Nick Carraway In The Great Gatsby

In “The Great Gatsby” written by Scott F Fitzgerald, we meet a plethora of characters all displaying traits of one who has not matured yet. The Great Gatsby follows the story of a man who is infatuated with a reckless woman and the drama that follows. Nick Carraway is our narrator and one of the main characters, he spends much of his time observing the mistakes and everyday lives of the other characters. Even though he is an adult, Nick does grow in maturity and insight throughout the course of the novel as he is drawn into a lifestyle completely foreign to him. Nick is, in fact, the only dynamic character in the novel. He introduces us to the others, through his clear and unbiased view on things.

Gatsby himself, or Jay Gatsby. In the beginning of the novel Gatsby is seen stretching out his arms as Nick narrates, "He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way...and distinguished nothing except a single green light" (Fitzgerald 20). Upon the horizon where the light shone was his form of desperation; finding happiness with his former lover Daisy in an attempt to relive the past five years. Gatsby was compelled to achieve his goal once and for all but he was unable to find it sensibly within his reach. Gatsby's desire to be with Daisy can inarguably be labeled as “quiet desperation” in consideration only Nick and Jordan were aware of his ulterior motives for reinventing himself and taking means necessary to win her over. When Daisy was just in his reach almost satisfying his life, she abruptly slipped from his grasp. The effect of his desperation becomes pure destruction thus leading ultimately to his own corruption and downfall. As Nick states, “He looked—and this is said in all contempt for the babbled slander of his garden—as if he had ‘killed a man.’ For a moment the set of his face could be described in just that fantastic way” (Fitzgerald 134) he expresses an unrecognizable change in Gatsby as he’s devoured by his longing for a lost love. His agony induced transformation altered his internal being, subsequently contributing to his demise and taking his

“In his blue gardens men and women came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 39). In his character, his relationships, and his gatherings, Jay Gatsby epitomized the illusion of a perfect romance. When Gatsby and Daisy met in 1917, he was searching for money, but ended up profoundly falling in love with her. “[H]e set out for gold and stumbled upon a dream” (Ornstein 37). Only a few weeks after meeting one another, Gatsby had to leave for war, which led to a separation between the two for nearly five years. As “war-torn lovers” Gatsby and Daisy reach the quintessential ideal of archetypical romance. When Gatsby returned from the war, his goal was to rekindle the relationship he once had with Daisy. In order to do this, he believed he would have to work hard to gain new wealth and a new persona. “Jay Gatsby loses his life even though he makes his millions because they are not the kind of safe, respectable money that echoes in Daisy’s lovely voice” (Ornstein 36). Gatsby then meets Daisy’s cousin, Nick Carraway, who helps to reunite the pair. Finally being brought together after years of separation, Gatsby stops throwing the extravagant parties at his home, and “to preserve [Daisy’s] reputation, [he] empties his mansion of lights and servants” (Ornstein 37). Subsequent to their reconciliation, Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, begins to reveal sordid information about Gatsby’s career which causes Daisy to

Obsessions Price The central theme of The Great Gatsby is the withering of the American Dream. Nick Carraway moves to West Egg, Long Island New York to experience the American dream. Throughout his expedition he meets Jay Gatsby, a man who has an obsessive desire for Daisy Buchanan’s love. In the end of all the drama that took place in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book Jay Gatsby goes down a path he can never return from and ends up being the cause of his own death.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, narrator Nick Carraway describes Jordan in great detail and retells a conversation they had about her driving habits. Specifically, this passage in the third chapter sheds light on Jordan’s character, explains why Nick chooses to be in a relationship with Jordan, and reveals his dishonesty; ultimately, all of this shows that Nick can’t be trusted, therefore making him a biased narrator. This passage brings out many poor details about Jordan such as her character and her naive expectations. For example, since Jordan can’t stand “being at a disadvantage” she is in a relationship with Nick: she must always be the one in control.

In the novel The Great Gatsby, Nick Carroway says, “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known”. As narrator, Nick is not as honest as he puts out to be, as with his depictions of other people; like with Jordan Baker. Nick believes that he is an honest person because of what his father has established in him as a young boy. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” (Fitzgerald, 5) Nick’s father wanted his son to learn that he has had it easy in his life because of what he has been provided, so he should not judge others just because they are not as privileged as him.

Nick Carraway was a prototypical West Egg resident, following in his prestigious family’s footsteps. He never had to work for anything, completely opposing the mystical “American Dream.” Nick, both the narrator and a participant in Fitzgerald’s book, was mesmerized by the aura of unknown surrounding Jay Gatsby. He threw ravishing parties that seemingly never ended, and had a mansion that everyone, both sides included, in town admired. Nick had an overwhelming admiration for the legend of Gatsby, leading to his biased and unreliable judgement while narrating The Great Gatsby.

Moving into West Egg without Old or New money, Nick Carraway was the odd man out from the start. Surrounded on all sides by the extraordinarily wealthy, Carraway paints himself as the down-to-Earth narrator and involved observer to the events of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. But while there has been much discussion of whether he is reliable narrator due to his close ties with the character of Jay Gatsby, even that take on Nick’s role doesn’t examine deep enough into the novel. Nick is not simply on the outside looking in, rather he is one who orchestrates many of the pivotal moments in the novel, albeit unwittingly. His actions are not unlike those of the mythical Greek inventor Daedalus, who, while imprisoned with his son Icarus, devises an escape plan that leads directly to Icarus’ death.

