Nick Carraway's Point Of View

The narration in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald comes from Nick Carraway, an outsider and new addition to West Egg. From the very beginning, Nick Carraway claims to give an honest portrayal of the lives of Jay Gatsby and the Buchanans and makes a point in stating that he is “inclined to reserve all judgments” (Fitzgerald 1). A neutral narrator allows the reader to analyze the characters on their own as they form a relationship with them throughout the book. On the other hand, with a personal account of Nick’s experience, the reader is continuously reminded to consider the storyteller’s role as a character foil in the novel. Without an involved narrator, the reader often accepts the perspective of the narration and forgets to question

As Nick becomes familiar with the company of the Buchanans and Gatsby, he goes against his principles. Early on, Nick tells us that he is “one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (Fitzgerald 170). He may be the most ethical character, but by implying that his story is truly objective is incorrect. Nick comes into their lives as a naïve visitor from the West and leaves with contempt for the people he once called his friends. In the end, Nick’s perception of Gatsby is changed. He originally sees Gatsby as a selfish recluse, caught up in his wealth and infamy. In the end, Nick realizes that Gatsby was simply a romantic with good intentions, and was “worth the whole damn bunch together” (Fitzgerald 160). By the end of the summer, Nick comes to the conclusion that “[t]hey were careless people, Tom and Daisy -- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 170). Tom and Daisy are selfish and indifferent of their impact on others. Though his evaluation may be true and though he corrects his early misconception of Gatsby, Nick nevertheless criticizes his friends, contradicting his own

In the process of learning about his new friends, Nick becomes one of them. Though he is never fully accepted, he gains the trust of Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom. For example, Tom trusts Nick enough to introduce him to his mistress, Myrtle. Likewise, Daisy and Gatsby have confidence that Nick would never tell Tom of their own affair. While Nick reserves spoken judgment of these actions, he cannot be considered an innocent bystander. He is involved in their lives just enough to relay the drama without becoming emotionally sided. The reader is able to identify with Nick and trust that his opinion would reflect theirs, given his position. His view is not one sided, but critical of certain traits in all the characters. F. Scott Fitzgerald chose Nick as the narrator as he never takes a significant part in the others’ schemes, while still taking note of their moral failures. An alternative narrator, such as Owl Eyes, may have had the same outside perspective, but not the quick trust established with Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby. Nick has the perfect persona to become friends with several characters without making alliances. Though his indirect opinion may be helpful, and for the most part unavoidable, the reader must consciously note his partialities. Nick has his own flaws as an involved character and is not completely neutral, but at the same time this makes him the most ideal