The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was considered one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He wrote many short stories and four novels, which included This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night.
The Great Gatsby occurred in the 1920s, a time of unprecedented prosperity and material excess in the United States after World War I. During this period, jazz music blossomed, industry grew, consumer demand and aspirations accelerated, and lifestyle and culture significantly changed.
The story of The Great Gatsby took place in Long Island, New York, during the summer of 1922. The main characters are Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Daisy Buchanan. In this paper, focus will be placed on the character of Nick Carraway: his friendship with Gatsby, his romance with Jordon Baker, and his observation of the society.
1. Nick’s friendship with Gatsby
The novel begins with Nick’s recalling of his father’s advice to him as stated in Chapter One: “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” So he is tolerant, open-minded, quiet, a good listener, and, as a result, others tend to talk to him and tell him their secrets.
In Chapter Four, there are music and parties from Gatsby’s house through the summer nights. One day, Nick is invited to the party by Gatsby, and meets him in person for the first time. Nick wins the trust of this young, mysterious millionaire who has shady business connections (later revealed to be bootlegging), and treats him as a confidant. Gatsby was obsessed with Daisy Buchanan, whom he had met when he was an officer stationed in the South during World War I.
Nick has been with Gatsby through good times and bad times. When Gatsby was shot by Wilson, Nick was on Gatsby’s side. He called everyone to notify them of Gatsby’s death. He was the one who arranged Gatsby’s funeral and helped Gatsby’s father with the grief. He, Gatsby’s father, and the minister were the only three people at Gatsby’s funnel. Nick was really a true friend of Gatsby. Their friendship endured happiness and sadness.
2. Nick’s Romance with Jordon Baker
Nick first met Jordon at his cousin Daisy’s house. Jordon was Daisy’s long-time friend with "autumn-leaf yellow hair," a firm athletic body, and an aloof attitude. She was a professional golfer with a slightly shady reputation and a penchant for untruthfulness. Nick dated Jordon on and off for a while. Their relationship was kind of subtle –not intense like lovers, but more than friends. Jordon liked Nick very much, but he was not sure if Jordon was the right woman for him. He was attracted to her vivacity and her sophistication just as much as he was repelled by her dishonesty and her lack of consideration for other people. Fitzgerald did not write much about their relationship, but it is part of the romance episode in Nick’s life during his summer in New York.
3. Nick’s observation of the society
Nick was a Yale graduate, WWI veteran, and newly-arrived resident of West Egg from the Midwest, as well as being narrator of the novel. He was also Gatsby's next-door neighbor and a bond salesman. Nick was initially easygoing and optimistic towards life, work, and the future. He was attracted to the fast-paced, fun-driven lifestyle of New York, but found it grotesque and damaging as well.
After witnessing the unraveling of Gatsby’s dream and presiding over the appalling spectacle of Gatsby’s funeral, Nick realizes that the fast life of revelry on the East Coast is a cover for the terrifying moral emptiness that the valley of ashes symbolizes. He returned to Minnesota in search of a quieter life structured by more traditional moral values.
In conclusion, Nick was well-written character by Scott F. Fitzgerald. Nick as the narrator of the novel was a genius choice by the author. It makes the novel more realistic and objective. This novel was Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
Rebecca Lin 2013 Spring In USA
