Preview

Carraway As A Narrator

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
421 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Carraway As A Narrator
Carraway

Someone who is defined as unreliable often are deceiving and misleading. Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of an unreliable character. Right from the beginning of the novel, he bluntly described himself as someone who doesn’t judge anyone, yet he judges everyone that he meets. Not only that but he lies to people so he could avoid the awkwardness of the unseemly. Others may say he is reliable by that he stayed loyal to Gatsby throughout the entire novel, but his feelings toward Gatsby changed. In the end, it is evident that Nick is a dishonest narrator. Right from the start, Nick judged every single person that came by him. Without even knowing the person, he judged them on how they looked, dressed, and also how they acted. What makes him unreliable is the fact that he says he doesn’t judge anyone, yet he clearly does. According to Scott Donaldson, he thinks this makes him deceptive narrator also. “But he does not suspend judgment. In fact, he judges, and condemns, practically everyone he meets in the course of the novel” (Donaldson 104). Instead of waiting and getting to know another character, he has his mind set on who they are. Therefore giving us a wrong impression and misunderstanding a character. When Tom brings Nick to meet his “girl”, Nick already has his opinion of her. “Though I was curious to see her I had no desire to meet her” (Fitzgerald 28). Nick already didn’t like Myrtle because she was Tom’s mistress. Hence making us believe Myrtle is the bad person in this situation, but in reality Tom is the bad guy. Given this information, makes me think twice whether to trust Nick or not. In order to rely on someone, they need to be telling you the truth. Nick constantly lies to people so awkward situations don’t happen. He doesn’t tell his honest opinion when he’s asked for one. He would rather lie and be a snob just to avoid the ugly truth. His morals in life don’t include honesty. “Decorum ranks extremely high on his

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    In the beginning of the book, he views her as a cool woman with much underneath the surface. He begins to admire her for her athleticism, her looks, and her personality, which Nick learns is not the personality for him. Towards the end of the book, Nick is confronted by Jordan after they had broken up and she tells him that she is engaged with another man, which Nick doubts. He doubts this because of Jordan’s ability to toy with the feelings of others, especially other single men. She plays with the feelings of men, while having no intention of getting involved in a relationship. This is confirmed when Nick sees her and describes her as having “her chin raised a little jauntily”, which again symbolizes her arrogance (177). Nick views her as a self centered person with a peculiar sense about her, for example when he first sees her wearing a white dress indoors for what seemed like a long time. Finally, Nick finds the errors of his ways and breaks it off with Jordan, ending the damaging toll the relationship had upon Nick’s mental well being. Nick does not recognize her arrogant personality, something he can’t handle, nor does he want to attempt to handle. Early in the story Nick is captured and somewhat intimidated by Jordan but as he begins to understand her true personality, he sees how different she actually…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nick truly believes that he is a good friend to Gatsby. However, the lack of help and the lack of honesty, he gives Gatsby affects both of their lives in very negative ways. Nick is not real friends with Gatsby, he is just infatuated with the determination Gatsby has towards rekindling his love with daisy. He is also very impressed with Gatsby’s luxurious lifestyle that Nick would like to have. He…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the first impressions we receive of Nick is that he is a reflective character who tries to be respectful, humble and non-judgemental. We can gather this from as early as the opening line, where he quotes his father: “whenever you feel like criticising anyone… just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” Nick can be seen to possess great sensitivity and observability as he writes he “understood that he [his father] meant a great deal more than that”. Moreover the fact that Nick has withheld this memory subtly indicates the importance with which he regards the quality of open-mindedness, also suggesting that he is a kind and self-aware.…

    • 798 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nick is an unreliable narrator because he is unable to make a good assessment of the characters because his relationship with them isn’t strong. “I was within and without” Nick says explaining that he is both involved in the characters’ lives but at the same time distanced himself from them. Nick doesn’t allow himself to get close with any of the characters because he is so focused on his own life he is completely unmindful about the lives of others. For example, in chapter 3 when Nick asks Gatsby who he is and in reply Gatsby says,…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ‘I didn’t even know the man. I’ve only heard his name mentioned in passing. I wouldn’t know. You’d have to know the particulars. But I think what you’re saying is that love is an absolute (561).’” In this quote it is shown that Nick likes not to judge people for their actions if he does not know the situation. This follows a part of the story when Terri is talking about her ex-lover and how “he loved her so much he tried to kill her (560).” Nick has absolutely no insight on who this man really was and was not going to judge him for his actions that Terri mentions. Nick could have also said this because he felt pressured by Mel. He saw Mel as a higher because of his job ranking and Mel would immediately shut down anyone who would say something he did not…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    b. Nick says: “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (pg 59). When you consider his role as narrator, do you believe that he is honest? Are his depictions of others honest? If he is not honest, why does he believe that he is?…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Everyone suspects himself at least one of the cardinal virtues and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”-Nick Carraway. Nick is an impartial, honest, and loyal character. He gives readers a detailed, accurate account of the events pertaining to Gatsby’s life.…

