How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 2 of 'The Great Gatsby'?

by wrinklygrandad (student)

Fitzgerald overwhelmingly tells the story of the 'The Great Gatsby' in chapter 2 through the use of a first person narrator, Nick Carraway. Nick is the archetypal Conradian peripheral narrator, who actually refers to himself as “..within and without”. Nicks narrative throughout the book is a retrospective one, were he knows the true tragic nature of the ending. Nick Carraway is looking back at the events two years after they had happened, allowing Fitzgerald to use a more wise, ironically detached narrator to help build the story. Fitzgerald uses two Nicks to tell the story; one minor character who is drawn in to Gatsby's world, and the older, wiser and sadder narrator who can look back on the events and scrutinises his younger self. Although this narrator cannot be identified with Fitzgerald, he is one whose views we are invited to trust because he is “..inclined to reserve all judgements”. Fitzgerald uses Nick Carraway as a “guide and pathfinder”, who can self consciously help us discover the real Gatsby.

Fitzgerald uses Nick to describe the Valley of Ashes at the opening of chapter two to introduce the audience to the bleak and miserable 'area of land' where Myrtle and Wilson live. This is used as a symbol of the moral vacuity and the spiritual barrenness of the 'lost generation'. Nick describes it using the repetition of 'ash-grey' to symbolise to the audience precisely what the Valley of Ashes is both in appearance and morally, grey and dull.

In this description, reference is made to Dr. T. J. Eckleburg and his blue, gigantic eyes. This is used to introduce the ...

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In this description, reference is made to Dr. T. J. Eckleburg and his blue, gigantic eyes. This is used to introduce the all seeing eyes, which acts of a symbol of the omniscient God of a consumerist society. However, it could also be used as a symbol of the intruding eyes of the reader, or even Fitzgerald himself. They could also be used to represent Nick looking back at himself, two years ago in his ironically detached way.

The introduction to two characters is made in this Chapter, the mistress of Tom Buchanan, and her husband Wilson. Nick describes Wilson using the sentence, “When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes” This is showing that Wilson can't be truly happy living with Myrtle, and the only thought that can spring hope into his eyes, is the thought of a new car. Nick also describes the relationship between the two characters, he says “She smiled slowly and, walking through her husband as if her were a ghost, shook hands with Tom.” This is a clear representation of n unhealthy relationship showing that neither of them are happy with their partner. Fitzgerald has Nick talk about the characters in this way to remind us that he is 'inclined to reserve all judgements' but the ones that he does make must be true, revealing further that Nick is a very reliable narrator, of whose judgements we should observe and trust.

Nick looks back on himself and laughs about how he found himself in these situations he never wanted to be in, yet he always found himself in the middle of them. Although he may have been reluctant to stay at the party, he stayed. A good example of this would be “Well, I'd like to, but -” Showing that he is not yet wise enough and strong enough just to say no, and Nick realises this, that is why he writes about it in this way.

Nick writes in a very factual way, because he is recalling events in his life that had already happened, and he writes like he was talking out loud, for example, “Just as Tom and Myrtle (after the first drink Mrs. Wilson and I called each other by our first names) This shows that Nick is a very self conscious narrator, in the way that he knows he is writing, and that he is reminding the reader that he is just retelling the events of his life.

Fitzgerald uses Nick's narrative voice to remind us that he is there watching, he is part of the action, but as he tells us early on the novel, “I was within and without” meaning that he was just there to watch, and now he is simply commenting on and understanding It.

Fitzgerald uses this chapter as a parody to the first chapter, because they are both parties, but contrast greatly in events and guests, however they do have similarities, one of them being that Myrtle disrupts both of them, in Chapter II, she disrupts it by 'bleeding fluently' after she causes a fight between her and Tom.

Nick is used as a fly on the wall in this chapter, because he presents and comments on the events to the reader.