The Great Gatsby commences with the narrator identifying himself as a man by the designation of Nick Carraway. He’s a new arrival to West Egg and neighbors a tremendous mansion owned by the famous Gatsby. Following his advent, Nick is swift to attend a dinner at the mansion of Tom Buchanan, an old college mate and husband to his cousin Daisy. Unfortunately, the dinner takes a rather inelegant turn due to Tom’s white supremacist rantings and Nick’s revelation that Tom is cheating on Daisy. Contemplatively, Nick makes his way home and happens upon Gatsby, who is ostensibly stargazing. In the distance, Nick observes a single green light glimmering across the sea and for a moment wonders what it could be.

In the Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are many different types of personalities; However, there are two people that standout throughout the novel. Nick Carraway, who is a very admirable person and Tom Buchanan who is the ¨Bad guy¨. In the Great Gatsby characters span from marvelous to atrocious , and these qualities are established clearly through Tom and Nick.

Nick Carraway Nick Carraway is not only the narrator of the novel “The Great Gatsby” he is also one of the main characters. Fitzgerald made Nick the narrator of the of story giving the reader insight of his life and the life of other characters (Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Gatsby). I would say Nick is one of the more important characters because he connected all the characters one way or another.

Focalized through the lens of Nick Carraway. Since Nick is the first person narrator the readers are forced to view the story-world through Nick Carraway’s view of the world. As Abbot states in The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative, “Almost invariably the reliability of the narrator becomes a focus of dispute… The narrator is variously described as an instrument, a construction, or a device wielded by the author,” and Nick is no exception to the question of reliability (Abbot 68). Due to Nick Carraway’s limited perspective his view of many of the characters are irrationally harsh for some and surprisingly not harsh enough for others. He is a self-absorbed unreliable narrator that guides readers through the twisted way in which he sees the

Nick Carraway plays an important role as narrator and as a main character in F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald manages to balance both his roles in such a way as to not overwhelm the novel with is presence. Nick manages to tell the story, without over exaggerating himself as a character. His lack of bias exonerates the legitimacy of his role as both narrator and character. Nick’s character sketch also assisted in easing the burdens of being both narrator and character. His passive and non-combative character made it easy for him to disappear in the background. His passiveness is due in part to his lack of wealth. He was in no position, certainly not financial, to be combative. For example, Tom makes regular unpleasant demands of him, he gives into these demand not because he wants to but because of his non-combative character. He fades in the background as he does exactly what he has been told. His ability to “shine” in the background makes him a trustworthy narrator, which Fitzgerald brilliantly orchestrates.

Gatsby’s endless optimism and his “extraordinary gift for hope” induce feelings of pity for him (Fitzgerald, 2). Ultimately, the film adaptation better presents this quality in Gatsby, particularly towards the end of the movie, in comparison to the novel. The final time that Gatsby is shown on screen, he is seen reaching out across the water, which parallels earlier scenes in which he was shown doing the same thing. Even though a multitude of things have changed since the beginning of the story where he was reaching out towards the green light, Gatsby is still reaching for it, showing that his hope for his dream remained until the very end and also that the green light is still an object of great significance to him because he still believes in his dream of living with Daisy. In the novel, Nick Carraway implies that Gatsby has given up on his dream, explaining that Gatsby “knew that he had lost that part of it, the freshest and the best, forever” (153). Additionally, the significance of the green light disappears in the novel: “his [Gatsby’s] count of enchanted objects had diminished by one” (93). It is more challenging to feel pity for a character who gives up on his dream at the end rather than one who continues to believe in it, even if it is foolish to believe that the dream will ever be realized. One can relate to Gatsby as an ambitious dreamer, and the dedication that he displays in the film by continuing to strive for that dream is an admirable quality that makes him easier to sympathize with. Similarly, in the novel, Gatsby has also given up on the idea that Daisy will call him on the morning after their fateful drive back from New York City. After seeing Gatsby alive for the last time, Nick says “I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn’t believe it [the phone call from Daisy] would come, and perhaps he no longer cared” (161). Comparatively, in the film adaptation, the phone does indeed ring as Gatsby is getting out of his pool, and Gatsby is convinced that it is Daisy who is calling. Gatsby’s last word is simply “Daisy”, showing he still had hope that she would call after all, for if he did not truly believe that she would call then he would not have been so quick to assume that the call was coming

The Great Gatsby is a entertaining, twisted version of the classic love story that thoroughly describes New York City during the Roaring 20’s. Nick Carraway, one of the main characters, tells this materialistic themed story through first person narration. The story begins with Nick Carraway moving from the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island looking to become a bonds salesman. Nick moves in next to Jay Gatsby, a mystery partyman,“The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard-it was a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. It was Gatsby’s mansion” (Fitzgerald, 5). Nick’s cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan live across the water in East Egg. When Nick goes over for dinner with the Buchanans and their friend Jordan Baker, Jordan tells Nick about Tom’s affair with Myrtle Wilson. Nick sees first hand the strain this affair is having on Tom and Daisy’s marriage. As soon as Nick gets home, Gatsby invites him to his next party where they meet. They soon become good friends and Nick learns that Gatsby and Daisy were lovers before Gatsby went off to World War II; Gatsby is still in love with Daisy and wants to win her back even though she is married to Tom. He threw all those parties for her and bought that very house to be near Daisy and impress her with his new richness, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy