In the beginning of the Great Gatsby, we are introduced to a number of characters through the main narrator, Nick Carraway. We are given hints and suggestions about how Nick can be portrayed as a narrator and as a main character. Throughout the first two chapters, we get an impression that Nick is an effective narrator and a key character in the novel. However, our opinions of him may differ as we get deeper into the story. Within the very first page of the novel, we can guess that Nick Carraway will be a descriptive narrator, as he says more than once, ‘I was rather literally in college’, showing that he will be an accurate and informative narrator. An example of Nick being very detailed in his descriptions is when he arrives at his first of many Gatsby’s parties, ‘On buffet tables…salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs…By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived’, showing that Nick is amazed with the amount of effort Gatsby has put into making his parties enjoyable. It also shows Gatsby is a very elaborate person, who values in keeping his “guests” (most of the people that came to his parties were not invited by him), happy. Perhaps the reason why there is so much detail given about how Gatsby makes his parties is that Nick is overly impressed by his materialistic possessions for example, his ‘marble swimming pool’ and his wealth. As a key character in the novel, we get the impression here that Nick can be a detailed and accurate narrator. Nick also uses a lot of complex sentences, and this allows him to elaborate on what events are taking place. In addition, the complex sentences will provide more information in his sentences, ‘He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, ... ... middle of paper ... ...e should be able to handle himself in a more responsible way as the novel unravels. Some would even say that at the end of the novel, Nick has had a moral journey as after Gatsby’s death, he is a sadder, but a wiser person. Overall, we get many impressions of Nick in the first two chapters of the novel; reliable, accurate, a spectator of situations, egotistic or immature. However, it is too soon to judge Nick’s narrating skills or personality as our judgements can change very easily- in chapter four when Nick doesn’t confront Gatsby about his obvious lie, ‘San Francisco…I see’, we ask ourselves why he did not confront Gatsby and we as readers question the reason why he didn’t confront Gatsby is because he admires him too much to care about the lies. This is just one example we can use that can change our impression of Nick as a narrator and as a main character.
In conclusion, Nick is not a reliable narrator because of his negative judgments of others, his friendship with Gatsby, and his lack of knowing everything that is going on. Nick is a very proud man and this is shown throughout the novel. He prides himself on being honest and non-judgmental when he is both of these things. His depiction of the other characters is affected by the current situations and his relationship with Gatsby. Overall, Nick tries to tell the story how it occurs to him at that time.
Nick Carraway is a special character in Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. The fictional story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway who is deemed to be unbiased, impartial, and non-judgmental in his narratives. At the top layer, he appears to be a genuine and great friend, who seems to be the only true friend and admirer of Great Gatsby. As the story unfolds, readers get glimpses of internal issues that Nick Carraway has that show him as more of a flawed character than previous thought of. The first issue that readers see and challenge in the novel is Nick’s attempt at being an unbiased narrator.
As an unreliable person cannot be considered a credible source, Nick Carraway does not reflect the characteristics of a reliable narrator. From the very beginning Nick had no chance of being reliable, due to his god-like role assigned to him by Fitzgerald. This role not only gave him motivation to paint others in a poor light but also opportunities to show just how human he is in his hypocrisy. As Nick is human and a main component of the story, his narration is heavily biased in favor of Gatsby and this is made apparent in his
Ultimately, Nick is an unreliable narrator who overlooks Gatsby’s lies because of his biased judgment of him. Nick portrays Gatsby as a generous and charismatic figure while in reality, he is a duplicative and obsessed man entangled in illegal business who is determined on an unattainable goal. It is highly ironic that Nick judges others for their lack of morality and honesty; his own character is plagued by lies as he abets Gatsby in many of his schemes.
One of the traits of Gatsby that makes him truly great is his remarkable capacity for hope. He has faith that what he desires will come to him if he works hard enough. He does not comprehend the cruelty and danger that is the rest of the world. Gatsby, while a man of questionable morals, is as wide-eyed and innocent as a small child in his views of the world. These ideals are evident in Nick’s narration and in the words spoken by the other characters, including Gatsby himself.
At the beginning of the book Nick sees Gatsby as a mysterious shady man. In the beginning of the chapter Nick somewhat resents Gatsby. In Nick’s opinion Gatsby was the representation of “…everything for which I have unaffected scorn.” (Fitzgerald 2). Nick sees Gatsby as what he hates the most in life, rich folk. Since the start of the novel it was obvious that had “Disapproved of him from beginning to end.” (Fitzgerald 154). As time passes, Nick realizes his neighbor has quite a mysterious past. Some think he’s a bootlegger, and a different person wa...
