal hierarchy will be discussed in this essay.
Discussion
The theme of cocktail party is the central theme of all three novels, The Great Gatsby, To
the Lighthouse and Passing. The sophistication and presentation of high society aristocracy is
one of the most influential factors of this 1920 novel by Fitzgerald. The implication of this
cocktail party is to depict America as age of Prohibition had laid an influence on it. Through this
party, Fitzgerald has made a critique on the jazz age in USA (Buell: 34). The mention of ‘under a
constantly changing light’ has been one of the main aspects related to show of wealth. The
dominant color of the tableau in this cocktail party is yellow (Batchelor: 78). The Rolls Royce of
Gatsby has been shown as a face of royal wealth in the society. Therefore, it signifies that
cocktail party arranged in this novel only shows how affluent the members of this society were
and their rich lifestyle in this scenario (Buell: 34).
The novel To the Lighthouse is also a very crucial novel that has elaborated social
conditions and behaviors of the social hierarchy in different manners. In this novel, the aspect of
feminism has been described in this cocktail or dinner party scene. Apart from that the third
important context is party scene in the novel Passing by Nella Larsen (Gillespie: 89). This book
had been published in the year 1929. Some central issues and themes of this novel concerns with
race, class and sexuality. These things have been very evident in the novel and this opens up in a

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broad manner while racial contexts have been very much crucial (Ferrer: 67). However, the
passing tradition of racial issues from traditional American natives and African American
ethnicities. There have been several themes in this novel and the representation of party has
been depicted in the novel as racial discriminations have been largely evident in this situation.
The social positions have been seen to be juxtaposed in this novel regarding different characters
like Irene, Gertrude and Clare (Haarsma and Catharina: 19). The interpretation of party is quite
different between Passing and the Great Gatsby. The interpretations are mainly based on the
social influences and racial contexts.
The pomp and show in the party scenes described by Fitzgerald evidently highlights that
there was the touch of exaggeration in every discourse. The food that was served in the party was
also “unimaginable”. This implies that there is an eccentric attempt to climb higher than normal.
The same gesture is also apparent when the hosts of ladies who start appearing for the party. The
strange ways in which their hairs are shorn shows that they want to portray their approach as
delegates. Keshmiri and Fahimeh, while critiquing the novel, states that the ladies are almost
dressed up, like they are appearing for a Halloween party. In this context, it requires mention that
the party has been used as an aperture to distinguish the realities of social classes. There had
been a class of women who boats of their aristocracy by showing off their riches as well as
exorbitant garments. However, in order to display their class, the group of women chose to wear
ostentatious clothes, excessive outfits and “shawls beyond the dreams of Castile”. However,
Fitzgerald makes it evident that no one in the party is actually concerned about the other. Their
personal needs and wants in life is all that matters to them. However, everyone present in the
party takes it up as their goal to showcase their best appearance before everyone.
This is why, the author describes:

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“Floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside”
As analyzed by Zhao, this symbolic quote refers that the no one is supposed to touch the
food until they fulfill the goal of giving their best appearance in front of all others. This theme
relates to the American dream portrayed in the novel. Hossain and Sanjeeda, perceives that a
status symbol is necessary for everyone like a token of achievement. Besides, everyone needs to
portray their achievement through material exhibition. That is why we find Jay Gatsby is trying
to win over Daisy in spite of his fantastic amounts of money as well as his over the top mansion.
When, in chapter 5, Daisy and Gatsby ultimately reunite to start their affair, it seems that Gatsby
has been ultimately successful in achieving his goal. The achievement of the goal is equally
important like the urge to showcase the social class in the party. Harrell and Jessica, reasonably
argues that it is not only sufficient to achieve the social class or a token to enter the old money
class. Every status holder has to justify through every aperture that they are belonging to the elite
section and the party is one such aperture.
In the novel “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf, the dinner party is the main frame
of the novel. The initial setting of the dinner party of Mrs. Ramsey also brings about the feeling
that every partygoer is terribly remote. However, there is a difference between the utility of
pomp and show in the party. There is apparent smile and good looks on the face of every visitor
and the host in the party scene of The Great Gatsby. However, the party scene of TO The
Lighthouse goes from abstract and chaotic to blissful. Initially everyone in the party is socially
remote, unlike The Great Gatsby. The visitors feel:
“Rough and isolated and lonely (Khalifeh and Areen)”

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The dark outside portrays an overwhelming uncertainty in “To the Lighthouse”. This
darkness is actually the social and class distance of one guest from another that prevails until
they come in to the party. However, Woolf, observes that change comes over when candles are
lit in the party hall. The candle is the epitome of the trust and hope that the author bestows in the
amicability of the partygoers. In sharp contrast, Wang, highlights that in “The Great Gatsby” the
author is supposed to be an extravagant show where there is classical distinction between the
social classes and every single member is up to showing off in their own way. This class struggle
is evident in the new formed elite class where the individual members are busy in exaggerated
portrayal of their social positions. However, at the end of the party scene of To the Lighthouse,
Virginia Woolf shows that Mrs. Ramsey prevails in her gift and using the medium of the party,
she tries to establish social harmony. The candle lights bear the symbol of social affinity in the
hearts of the party goers and the host as well. Fashion is used as the art for social depiction by
the author as well as the characters of the parties, on both instances (Gillespie: 2). However, it is
evident that the ostentatious women would never be amiable to the social cluster of women who
exhibit class through exhibition of outfits. However, the party hosts in “To the Lighthouse” uses
fashion like an artist to bring together people, by breaking the barriers between them and
allowing them to reunite and enjoy life together in absolute understanding for a brief span of
time.
In the chapter 3 of The Great Gatsby, we come across the Myrtle’s party, which is a clear
portrayal of the distorted vision of the narrator. Misperceptions are vented out in the social
interactions that take place in the party. The lack of social concord is also evident in the imagery
where the car loses a wheel at the end of Gatsby’s party.

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Passing by Nella Larsen analyses the complications of romantic relationships through the
theme of parties. Irene is vexed when she hears about Clare’s presence in the party. In her talks
with Brain, the possibility of romantic linkages between Clare and Hugh Wentworth comes up.
Clare’s presence at the party serves to explore the theme of unpleasant social existence. As
founded by Warren, mental distortion plays is part in the party when Irene decides to go to the
party and try to keep herself absorbed in abstract thoughts regarding Clare and Brain. Hence, it
can be easily conclude that in terms of abstract social presence, there is strong linkage between
the rendition and presentation of thoughts between the party scenes of The Great Gatsby and
Passing. Both the authors try to depict social imbalances under the discourse of the party theme.
The state of Irene’s mental anguish is highly comparable with that of the loss of the wheel of the
car at the end of the party in The Great Gatsby. In fact, the author of Passing himself depicts that
the parties are the place for unpleasant social as well as racial realities. This is the reason why
Brian feels that his sons should also attend the parties. Commotion is a continued reality in the
party theme of Passing. In the Great Gatsby, there was lack of social interaction which depicted
the stretch of mind of the participants. However, in The Passing, the reality of social discord is
evident in the reactions of the people. Class differences do exist in the parties of Passing.
However, Frei states that it is a different state of affairs where the impunity of romantic
relationships defines the tussle of social relationships. In fact in Passing, the authors depicts that
social relationships are compulsions that helps people to stay in harmony. This is evident in
Irene’s disclosure where she states:
"wanted no empty spaces of time in which her mind would immediately return to that horror
which she had not yet gathered sufficient courage to face" (251).
Conclusion

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In the concluding section, it can be said that all these three novels have depicted the issue
of party and social affluence. The novels therefore suggest that party as a place where people
from different places come up and meet with each other. They tend to show their social positions
in these places and conflicts might also arise in this scenario as well. Therefore, these
interpretations are crucial to show that people belonging to different classes and sections of
society behave in different ways and this reflects through their behavior. However, there is
difference in the way the authors exposes the society through the parties. The individual
perception of the authors about social harmony is evident in their depiction of the party theme.
To the Lighthouse, The Great Gatsby as well as Passing all highlights the uneasiness of social
existence. However, Virginia Woolf in To the Lighthouse depicts party as a scope of escaping
the tussles in society, whereas the other two depicts parties as a mirror of the social imbalance.

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Reference List
Frei, Clifton. "Nella Larsen’s Passing And The Tragedy Of The Oppressed: Trauma, Race,
Identity, And Reading Resistance." (2019).
Gillespie, Margaret. "GENDER, RACE AND SPACE IN NELLA LARSEN'S PASSING
(1929)." Journal of Research in Gender Studies 5.2 (2015).
Haarsma, Roos Elisabeth Catharina. The Portrayal of the'New Woman'in F. Scott Fitzgerald's
The Great Gatsby. BS thesis. 2018.
Harrell, Jessica. "Modern American Cover Art: The Great Gatsby Through Time." (2018).
Hossain, Sanjeeda. "Machines of the Roaring Twenties and Their Effects on Flappers’
Individualism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby." Associate Editor 12 (2016): 21.
Keshmiri, Fahimeh. "The Disillusionment of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Dreams and Ideals in The
Great Gatsby." Theory and Practice in Language Studies 6.6 (2016): 1295-1299.
Khalifeh, Areen. "The Law of the Father in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse (1927) and Mrs.
Dalloway (1925)." (2016).
Wang, Jing. "Harmony and integration: The core of Woolf’s truth: A brief analysis of “wedge-
shaped core of darkness” in to the'lighthouse." (2018)
Warren, Brad. "Fashion, Etiquette, and Class in Nella Larsen’s Novel Passing." Pentangle’s
History (2016): 33.
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs Dalloway's Party: A Short Story Sequence. Random House, 2017.

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Xiao-fang, S. U. N. "Kaleidoscope in Jazz Age: On Symbolic Meanings of Colors in The Great
Gatsby." Journal of Literature and Art Studies 7.1 (2017): 46-50.
Zhao, Yu. "The Narrative Techniques of The Great Gatsby." Asia International Symposium on
Language, Literature and Translation. 2017.