Nick Carraway In The Great Gatsby

Nick Carraway seems unimportant from many aspects: he is not crucial to the plot of the story, he does not always “fit in” with the rest of the characters, and his purpose seems to be almost solely narration. However, after seeing the character of Nick portrayed in three separate ways, it has become clear that his characterization is extremely important to the overall meaning of the story. Altogether, Baz Luhrmann’s version of Nick is more accurate to Fitzgerald’s original intentions because, although not entirely involved in every event, he is emotionally involved in all aspects of the story and his view of the upper class becomes increasingly critical. The introduction of Nick in the first few minutes of each movie sets the tone for how …show more content…
Even receiving a symbolic invitation to the upper class. Luhrmann best shows the “significant, elemental, and profound” party that Nick experiences through Nick’s excitement to join the party (Fitzgerald 47). Nick immediately finds Jordan in the crowd and becomes engulfed in the music, drinking, and atmosphere. He becomes infatuated with the people that will ultimately cause his insanity. Clayton, however, does not use this opportunity to grow Nick as a character and instead puts him in a position of more of a bystander. His lack of participation further shows that he is naive, though it is very clear in the way the book is written that he is …show more content…
Though sympathetic, Clayton’s version of Nick does not face the same emotional shift that Luhrmann’s Nick does. Nick’s entire perspective on the wealthy changes after everyone forgets about Gatsby shortly after his death and “[he finds himself] on Gatsby’s side, and alone” (Fitzgerald 164). He finds himself haunted forever and in a state of anger and despair leading him to the sanitarium. Giving the viewers a look at the long term effects Gatsby's death had on Nick makes the viewers more emotionally attached to Gatsby and more against characters like Tom and