The (Un)Reliable Narrator

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The Great Gatsby is narrated by Nick Carraway. Nick tells the story of the things he experienced when he moved to New York City to work in the bonds business. The reader is told the story, which includes Nick’s perception and opinion in certain events. The reader wants to believe that Nick is a reliable narrator and he seems to be one, in the beginning. Nick describes himself as “one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (Fitzgerald, 59). Although, Nick thinks this of himself, there are many things in the story that hint otherwise. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick is not a reliable narrator. This is seen through his negative judgments of others, his friendship with Gatsby, and because he does not know everything about Daisy and Gatsby. First, throughout the novel Nick is constantly judging others. In the beginning paragraphs he mentions a lesson his father once taught him. “In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores” (1). Nick is proud of the fact that he listens to others because of his ability to reserve his judgments, but in this same line he still calls them “bores.” This is shown, constantly throughout the novel. Another time he does this is when he is talking about young men which truly reflects what Nick is like. “In an interesting confession, Fitzgerald gives a clue to Nick’s true nature. Speaking of other men, Nick says, ‘“the intimate revelations of young men or at least the terms in which they express them are usually and marred with obvious suppressions’” (Labbot, The Reliability). This shows that Fitzgerald was forewarning about Nick’s narration of the story. The next time... ... middle of paper ... ...e is not a reliable source. This happens a few other times when Nick has to ask other characters about events that happened before he was involved. In conclusion, Nick is not a reliable narrator because of his negative judgments of others, his friendship with Gatsby, and his lack of knowing everything that is going on. Nick is a very proud man and this is shown throughout the novel. He prides himself on being honest and non-judgmental when he is both of these things. His depiction of the other characters is affected by the current situations and his relationship with Gatsby. Overall, Nick tries to tell the story how it occurs to him at that time. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print. Labbot, Nea. "The Reliability Of Nick Carraway: Part One-The Naysaying Narrator." A WORD FITLY SPOKEN. 09 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2014

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