English Literature

Hugo Hammond

Essay: Some readers are irritated by Nick Carraway as a narrator.

What is your view of Fitzgeralds use of Nick Carraway as a narrator
in chapter 3?
Nick Carraway is the participant narrator used by F. Scott. Fitzgerald
in The Great Gatsby, meaning that he is both a character and the narrator
of the book. This is a device used by Fitzgerald, perhaps to bring us closer
to the action of the novel, and make the audience feel a part of the book.
This is especially useful in chapter 3 in the initial description of Gatsbys
party in the first few paragraphs, as it is both the reader and Nicks first
experience of a West egg party.
Nick is also used as a peripheral narrator, meaning he is on the
outside looking in. This is expressed in chapter 3 where he is never really
a major part of conversations; he just picks up on and gets told things. For
example, he is told regarding Gatsby somebody told me they thought
he killed a man once. The facts that he records all rumours about Gatsby
and who told him them, in this instance Jordans friend, Lucille, portrays
him more like a bystander, only measuring and recording the events that
happen in chapter 3. This increases his reliability as a narrator.
In this chapter, Nick romanticises his meeting with Gatsby. Nick does
not realise that he is addressing Gatsby in conversation until Gatsby says
Im Gatsby, suddenly. This lack of a formal invitation is perhaps used to
colour Gatsby as a mysterious and shady character, from our first meeting
of him. Furthermore, after Gatsby has introduced himself, he smiled
understandingly... it was one of those rare smiles with the quality of
eternal reassurance in it. This recollection of Gatsbys smile is an example
of Nick romanticising him. The properties of a smile are a subjective
concept and so what Nick saw as that, may to anyone else have just been
a smile. It is also to be noted that Gatsby only did this smile after he had
revealed himself to Nick, so in Nicks memory, Gatsby only became great
after Nick knew he was Gatsby, possibly implying that Nick exaggerates
Gatsbys character disproportionately, making him appear as great as
the title suggests.
Secondly, it is shown that Nick as a narrator is honest and decent, at
least in comparison to other typical people of The Jazz age. For example,
he states "I was one of few guests who had actually been invited. People
were not invited they went there." This shows that Nick is not as
dishonest as the masses that surround him, and is going because he has

English Literature

Hugo Hammond

an invitation. This gives the reader the impression that Nick is a good
moralizer, and perhaps opposes the American Dream at the time, of
having affairs, going to parties, etc However, this might be contrasted
as Nick still indulges in some of these activities, such as getting roaring
drunk and enjoying it, meaning perhaps he does not have as high a
morality as he claims.
However, what could be interpreted as having a high morality could
also be interpreted as arrogance on Carraways behalf. For instance, Nick
says, I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known. This
supercilious remark is condescending towards other characters (although
they never hear it), and could be Nicks attempt at trying to better himself
in the eyes of the reader. Nicks statements such as these are unreliable,
as we never hear the account of other characters, and what does happen
is filtered through Nicks perspective. It is also apparent that he still does
dishonest things, such as letting Daisy and Gatsby have an affair, even
helping it happen, and not turning Daisy in after she killed Myrtle. These
arrogant remarks that Nick claims to be true, therefore, can be considered
irritating, perhaps a typical man of the time, with a superior attitude,
possibly due to his wealthy family background or upbringing.
It is therefore shown that Carraway narrates the chapter from the
perspective of a bystander, but one who paints his opinion of what is right
or wrong over everything, in a quite vexing manner. His account of some
things may be taken as read, but people such as Gatsby may have been
exaggerated so he is not entirely reliable either. Therefore, Nick as a
narrator may be considered irritating, but most of his memory may be
true, just some parts decorated to seem better.