Question

review the passage. the paradox is shown in bold.

i would have accepted without question the information that gatsby sprang from the swamps of louisiana or from the lower east side of new york. that was comprehensible. but young men didnt—at least in my provincial inexperience i believed they didnt—drift coolly out of nowhere and buy a palace on long island sound.

\anyhow, he gives large parties,\ said jordan, changing the subject with an urban distaste for the concrete. \and i like large parties. theyre so intimate. at small parties there isnt any privacy.\

there was the boom of a bass drum, and the voice of the orchestra leader rang out suddenly above the echolalia of the garden.

from f. scott fitzgerald, the great gatsby. copyright 1925 by charles scribners sons
what is the effect of the paradox on the passages meaning or tone?

it implies that jordan actually prefers small parties over large ones.

it implies that it is easier to have close personal interactions at large parties.

it helps the reader understand why gatsby gives large parties.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the first option: The paradox says Jordan likes large parties (calls them intimate) and small parties lack privacy. There's no indication she prefers small parties; she says she likes large ones. So this is incorrect.
2. Analyze the second option: The paradox is "I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy." Typically, large parties are seen as less intimate, small as more private. The paradox flips this, implying in large parties, close personal interactions (intimacy) are easier, while small parties don't offer privacy (so maybe less personal space). This matches the paradox's effect.
3. Analyze the third option: The paradox is about Jordan's view on parties, not about why Gatsby gives large parties. So this is irrelevant.

Answer:

It implies that it is easier to have close personal interactions at large parties.