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The Great Gatsby Analysis

Good Essays

In this novel The Great Gatsby, Francis Scott Fitzgerald takes a very interesting approach to storytelling. In particular, the events are described by a first-person narrator Nick Carraway, who primarily acts as the observer of other people’s actions, but not as the major character shaping the development of the plot. This essay is aimed at evaluating his effectiveness as a storyteller. One should discuss the positive and negative sides of Nick’s view on other characters and their behavior. Furthermore, it is important to determine if he adds or distracts from the story. Overall, Nick does have a good position for observing the residents of West Egg and he helps the audience to gain insights into their worldviews and motives. However, this person cannot be viewed as an effective narrator because he produces a false impression of trustworthiness. His biases and dishonesty can prevent the readers from learning a moral lesson in Fitzgerald’s novel. One has to acknowledge that Nick’s narration has several important strengths. In particular, he can look at the residents of West Egg from the perspective of an outsider who can notice many relevant details related to their behavior, and values. It should be noted that prior to settling in New York, Nick lived in the Midwest. Therefore, he is not accustomed to observing the extravagant lifestyles of people who represented the so called new aristocracy of America in the 1920’s. In particular, much attention should be given to

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