Nick's Opinion Of The Great Gatsby

Secondly, Gatsby is a very mysterious character. Nick has been Gatsby’s neighbor, or so he thinks, and has never met him. Nick says “It was Gatsby’s mansion, or, rather, as I didn’t know Mr. Gatsby, it was a mansion inhabited by a gentleman of that name” (5). This shows you that even Gatsby’s own neighbor does not even know who he is; which shows that Gatsby is mysterious. Later on, once he actually meets Gatsby, Nick goes on to say “I don’t like mysteries, and I don’t understand why you won’t come out frankly and tell me what you want. Why does it all have to come through Miss Baker?” (71). As expected, this frustrates Nick and gives him more reason to believe that Gatsby is mysterious and not trustworthy. Nick doesn’t understand why someone who seems to be his friend is hiding so much

In the beginning of the chapter, he tries to win Nick’s favor, offering him a trip to Covey Island and, when he declines, to “take a plunge in the swimming-pool” together (82). During Daisy and Gatsby’s reunion, Nick acts as a third wheel toward the pair. He’s cast aside, but Gatsby refuses to let him leave because “[his] presence made them feel more satisfactorily alone” (94). Though Gatsby does show some genuine affection towards Nick, it’s mostly to earn his kindness and better use him for his own purposes. From Nick’s perspective, he and Gatsby are great friends - and to a certain extent, that is true. But in the end, it wasn’t necessarily Gatsby himself that attracted Nick, it was his incandescence, his dreams and aspirations; he was an enigma - a bright, sparkling enigma in Nick’s eyes. Throughout the book, Nick unconsciously denies this fact, allowing himself to believe that he and Gatsby are close friends. As a result, he continues hanging out with Gatsby, doing whatever he asks, and taking his side in conflicts - not always outright, but in subtle ways.

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

The real contradiction to Nick is The Great Gatsby himself, Jay. Jay and Nick share a similar small town upbringing but Jay was able to parle his stolen trades into the corrupted version of the American Dream. Most of what Nick knows about Jay is based on his reputation and it’s not until they actually meet and Nick sees the “quality of distortion” in Jay’s New York lifestyle that Nick sees for himself the illusion that Jay created. Nick is attracted to the high life that Gatsby has created in the valley of ashes. Who can blame him with all the lavish parties, cars, mansions, women and other temptations. It’s like Fitzgerald has placed Nick in the Garden of Eden and the two characters; Nick and Jay, represent the good

Gatsby doesn't exactly belong in the wealthy group and his outsider status is very important. Gatsby plays a person who does belong in the wealthy group. So, Nick's is surprised at Gatsby's ability make his dreams come to life making it seem so easy. Gatsby kind of just plays a part.

This final section of the paper will discuss the relationship between Gatsby and Nick. More specifically, this section will discuss Nick’s personal bias towards a man whose actions throughout the novel are questionable. As previously discussed, Nick is instantly drawn towards the man who would be named Gatsby. Nick is drawn in by Gatsby’s smile, judging him positively. Past the introductions between the two men, Nick learns more and more about Gatsby. Nick gathers information of Gatsby difficult past, and learns that the purpose of his personal success and wealth was to attract the woman who he loved. Gatsby and Daisy could not be together despite their love for each other simply because of class differences. Daisy was born into a life of advantage, whereas Gatsby had to struggle to find success. Although Gatsby’s pursuit of success as a means to win Daisy’s love is admirable, it does not excuse him from his injustices. As the novel progresses, Nick gathers more information regarding the life of Gatsby. Although aspects of Gatsby’s life are considered questionable, Nick remains ignorant and biased towards his character. The affair between Gatsby and Daisy is an basic example of Gatsby’s flawed character. As previously discussed, Gatsby pursued an affair with Daisy. In the mind of Nick, this affair between Gatsby and Daisy was judged as attractive, unlike other affairs. Although Tom was also having an affair with Myrtle, that does not justify the affair between Gatsby and

In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald changes the reader’s view of Nick. Nick is the narrator and a main character in the story. He lives in a small cottage on the shore of West Egg next to Jay Gatsby, who is very rich, while Nick is a bond salesman. Fitzgerald changes our view of Nick when he describes him at the beginning of the book as honest and nonjudgmental but as the story progresses, he seems dishonest and judgmental. This is due to the people he knows and his interactions with them and others.