    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nick Carraway is an unreliable narrator in, the 1925 novel The Great Gatsby. Throughout the book he is biased towards all of the characters. He talks negatively about all of the characters except for Gatsby. Nick is constantly praising Gatsby and showing him in a very positive was. All of this leading to the fact that Nick is unreliable because, he is biased towards all of the characters in the book except for Gatsby.…

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Thesis: In The Great Gatsby, Nick the confidant to both Daisy and Gatsby, displays certain admirable characteristics like trustworthiness and approachability, is easily confided in by Daisy and Gatsby, and completes the puzzle to the whole novel by being the connection between East and West Egg as well as helping Daisy and Gatsby rekindle what they once had.…

    • 1442 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nick From The Great Gatsby said, "Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have every known." After reading the beginning of this book, I have concluded that Nick was either mistaken or lying. Though Nick appears to be a good guy, he does not know what true honesty is. Many of his actions prove him to be dishonest and morally wrong.…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Early in the novel, Tom says to Nick, “I want you to meet my girl” (Fitzgerald 28). Nick is Daisy’s cousin, but he meets Tom’s mistress anyway without much objection. Although Nick finds himself to be decent, he allows all the cheating and lying to occur. In order for Gatsby to rekindle the love with Daisy, he uses Nick to, “call up Daisy from the office the next morning and invite her for tea” (Fitzgerald 88). Gatsby goes to Nick for help to see Daisy. Nick knows she is married but arranges their secret meeting anyway; he allows the people around him to cheat on each other. At the end of the novel, Nick runs into Tom and thinks “there was nothing I could say except the one unutterable fact that it wasn’t true” (Fitzgerald 187). Nick knows the truth about Daisy being the driver of the car that kills Myrtle, but he doesn’t tell the truth in order to clear Gatsby’s name. Nick allows everyone to do as they please and he does nothing to stop the moral corruption that occurs. Because of this, Nick is unquestionably morally corrupt, he allows the people he associates himself with to be immoral, but claims he is the most decent; you are the company you…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He has the right to claim this honesty of himself because of the dishonesty the other characters possess in the novel so far; Tom and Myrtle are both cheating on their partners, and Jordan had an “unpleasant story” told about herself to Nick long ago (18). This makes Nick seem more honest because of the dishonest people he is surrounded by, it would seem almost fitting that he would say this about himself considering the people he has associated himself with for the past couple of days. When looked at Nick vaguely throughout the first three chapters, he appears as honest as he claims, however when looked at more closely he isn't as honest as he appears. At the beginning of the novel Nick says that he “is inclined to reserve all judgments”, yet he continues to judge almost every character and situation in the novel, revealing his unreliability as a narrator (1). He judges Tom after he talks about his book that he read, he judges the partygoers in the beginning of chapter three even though he isn't at the party himself, yet he doesn't seem to judge Gatsby when given the opportunity to. Nick is an honest character, especially compared to the other characters in the…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He talks about what people seem like to him. He always speaks in a condescending manner that just shows that he is almost trying to prove something to the reader that he is better then everyone else. He talks down about Gatsby's house before he meets Gatsby in such a I am better then you tone because I am old money "The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standered ". That word, any, really is the kicker so any one but the owner would recognize it as a huge affair. He talks about Meyer Wolfsheim with such disdain talking about how he eats with his arm around his watching for others to take his food. He also talks about how he talks. Meyer talks like he is educated when he isn't really he says Oggsford instead of Oxford. So is Nick honest in his descriptions of people? My answer is no his description has his judgments, his…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an amazing and inspiring book told through the eyes of innocent Nick Carraway but is Nick really all that innocent? Throughout the book you can see nick's innocence and what happens to it. As the novel progressed so did the end to Nick's innocence with him Appearing innocent, Condemning terrible things and facilitating horrible events.…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the book, The Great Gatsby, Nick could be described as the main character but as the book goes on Nick is having more of a secondary role, instead of the primary role which he was supposed to be. The Great Gatsby is shown through the eyes of one man. We as the readers don’t know whether or not whatever Nick says is correct or true. A good narrator doesn’t judge people but Nick does this a lot. We see how he changes at different points in the book. He undergoes changes that discredit his ability to be truthful and not biased in his narration. He is not always rational and objective, since he is a human. All this shows how Nick becomes an unreliable narrator.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics