F Scott FitzGerald presents Nick Carraway as a character and narrator by showing in Nick’s own way that he has come “back from the East last autumn” fed up off his experiences there. This instantly informs the reader that nick as a character played a part in the story that has already taken place and is now narrating this story from memory.
Nick is presented throughout the opening chapters as a young man from Minnesota whom after being educated at Yale and fighting the world war one, goes to New York City to learn the bond business. Nick has also rented a house in west egg, a fictional area of long Island that is home to most newly rich rather than east egg which is home to the ‘old money’. Coincidently the house is next door to, “the man who gives his name to this book,” Jay Gatsby and as the chapters go on, we later learn that Carraway and Gatsby become the very good friends.
Nick later goes to East egg ‘old money’ to visit Tom Buchannan’s a friend from college and daisy Buchannan’s who was Nick Carraway’s second cousin. Tom is presented as being very stuck up, arrogant and boastful F FitzGerald shows this through Tom’s speech “I’ve got a nice place here,” as well as Nick’s first description of him “one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savours of anti-climax”. Tom and Daisy lives in East egg due to his inheritance and wealthy family background making them an old money couple as Tom’s family have had great wealth for generations whereas Nick is working class in West egg. Daisy’s friend, Jordan baker is also visiting them this weekend. As the chapters go on, FitzGerald present nick as a confident for those with troubling secrets.
Towards the end of chapter two and beginning of chapter 3 there are two main new characters introduced by Nick Carraway as a narrator, George Wilson and Myrtle Wilson. Mrs Wilson is very much linked with Tom Buchanan’s, however this developed further in the further chapters. FitzGerald presents Nick Carraway as a character as well as narrator when introducing the Wilson’s as he does not know them however does knows of them. This makes it easier for him to explain them as a narrator and then as a character later on in the chapter as the characters personalities develop.
In conclusion F Scott FitzGerald presents Nick Carraway as a character and a narrator in the opening chapters of ‘The Great Gatsby’ by first introducing Nick Carraway himself and his past, which helps the reader to understand Nick as both, the narrator and character. Using a structural devise FitzGerald later introduces more characters such as Tom and Daisy Buchannan’s and Jay Gatsby “who gives his name to the book,” regularly, giving the readers an understanding of the importance of each and every character.
Rajneet Rayit, 12G
by
rajers (student)
