Nick narrates in first person, giving the reader a subjective interpretation where he is trying to convince them of his views. Unfortunately, Nick believes that “Life is much more successfully looked at from a single window” which indicates that he only ever gives one perspective and he never bothers to do otherwise, being very narrow minded. Since Nick only provides one perspective, this makes it very difficult for the reader to see anything other than what Nick presents, character descriptions especially. Whilst Nick may include all the details he knows of the characters, he presents them in the light he chooses to. This is seen in the huge contrast between Tom and Gatsby. Tom’s description is summarised in a few sentences, using negative
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This leaves the reader with an even weaker description of events to go on and it makes them unsure as to whether anything is true during these intoxicated memories. The first account is from Tom and Myrtle’s party in New York. Since Nick’s view of Tom is already negative and he realises that “the whisky distorted things”, Nick may have recalled Tom and Myrtle’s altercation differently than how it was. It seems as though being inebriated causes Nick to lack any form of empathy. He simply describes the violent slap that broke Myrtle’s nose as “a short deft movement”, which contrasts his usual narration full of judgment and personal opinions. The second drunken account is from his first time attending Gatsby’s party. This is a very important event in the novel, the reader having been led up in anticipation to the meeting of this ‘mysterious’ enigma, Gatsby. Not only is Nick drunk, but he confesses that the alcohol has changed his perception, “I was enjoying myself now…the scene had changed before my eyes”. Not only was he previously embarrassed as well as “purposeless and alone”, but after only “two finger-bowls of champagne” Nick has changed from awkward and uncomfortable, to now being relaxed and tipsy. This confuses the reader into questioning whether or not Nick’s first impression of Gatsby is reliable, or if the start of his attraction to Miss Baker is
This leaves the reader with an even weaker description of events to go on and it makes them unsure as to whether anything is true during these intoxicated memories. The first account is from Tom and Myrtle’s party in New York. Since Nick’s view of Tom is already negative and he realises that “the whisky distorted things”, Nick may have recalled Tom and Myrtle’s altercation differently than how it was. It seems as though being inebriated causes Nick to lack any form of empathy. He simply describes the violent slap that broke Myrtle’s nose as “a short deft movement”, which contrasts his usual narration full of judgment and personal opinions. The second drunken account is from his first time attending Gatsby’s party. This is a very important event in the novel, the reader having been led up in anticipation to the meeting of this ‘mysterious’ enigma, Gatsby. Not only is Nick drunk, but he confesses that the alcohol has changed his perception, “I was enjoying myself now…the scene had changed before my eyes”. Not only was he previously embarrassed as well as “purposeless and alone”, but after only “two finger-bowls of champagne” Nick has changed from awkward and uncomfortable, to now being relaxed and tipsy. This confuses the reader into questioning whether or not Nick’s first impression of Gatsby is reliable, or if the start of his attraction to Miss Baker is