The Great Gatsby:
Analysis of Nick Carraway
Nick Carraway is being scrutinized.
Nick Carraway, despite the fact that he is not the main character of the novel, has a vital role to play anyway. He is the author of the book that he is reading. He witnesses Gatsby at the height of his powers, his pursuit of true love, and his demise. Nick acts as a platform for the author’s viewpoints while also serving as an insider into Gatsby’s personal and professional life. He is the most relatable character to a reader since he both observes and analyzes at the same time, making him the most relatable.
The former soldier, Nick, is eager to begin a new life in his home state of New York after the war, despite having been born in a little village in the state’s far westernmost reaches. He finds himself in the midst of a maelstrom that would come to be known as the Roaring Twenties. The things he sees and experiences do not bring him any joy. He enjoys a comfortable lifestyle, has no need for money, and is able to treat himself to a variety of luxurious amenities. Despite this, he is devoid of joy. He believes that his way of life is a sham and that it contains very little true substance in the first place. In the midst of his boredom with nothing substantial, he happens to run upon Gatsby. Immediately, Nick is taken aback by his smile: “He had one of those rare smiles that had an eternal comforting element to it, that you may only come across four or five times in your life… It knew you in the same way that you wanted to be understood, and it believed in you in the same way that you wanted to believe in yourself.” Nick is intrigued by Gatsby’s powerful, seemingly pure attitude and determination, and he wishes to be like him.
The existence of Nick can be defined by that of Gatsby for a period of time. He lends a hand as he makes his way towards Daisy. He serves as a liaison between them during their meeting. He is a close friend of Gatsby’s. This dedication does not bother Nick since Gatsby reminds him of an elusive rhythm, a fragment of lost words that connotes heroism, which he finds comfort in. Nick appreciates Gatsby’s company because he perceives a genuine emotion in the man. The Great Gatsby When he ultimately gets to win Daisy over, he sees Gatsby’s dedicated thoughts as a green light, which signifies a happy future for him when he finally manages to win Daisy over.
Nick is a snob, to put it mildly. He despises everyone in the East, which he considers to be the embodiment of frantic living, hedonistic partying, and deteriorating morals. Nick makes an effort to keep away from the partying since he does not see the point in it. Before meeting Gatsby, he has this outlook toward life. Despite the fact that he lives next door, he is not interested in meeting his luxurious and famed neighbor. And he recognizes that Gatsby is different. He is not from the Eastern hemisphere. “That’s my Middle West,” Nick laments in Chapter 9: “That’s my Middle West… As I look back, I realize this has been a story about the West.” Indeed, all of the important characters, including Tom and Jordan, come from the Western world. The difference between them is that some have managed to hold on to something pure and uncorrupted while others have completely lost sight of their morals and ideals. Tom and Daisy are no longer relevant when it comes to having morals and ideals. Despite the fact that he had committed numerous criminal activities and dishonest behaviors, Gatsby still had a pure idea that he held in the highest regard and set as his major goal.
Gatsby’s one and only buddy begins to believe in the green light as well, referring to it as “the orgastic future,” only to be disappointed later on. Nick recognizes that there is no place for purity in the Eastern worldview. Nothing can keep him from succumbing to the decadence of Long Island and New York after the death of Gatsby, who had proven to be his most trusted friend. He is willing to return home, where he believes he will find more reality and where the pace of life will be more leisurely.
The genuine nature of Gatsby’s personality would never have been revealed without Nick’s help. As a result, Nick Carraway is regarded as the novel’s central character.. Nick possesses the necessary expertise and patience to pay attention to the finer details in order to find the essence of other people’s characters. Even when he is in the center of events, he is frequently able to think clearly and reach appropriate judgments. Thank you to Nick, who may be regarded the incarnation of Fitzgerald himself, for helping to de-crown the perverted American Dream in “The Great Gatsby.”
