How Does The Narrator Use Cardinal Virtue In The Great Gatsby

The Narrators purpose of telling readers that he is “one of the few honest people”, is to essentially gain their trust and make sure they take into consideration, that when other characters speak on behalf of each other or about themselves there is a great possibly that they’re lying. This is evident when everyone makes preconceived notions about Gatsby’s past, and when Jordan comes clean about her dishonesty in the golf tournament. As readers, we are then forced to take Nick’s side because the evidence greatly supports his point. In the quote above, the narrator mentions cardinal virtues which are anything considered to be an important or characteristic virtue such as prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. In retrospect to the cardinal virtue, he declares his, which is in corroboration to that of justice and satisfies righteousness, fair play,

In the beginning of the novel nick talks about the advice his father gave him about judging people and he says he’s “inclined to reserve all judgment”, but throughout the novel he continuously judges people and once again he justifies his actions by having facts to support him, and make him believe his form of judgment is valid. Self- deception is simply, the action or practice of allowing oneself to believe that a false or unvalidated feeling, idea or situation is true. The Narrator tries to justify his actions by telling readers that he is an honest person, typically meaning the people around him tend to fabricate stories, which he has proven and more or less that he may lie himself, but not to the same extreme extents that they do making him more honest than them, and truly a more “honest” person in general. The narrator of the novel is also the protagonist, gaining the trust of the readers is important to him so they take his side and favor his character throughout the