This is the first sign that we can trust this narrator to give us a fair insight to the story that is about to unfold. But, as we later learn, he neither reserves all judgments nor does his tolerance reach its limit. This means that it is very hard to get an accurate picture of Nick.
Nick’s character throughout the book is voyeuristic, introvertive and pensive. Naturally, these features mean that he is not particularly out-going or heroic. He does not tend to dominate the action in the book; however a lot can be read into his brief affair with Jordan Baker. He is initially attracted to her because of her vivacity and sophistication. The reason why he splits up with her is because he finds out that she cheats at golf. Nick is repelled by her dishonesty and lack of consideration to fellow human beings. What this tells us about Nick’s character is that he is very moral and particular about whom he makes close relationships with.
Nick overlooks the moral implications of Gatsby's bootlegging and with Meyer Wolfsheim, the man rumoured to have fixed the World Series. Yet, he is contemptuous of Jordan Baker for cheating in a mere golf game. And while he says that he is prepared to forgive this sort of behaviour in a woman: ‘It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame too deeply - I was casually sorry, and then I forgot,’ it seems that he cannot accept her for being ‘incurably dishonest’ and then reflects that his one ‘cardinal virtue’ is that he is ‘one of the few honest people’ he has ever known. When it comes to judging women, or perhaps only potential lovers, not only are they judged, they are judged by how well they stand up to his own virtues. This shows that Nick is very moral; however he does not apply he rules to Gatsby. In fact, the only person that Carraway actually shows true affection to in the novel is Gatsby himself. Despite Gatsby’s dishonesty, he still admires him; ‘No – Gatsby turned out alright at the end’. I think that he admires Gatsby's optimism, because Gatsby lives believing his dream will come true.
It is possible that the character of Carraway represents a part of Fitzgerald’s own character. If Gatsby represents the side that is flashy and pursues wealth in order to attract the woman he loves, Nick represents the quiet and reflective side. I think that the role of Nick’s character is more of a narrator than the hero of the novel.
The first, and perhaps the most, significant point about Gatsby in the book, is that the title in about him – that is to say is has an eponymous title. It is also important the title describes Gatsby as ‘great’. I think that this is ironic because even though he is ‘great’ in the sense that he is rich and has grand house parties, nobody actually knows him or is friendly with him, apart from Nick and Daisy.
Gatsby’s only goal in life, and reason to live, is to regain Daisy back from Tom. He confronts Tom on this issue and says, ‘your wife doesn’t love you…she never loved you. She loves me.’ The fact that Gatsby actually succeeds in attracting Daisy back, in my opinion, makes him more ‘heroic’.
The methods in which he goes through in order to carry out his dream, i.e. unscrupulous ways, only focusing on his goal. Gatsby becomes a bootlegger of alcohol amongst other things to get the required money to get back Daisy. This shows his focus and disregard for rules just to get the woman he loves. To me this makes him far more romantic and heroic than Nick. I am quite certain that a part of Fitzgerald’s personality is reflected by Gatsby, i.e. the part that tries to pursue wealth in order to attract the woman he loves. This is similar to what happened in Fitzgerald’s life. The parents of his fiancé rejected him because he was poor. .
After reviewing the evidence, I think that Gatsby plays the role of the hero, however more as a tragic hero. This is because when he finally obtains what he wants and lives for (to reclaim Daisy) he dies. His role as the true hero is reinforced by the fact that he dies trying to save the one he loves.
