Nick Carraway is one of the major characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great
Gatsby. He is a young man from Minneapolis/ St. Paul who graduated from Yale University
and served his country in the First World War. Carraway was raised in a small town in the
Midwest. He finds his hometown to be stifling and decides to move to the East Coast in the
early 1920s to learn the bond business. He hopes to find a sense of freedom and identity in
New York. Carraway lives next door to the wealthy Jay Gatsby in a district of Long Island
called West Egg.
However, Nick Carraway is not only a character taking part in the story, he is also the
I-narrator that the author uses to recount his story. The Great Gatsby is told entirely through
Nick Carraway’s eyes; his thoughts and perceptions color and shape the story. The Great
Gatsby actually functions as a personal memoir of Carraway’s experiences with his
mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby in the summer of 1922. The story becomes more realistic by
means of using an first-person-narrator. Because Nick Carraway is experiencing events and
telling the reader about them in his own words, the plot becomes more believable. Rather than
imposing himself between the reader and the action, a first-person- narrator can bring the
reader closer to the action by forcing him to experience the events as though he was the
narrator himself. The I of the narrator becomes the I of the reader who is, like Carraway, left
wondering who Gatsby is, why he gives these huge parties and what his background and past
may be. The reader might identify more with the story than it is the case when an omniscient
third-person narrator is used. The reader cares about Gatsby because the narrator does; he
wants to find out more about Gatsby because the narrator does; he is angry that no one comes
to Gatsby’s funeral because the narrator is... Carraway’s position as the narrator, placed
between the reader and the narration, gives him the only authoritative role of interpretation.
Therefore the narrator’s point of view and his credibility should be examined.
Nick Carraway seems to be the perfect choice to narrate the novel. He is the cousin of
Daisy Buchanan, he was in the same senior society as Tom Buchanan at Yale, and he rented a
house right next to Jay Gatsby. He knows all the characters well enough to be present at the
crucial scenes in the novel. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Nick Carraway as Narrator and Character
3. The Influence of Background on Point of View
4. Credibility and Internal Conflict
5. The Mythical Conception of Jay Gatsby
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the narrative reliability of Nick Carraway in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," focusing on how his subjective perceptions, Midwestern background, and moral internal conflicts shape the portrayal of the titular character and the social environment of 1920s New York.
- Analysis of the first-person narrative technique and its impact on reader perception.
- Evaluation of Carraway’s moral contradictions and his role as an outsider in Eastern society.
- Investigation into how Carraway constructs Jay Gatsby as a mythical figure through his own interpretations.
- Assessment of the tension between Carraway’s reliability and his personal biases as a narrator.
Excerpt from the Book
The Problematic Point of View of the I-Narrator
However, Nick Carraway is not only a character taking part in the story, he is also the I-narrator that the author uses to recount his story. The Great Gatsby is told entirely through Nick Carraway’s eyes; his thoughts and perceptions color and shape the story. The Great Gatsby actually functions as a personal memoir of Carraway’s experiences with his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby in the summer of 1922. The story becomes more realistic by means of using an first-person-narrator. Because Nick Carraway is experiencing events and telling the reader about them in his own words, the plot becomes more believable. Rather than imposing himself between the reader and the action, a first-person-narrator can bring the reader closer to the action by forcing him to experience the events as though he was the narrator himself.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the research context regarding the narrative perspective in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel.
2. Nick Carraway as Narrator and Character: Explores Carraway’s dual role as both a participant in the plot and the authoritative voice recounting the events.
3. The Influence of Background on Point of View: Discusses how Carraway’s Midwestern upbringing creates a critical, albeit sometimes inconsistent, distance from the Eastern society he describes.
4. Credibility and Internal Conflict: Critically examines the inconsistencies in Carraway's moral stance and his reliability as a mediator between the events and the reader.
5. The Mythical Conception of Jay Gatsby: Analyzes how Carraway's personal fascination leads him to elevate Gatsby into a Platonic, mythical figure through his narrative interpretation.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes how the process of telling the story allows Carraway to define his own identity and return to his traditional values.
Keywords
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway, first-person narrator, narrative reliability, American Dream, point of view, literary analysis, Midwest, social criticism, Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, subjectivity, literary perspective, moral conflict.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the complex role of Nick Carraway as a first-person narrator in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," questioning his reliability and analyzing how his personal biases color the narrative.
What are the central themes discussed in the analysis?
The central themes include the subjective nature of first-person narration, the contrast between Midwestern and Eastern American values, and the mythologization of Jay Gatsby by the narrator.
What is the main research objective regarding Carraway?
The objective is to determine how Carraway’s background, moral contradictions, and personal admiration for Gatsby influence his account of events, thereby impacting his credibility as an authoritative storyteller.
Which scientific approach does this paper employ?
This paper uses a literary analysis and textual interpretation approach, closely examining specific narrative passages and character motivations within the primary text.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body analyzes Carraway’s background as a "foreigner" in New York, his internal conflicts between his moral standards and his actions, and his tendency to create a mythical version of Gatsby.
Which keywords are essential to understanding this analysis?
Key terms include "first-person narrator," "narrative reliability," "subjectivity," "Midwestern values," and "mythologization," all of which define the critical lens of the study.
How does Carraway's role as a "foreigner" influence his narration?
His role as an outsider from the Midwest allows him to observe the decadence of 1920s New York with a critical distance, although this distance is frequently compromised by his own social involvement.
Why does the author argue that Carraway's view of Gatsby is "problematic"?
The author argues it is problematic because Carraway’s interpretation is deeply subjective and intermingled with his own desires, often reflecting more of Carraway's adolescent idealism than objective fact.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2003, The Problematic point of view of the I-narrator in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/23493
