Nick's Farewell In The Great Gatsby

All humans desire a satisfactory last conversation with a dying friend or family member. Those who know their family and friends may die soon try their best to have a meaningful final encounter with the loved one. However, death is not always foreseeable. Many times, family and friends never get to say goodbye. When sudden deaths or lethal accidents occur, companions hope that the person died with a good impression of them. In “The Great Gatsby,” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrator, Nick Carraway, feels satisfied with his farewell to his friend Jay Gatsby. The novel contains only 180 pages, yet contains hidden meanings and symbolism. One must read the story closely to fully comprehend the message of the novel. When analyzed, it becomes clear that Nick’s last goodbye with Gatsby meant a lot to both of them. In Nick and Gatsby’s last scene, he compliments Gatsby. He feels glad that he said this to Gatsby in this scene, because this “was the only compliment he ever gave” Gatsby. This scene reveals Nick’s disapproval of the Buchanans, Gatsby, and the culture of New York in the 1920s. Throughout this scene, Fitzgerald effectively criticizes the culture of the 1920s through Nick’s opinion of his friends.

Nick Carraway’s opinions reflect those of Fitzgerald’s.

If read briskly, this scene does not hold much meaning to the story or critique the culture of the Roaring 20’s. Nick states,
“We shook hands and I started away. Just before I reached the hedge I remembered something and turned around. ‘They’re a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.’ I’ve always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to

end.”
Through close analysis, this quote reveals Carraway’s, and therefore Fitzgerald’s, opinion of the drunken and corrupted culture of the time period. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald sets the scene of the 20’s- a period of corruption, lawlessness, and immorality. When Nick refers to the “rotten crowd,” he not only speaks of Daisy, Tom, and Jordan, but also the entire society at the time. This scene holds great importance, as it exemplifies Fitzgerald’s thoughts on the culture of the time period. Fitzgerald commentates on the time of prohibition, when the consuming, selling, and producing of alcohol became illegal. This law did not stop the people of the 20’s from drinking, but instead fueled parties and speakeasies. In addition, Nick says that Gatsby “is worth the whole damn bunch put together,” meaning that Gatsby, although a criminal and immoral character, is morally better than the Daisy, Tom, Jordan, and the culture at the time. Throughout the novel, Gatsby and Nick spend abundant time together. However, he rarely shared his personal opinion of Gatsby. Instead, he included other’s preconceived notions of Gatsby and rumors that he heard. However, this scene reveals Nick’s personal opinion of Gatsby. Although Nick compliments Gatsby and appears to regard him as one of his closest friends, the narrator also states that he “disapproved of him from beginning to end. The reader must question Nick’s truthfulness and credibility, as he compliments Gatsby and then automatically refutes his kind words. Nick said he “had always been glad he said that,” speaking of his compliment to Gatsby. The reader must question Nick’s truthfulness and credibility, as he compliments Gatsby and then automatically refutes his kind words. This reveals that as the narrator, Nick cannot be fully trusted in his recounting of the story, and leaves the audience to read the novel with caution and doubts, as he is not an omnipresent and ubiquitous narrator. This scene is critical to the story, as it exposes Fitzgerald’s opinion of society and Nick’s questionable storytelling.
During the last interaction between Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby, Nick reveals his true feelings about his acquaintance. Simultaneously, F. Scott Fitzgerald critiques the nefarious and deplorable tendencies of society during the 1920’s. Fitzgerald’s writing in this book often seems ambiguous until further analysis, as displayed through this scene, making Fitzgerald such a renowned American author.