When they first go out together, it seems Gatsby tries to impress Nick with his past. “I’ll tell you God’s truth...I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West...I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, because all my ancestors have been educated at Oxford” (Fitzgerald 65) As Gatsby boasts of his past filled with elegance and honor, Nick begins to doubt he is telling the truth. This upbringing, traditionally, leads people to a perception of ineffible greatness. Society idolizes those with money and power and tends to build them up to have an image that is not necessarily truthful to who they are. Nick only finds out this truth later when a reporter looking to find out more about Gatsby. “James Gatz - that was really...his name...His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end” (Fitzgerald 98) Nick learns that everything Gatsby told him about being the son of rich people and living a life of wealth was a lie that Gatsby had concocted to move up in the world. This broken facade understandably makes Nick wary of Gatsby and his intentions, as well as prompts him to question the “greatness” that precedes Gatsby wherever he is

In a coming of age story, a character must look back on his or her youth and say goodbye. Nick Carraway comes to Long Island as an almost 30 year-old man who prides himself on the fact that he is a non-judgmental person. However, after his experiences he is no longer the same person he was before his 30th birthday. Along with turning 30, Nick’s experiences allow him to see past the illusions of the upper class lifestyle. Initially, Nick was intrigued by the glitz and glamour that accompanied the lives of Tom and Daisy. Slowly but surely, he matures out of his infatuation and comes to several realizations about himself and those around him. Fitzgerald initially presents Nick as a trustworthy character who reserves judgment and is unaffected by others. This first impression provides a meaningful contrast for Nick’s final opinions. After an unforgettable summer, Nick matures into a different person and has several judgments to make towards the people of East and West Egg.

When Nick and all of the other characters involved with Gatsby actually see him for he really is, this all changes. Especially when Tom tells everyone the real story of Gatsby how “He and Wolsheim bought a lot of side-street drug-stores… and sold grain alcohol over the counter.”, (pg. 134) Even mentioning something else that he doesn't want to say, and even with Daisy and with his endless and blind pursuit of her, really told him a lot about Gatsby. This is also when their friendship starts to fall because he realizes that he was just trying to hide behind all of his wealth and status from the people he cared most about and when they found out, they disapproved of it greatly. Daisy left town and Nick was left to help out what remained in the aftermath of the mess Gatsby had made. So even through all that everyone thought of Gatsby, the truth remains, fresh and

One thing that surprises me about Nick is that he was loyal to Gatsby who seemed likeable enough but empty inside. He seemed like the picture was more important than the real person. Nick was interested in person and would put himself in a bad light to help a friend. “I didn’t want to go to the city. I wasn’t worth a decent stroke

During the 1920's American culture was centered around status and wealth, especially in the east, in hopes of living the true "American dream". Although most people became shallow, empty, and careless in their paths to wealth, often hurting those who have less then them, and making them pay the consequences of their immoral actions. But Jay Gatsby was unlike every other hollow person in the East, because he had something to live for, fight for, and dream for; Daisy Buchanan. His love for her gave him the strength to keep believing in the American dream and the drive to accomplish it. Gatsby restores Nicks faith in the people of the 1920's by showing him that not everyone is shallow and selfish, and that in order to live the American dream, hope and determination can not be lost.

Humans are not built for precision; nor are they built for perfection. Their eyes can deceive them and their memories can be distorted. F. Scott Fitzgerald toys with this idea of a perfect narrator, more specifically, in Nick Carraway. Fitzgerald portrays Nick as the pseudo author and an unbiased observer. However, Nick is anything but perfect. In fact, he is rather unreliable in his narration of The Great Gatsby. Throughout the novel, Nick shows the readers the facets he possesses that reveals his imperfections: firstly; his dishonesty, secondly; his immense bias for Gatsby, and thirdly; he is a human.

I partly agree Nick's assessment of Gatsby. Gatsby is great since he is simple and kind-hearted which different to the mainstream, he has a rich spiritual world of metaphysics and insists to dreams. On the other side, his tragedy also caused be the illusion which makes him idealise the situation faced that the gap between classes and the low status of women, as well as he separate reality. This essay will discuss whether he is great by focusing on reasons cause his great, which contribute to his failure and the reliability of Nick's assessment.

Nick Carraway, a young man from Minnesota, moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in the West Egg district of Long Island, a wealthy but unfashionable area populated by the new rich, a group who have made their fortunes too recently to have established social connections and who are prone to garish displays of wealth. Nick’s next-door neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby, who lives in a gigantic ornate mansion and throws extravagant parties every Saturday night.