The quote that best describes Nick Carraway is, “The abnormal mind is quick to detect and attach itself to this quality…in college I was unjustly accused of being a politician, because I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men”(1). The good qualities of Nick are he is open-minded, a good listener, and tolerant of most things. His bad qualities are that he was affected by the fast life of New York, an example being when he got drunk just because the other people he was with were drunk. F. Scott Fitzgerald developed this character because as the narrator he can tell the readers what is happening. Additionally, he is important because through Nick readers realize how morally empty living a life such as Gatsby’s is.
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a book about a young rich man that had a mysterious past. The author intentionally chose Nick as the narrator of this story. He is Gatsby’s neighbor, and he often contradicts himself. He said he was taught by his father to not criticize people, but he often criticized people including Gatsby. Critics in real life often behave like Nick and are hypocritical.
Nick Carroway is not a very judgmental person, in fact, he himself states that he withholds judgment so that he can get the entire story out of the person to whom he is listening. To say that Nick is both approving and disapproving is not suspiring, for Nick rarely looks at things from only one perspective. Nick finds Gatsby to be ignorantly honest, in that Gatsby could not fathom the idea of saying something without really meaning it. He respects Gatsby for his determination to fit in with the East Egg crowd, though Gatsby does not realize that he does not really fit in with them. On the other hand, Nick sees Gatsby to be excessively flashy and, in the words of Holden Caulfield, 'phony.' Gatsby's whole life is a lie from the moment he left behind the name James Gatz and became Jay Gatsby. Gatsby lies about his past to try to have people perceive him as an 'old money' guy when that really is not necessary. Gatsby's valiant efforts to lure Daisy are respectable, yet they show Gatsby's failure to accept reality and give up on his long lost dream.
Ultimately, although readers portray Nick as an honest and unbiased narrator, through the above evidence combined with the fact that the 2 years have passed for Nick, his narration point is inherently bias. Since he has such a close friendship with Gatsby, Nick manages to overlook Gatsby’s illegal activities, and portray him unjustly as a virtuous man. The portrayal is unjust because Nick doesn’t account for his flaws, and he highlights his positives.
Nick wants the readers to believe that the way he was raised gives him the right to pass judgement on a immoral world. He says, that as a consequence of the way he was raised he is "inclined to reserve all judgements" about other people (page 5). His saying this makes it seem like we can trust him to give a fair unbiased account of the story that he is telling, but we later learn that he does not reserve all judgements. Nick further makes us feel that he is a non-partisan narrator by the way he tells of his past. We come to see that Nick is very partial in his way of telling the story. This is shown when he admits early in the story that he does not judge Gatsby because Gatsby had a "extraordinary gift for hope, a romanric readiness". This made Nick more loyal to Gatsby than other characters in the book.
Nick Carraway is the only character worth knowing in The Great Gatsby. He is living in East Egg with the rich and powerful people. He is on the guest lists to all of their parties and yet he is the person most worthy of attending such parties because he is well bread and his family is certainly not poor. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” (Ch1, P1). These words were taught to Nick by his father showing the qualities that a man with goals and values would have in a place where goals and values was no existent. His Judgmental eye for character and guts of using them when desired makes him more interesting. He has a greatest fear that he will be all alone by himself.
The Genuine Nick of The Great Gatsby. & nbsp; Nick Carraway is a very genuine character throughout the novel. He gets involved with situations such as Daisy and Gatsby, he helps them. rekindle their love and he also becomes a true friend of Jay Gatsby. & nbsp; Throughout the novel Nick Carraway starts off not having friends, until he starts getting involved with other people. & nbsp; It all starts when Jay Gatsby, Nick's neighbour, invites Nick to his party. Nick decides that it would be a great idea, so he attends. While attending the party, Nick gets acquainted with many of the guests. Then Gatsby sends for him to come and meet him. At first Nick has no idea. where he is headed, then he sees Gatsby and they talk for a few minutes.
From the beginning of The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway is developed as a reliable narrator. His honesty and sense of duty are established as he remarks on his own objectivity and willingness to withhold judgment. However, as the book progresses and Nick’s relationship with Jay Gatsby grows more intimate, it is revealed that Nick is not as reliable as previously thought when it comes to Gatsby. Nick perceives Gatsby as pure and blameless, although much of Gatsby's persona is false. Because of his friendship and love for Gatsby, his view of the events is fogged and he is unable to look at the situation objectively.
He becomes our eyes and ears in this world and we have to see him as reliable if we are to proceed with the story's development. In The Great Gatsby, Nick goes to some length to establish his credibility, indeed his moral integrity, in telling this story about this "great" man called Gatsby. He begins with a reflection on his own upbringing, quoting his father's words about Nick's "advantages", which we could assume were material but, he soon makes clear, were spiritual or moral advantages. Nick wants his readers to know that his upbringing gave him the moral fiber with which to withstand and pass judgment on an amoral world, such as the one he had observed the previous summer. He says, rather pompously, that as a consequence of such an upbringing, he is "inclined to reserve all judgments" about other people, but then goes on to say that such "tolerance. . .