The Great Gatsby’s narrator, Nick Carraway, states in the first pages of the book that “life is much more successfully looked at from a single window, after all”. In this paper, I will demonstrate that this sentence has a deeper meaning in the forthcoming events described in the novel and that Nick is not such a rational or trustworthy character as he claims to be. Paying close attention to the quote and analyzing it in detail, the narrator lets the reader know that life becomes simpler when there is just one perspective from which to tackle an issue or see the world. This is Nick’s perspective, the outlook of a well-educated person who has had many advantages in life. However, what the reader does not know is how would have been if Nick
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He himself responds to this question indirectly in the opening lines through the advice of his father: “whenever you feel like criticizing anyone […] just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had” (p. 7). Nick implies that he will stick to the facts and he will not judge or criticize anyone based on first impressions, social class or opportunities in life. Besides, and despite the fact that he does not function as an omniscient narrator, he hints at his ability to remain objective and neutral. Therefore, he becomes an outsider, a sort of observer or onlooker who witnesses a series of events he deal with from a rational perspective, the reason why the reader needs him; the emotional side of the story belongs to Daisy and Gatsby. However, those are not the only traits that Carraway suggests to have. According to his words “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (p. 59). With this, he reinforces the idea that he is a reliable …show more content…
Nevertheless, reality depends on our perception of facts and, therefore, there is no one or absolute truth. This is quite well reflected in the scene in which Daisy tells Nick that he reminds her of “an absolute rose” (p. 19). Daisy’s perceptions do not correspond with Nick’s, which makes him reject those flattering words and deems them to be “untrue”. He is the narrator and he is the one in charge of giving shape to reality according to his thoughts, feelings and vision of life. We just can see the world the way that Nick sees it, which deceives and misleads the reader. For instance, we do not know who Gatsby really is until chapter six. Previous to this chapter, the reader has gone through three different stages in order to get to know the tragic character: first, the speculations about him; second, and in page 64, who Gatsby claims to be; and third, who Gatsby really is. This means that, in order to reach the third stage, the reader is deluded into believing information that the narrator himself has also believed —that his friend was a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm's, a spy of the Germans during war or that he had killed a man. Likewise, in page 87, we also can see another example. When Gatsby is showing his house to Daisy and Nick, he says "it took me just three years to earn the money that bought it", to what Nick replies
He himself responds to this question indirectly in the opening lines through the advice of his father: “whenever you feel like criticizing anyone […] just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had” (p. 7). Nick implies that he will stick to the facts and he will not judge or criticize anyone based on first impressions, social class or opportunities in life. Besides, and despite the fact that he does not function as an omniscient narrator, he hints at his ability to remain objective and neutral. Therefore, he becomes an outsider, a sort of observer or onlooker who witnesses a series of events he deal with from a rational perspective, the reason why the reader needs him; the emotional side of the story belongs to Daisy and Gatsby. However, those are not the only traits that Carraway suggests to have. According to his words “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (p. 59). With this, he reinforces the idea that he is a reliable …show more content…
Nevertheless, reality depends on our perception of facts and, therefore, there is no one or absolute truth. This is quite well reflected in the scene in which Daisy tells Nick that he reminds her of “an absolute rose” (p. 19). Daisy’s perceptions do not correspond with Nick’s, which makes him reject those flattering words and deems them to be “untrue”. He is the narrator and he is the one in charge of giving shape to reality according to his thoughts, feelings and vision of life. We just can see the world the way that Nick sees it, which deceives and misleads the reader. For instance, we do not know who Gatsby really is until chapter six. Previous to this chapter, the reader has gone through three different stages in order to get to know the tragic character: first, the speculations about him; second, and in page 64, who Gatsby claims to be; and third, who Gatsby really is. This means that, in order to reach the third stage, the reader is deluded into believing information that the narrator himself has also believed —that his friend was a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm's, a spy of the Germans during war or that he had killed a man. Likewise, in page 87, we also can see another example. When Gatsby is showing his house to Daisy and Nick, he says "it took me just three years to earn the money that bought it", to what Nick replies