Nick as reliable narrator
“I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known”. Discuss.
Nick Carraway, the narrator of the great American novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is often heralded as one of the greatest narrators of all time. However, whether Nick was a reliable narrator is an issue that is up for debate, with my personal belief being that Nick was not a reliable narrator, due to his fondness for exaggeration and contradiction, and his obvious idolization of Jay Gatsby.
Firstly, Nick is predisposed with a theatrical and exaggerated nature. This is visible from the very quote being discussed in this essay: Nick states that he is “one of the few honest people [he knows]”. This shows clearly how Nick does not put much in store by modesty or restraint or objectivity, even when discussing his self. These theatrics furthermore lead to inconsistencies and further contradictions within the narrative—Nick states at one point that “sometimes [party guests] came and went [to Gatsby’s parties] with a simplicity of heart” but that he, actually, “was invited… the honor would be entirely Gatsby’s… if I would attend his ‘little party’”. However, it’s seen later on in the narrative that despite Nick’s posturing, Gatsby does not recognize Nick at his own party. This therefore shows how Nick’s theatrical and exaggerated nature occasionally compromises the objectivity of his narrative, and therefore, with his history of being contradictory (as evidenced in the previous paragraph) this therefore shows clearly that Nick’s objectivity is not to be trusted, and that he is an unreliable narrator whose vanity supercedes his honesty.
Furthermore, Nick exhibits his tendency toward contradiction through various points in the text. He states very early off in the text that he’s “inclined to reserve all judgment”, when he, in fact, does nothing but pass (negative) judgment on other people repeatedly throughout the text: he describes George Wilson as “a spiritless man” and Jordan
Nick Carraway, the narrator of the great American novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is often heralded as one of the greatest narrators of all time. However, whether Nick was a reliable narrator is an issue that is up for debate, with my personal belief being that Nick was not a reliable narrator, due to his fondness for exaggeration and contradiction, and his obvious idolization of Jay Gatsby.
Firstly, Nick is predisposed with a theatrical and exaggerated nature. This is visible from the very quote being discussed in this essay: Nick states that he is “one of the few honest people [he knows]”. This shows clearly how Nick does not put much in store by modesty or restraint or objectivity, even when discussing his self. These theatrics furthermore lead to inconsistencies and further contradictions within the narrative—Nick states at one point that “sometimes [party guests] came and went [to Gatsby’s parties] with a simplicity of heart” but that he, actually, “was invited… the honor would be entirely Gatsby’s… if I would attend his ‘little party’”. However, it’s seen later on in the narrative that despite Nick’s posturing, Gatsby does not recognize Nick at his own party. This therefore shows how Nick’s theatrical and exaggerated nature occasionally compromises the objectivity of his narrative, and therefore, with his history of being contradictory (as evidenced in the previous paragraph) this therefore shows clearly that Nick’s objectivity is not to be trusted, and that he is an unreliable narrator whose vanity supercedes his honesty.
Furthermore, Nick exhibits his tendency toward contradiction through various points in the text. He states very early off in the text that he’s “inclined to reserve all judgment”, when he, in fact, does nothing but pass (negative) judgment on other people repeatedly throughout the text: he describes George Wilson as “a spiritless man” and Jordan