How Fitzgerald Tell the Story in Chapter 1 of the Great Gatsby
Write about some of the ways Fitzgerald tells the story in chapter 1
The chapter begins with Nick Carraway introducing himself as the narrator. Fitzgerald uses a first-person retrospective narrative, therefore we are given Nicks point of view throughout. The chapter begins with Nick remembering his father’s advice that “all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that [he’s] had” this tells the reader that the main theme of the novel is wealth. The use of the word “advantages” suggests that Nick comes from a wealthy family. Fitzgerald makes Nick claim that “I’m inclined to reserve all judgements” yet quickly contradicts this he tells “the intimate revelations of young men” are “marred by obvious suppressions”, by Fitzgerald doing this, the audience are given an opinion on Nick, realising he is likely to be an unreliable narrator. However when Nick says “I’m inclined to reserve all judgements” the reader may also feel that Nick will give a true and honest account of the events and will not be biased against any of the characters. Fitzgerald uses this chapter to set the scene of the novel. Fitzgerald makes it clear through Nick’s narration that the events within the novel have already taken place “back from the East last autumn”, the reader instantly knows that we will be given an interpretation of the events and they will all be from Nicks point of view.
Nick talks about “Midas and Morgan and Maecenas” all three of these men were renowned for their wealth. Morgan and Maecenas were real men, whereas Midas’s story is a Greek myth. By mentioning both myth and reality in the first chapter Fitzgerald tells the reader that myth and reality will be mixed throughout the novel.
Fitzgerald introduces most of the main characters within this chapter as part of the establishment of the text. Gatsby is the first to be introduced excluding Nick, which could suggest that Gatsby is the protagonist of the novel. Later on in the chapter we are introduced to Tom, Daisy and
The chapter begins with Nick Carraway introducing himself as the narrator. Fitzgerald uses a first-person retrospective narrative, therefore we are given Nicks point of view throughout. The chapter begins with Nick remembering his father’s advice that “all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that [he’s] had” this tells the reader that the main theme of the novel is wealth. The use of the word “advantages” suggests that Nick comes from a wealthy family. Fitzgerald makes Nick claim that “I’m inclined to reserve all judgements” yet quickly contradicts this he tells “the intimate revelations of young men” are “marred by obvious suppressions”, by Fitzgerald doing this, the audience are given an opinion on Nick, realising he is likely to be an unreliable narrator. However when Nick says “I’m inclined to reserve all judgements” the reader may also feel that Nick will give a true and honest account of the events and will not be biased against any of the characters. Fitzgerald uses this chapter to set the scene of the novel. Fitzgerald makes it clear through Nick’s narration that the events within the novel have already taken place “back from the East last autumn”, the reader instantly knows that we will be given an interpretation of the events and they will all be from Nicks point of view.
Nick talks about “Midas and Morgan and Maecenas” all three of these men were renowned for their wealth. Morgan and Maecenas were real men, whereas Midas’s story is a Greek myth. By mentioning both myth and reality in the first chapter Fitzgerald tells the reader that myth and reality will be mixed throughout the novel.
Fitzgerald introduces most of the main characters within this chapter as part of the establishment of the text. Gatsby is the first to be introduced excluding Nick, which could suggest that Gatsby is the protagonist of the novel. Later on in the chapter we are introduced to Tom, Daisy and