The Great Gatsby does begin and end with Nick going west, leaving behind what he originally viewed as the American Dream. Since Nick is the first person narrator, but is relating the life and death of Jay Gatsby, the novel is set up as a frame narrative. Nick's consistent character makes him believable as the narrator, and provides an unchanging view on the events of the story. Nick even gives his own moral commentary, reinforcing the themes that Fitzgerald develops.
In the first chapter, Nick appears to be telling his own story, but he actually tells Gatsby's story, which is framed inside Nick's story. Nick is an unnecessary character, who could be eliminated by telling the story from another character's point of view. The fact that nick tells Gatsby’s story links the frame narrative to the story he’s telling. This is as the story he is telling is about Gatsby, which eventually reveals to the reader the love that Gatsby and daisy secretly share for each other. This then develops to be the centre point of the story, and the story that Nick has told develops to be the main plot.
The impact of the frame narrative on the story is massive. This is due to the way that it takes effect upon the reader. The frame narrative allows the reader to uncover events that would be significantly harder to understand without it. For example, we can infer that Gatsby and Daisy have loved each other for a significant amount of time, and Daisy had moved on in anticipation for Gatsby by marrying Tom. "And what's more, I love Daisy too” This quotation is taken from Nicks frame narrative which uncovers vital information for the reader. The frame narrative of Gatsby’s life, and the story Nicks telling merge at this point, as they confess their love for each other, which was the basis of Nicks frame narrative within the Great Gatsby.
Nick Carraway expresses the story from his point of view, from his memory in first person. He also participates in the action of the plot from time to time and evaluates the events as they occur in the story. This is a very clever use of the narrator by Fitzgerald by means of by doing this the narrator stretches the readers imagination and gives them an improved idea of what is going on in the story and makes it less complex to comprehend. He also tells his own story throughout the play, which serves as a narrative to Gatsby’s own plot.
One of the key parts in the novel that frame Gatsby’s story is at the end of the first chapter. ‘Glittered along the water’ we have a prologue and epilogue that embedded the events of summer 1992. Both the epilogue and prologue relate to the time of Nick’s writing, Nick is back in the mid-west and reflects on his past experience.
Fitzgerald sees the Midwest as "the green breast of a new world." It reflects the true
American Dream. This is where Jay grew up, and it is also where Nick ends up at the end of the novel. It is a conservative place where values are upheld and is in contrast with the spending and wasting of those who live in the East.
The East is made up of those who are consumed with materialistic items and values. They do whatever they have to in order to get what they want. They lie, they cheat, and they leave destruction in their paths. That was Daisy and Tom's way of life. They both were liars. Tom lied to George and Daisy when he had an affair with Myrtle. Daisy lied to spend time with Jay. Both of them were cheaters, but only Tom had genuine affairs with other women. Both of them left the destruction of both Myrtle's death and the deaths of George and Jay.
The way that Nicks frame narrative links to the story he is telling is fascinating. Fitzgerald gets hold of Nicks frame narrative masterfully, without making the story too complex to read. Nicks frame narrative essentially uncovers the key points in the story. Nicks story is revered as it crops up in every chapter of the story. Regardless of what has happened in the chapters, the story will always take a pause from its main plot, giving Nick his chance to explain to the reader his point of view. This is Fitzgerald’s way of shortening the story whilst keeping Nicks point of view in contention. As the story progresses Nicks influence and viewpoint become more apparent and frequent. For example, when Myrtle is introduced, the narrator begins to explain his point of view.
The relationship between the frame narrative and the story he’s telling is very important, as it uncovers many narrative techniques. Nicks frame Narrative in particular uncovers many techniques in the story. For example "The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose." This is a quote from Nicks frame narrative. Dr. Eckelburg is introduced at this point. He takes on an image of a human figure, which he is personified at many times throughout the novel. From Nicks Frame narrative we can learn that the story he is telling gives us the feeling that T.J Eckleberg is omnipresence in the microcosm that is the story, as he sees all the events that unfold.
by
raj-kaur (student)
