Opaque To Himself In The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates how Nick is opaque to himself through his thoughts, observations, and judgments of the outside world. Through these meticulous methods, Nick’s mind is revealed to display how different he is in the world of the wealthy and how it affects him. Through the connection of Nick being the narrator in The Great Gatsby, his thoughts are revealed to us to help us understand the book as it goes along. In the beginning of the book, Nick gives a short biography about himself, giving details about his family and education. Nick describes his relationship with father as reserved and not very communicative, which influenced his being and in leading him to say, “In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me […]” (1). Through this thought of Nick, it demonstrates how much Nick hides from not just the world but …show more content…
Upon his arrival into the West Egg, Nick is coming home when he sees his neighbor, Gatsby, staring at him across the lawn. The next day, Nick receives someone at his front with an invitation to Gatsby’s party, and while in attendance, Nick notices, “I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited” (45). Through Nick’s observation of the people in attendance of the party, his insecurity resurfaces, making him feel like an outcast because he was the only one who showed up with an invitation. Gatsby adds to Nick’s insecurity because he only invited him, making Nick feel like he should be the only one here and that alludes to how Nick has become oblivious to himself. Nick no longer cares about what he does or what he says because in the world of the wealthy everything is a secret but is usually said without regret. Nick has lost who he is really is due to the society of wealth and their alliances through secrets and