Nick's Character (the Great Gatsby)

The character I find the most interesting in The Great Gatsby is Nick Carraway, the narrator. He has an extraordinary ability to see through peoples’ insecurities and analyze them based on who they really are. He looks at the world from an unbiased and straightforward viewpoint, making him the perfect narrator. Nick also has a very peculiar relationship with Gatsby. Carraway’s emphasized ability to “reserve all judgments,” his straightforward point of view and his relationship with Gatsby all make him the most interesting character in the book. Nick Carraway has an extremely sharp social insight. He tells the reader that he has an unusual ability to avoid judging people at face value. We also learn that this ability is a result of his father’s teaching. Concerning his father’s teaching, Nick says, “…I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores” (1). Throughout the book, Carraway exercises this ability. He never judges people at face value; rather he gets to know them, looks past their insecurities and analyzes them based on their virtues. This is the definition of grace. Nick’s ability to have grace makes his character attractive and all the more interesting. Carraway’s straightforward, unbiased point of view is another aspect of his character which makes him more fascinating than the other characters. Nick is a ridiculously honest person. As the narrator, Carraway comments, "everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people I have ever known” (59). He is unbiased as well as honest. He does not incorporate his own personal feelings into his delivery of the story because of his ability to reserve his judgment. The fact that he is completely honest and unbiased makes Nick’s character increasingly fascinating. Nick’s bizarre relationship with Gatsby makes his character very intriguing. At first, Carraway is annoyed with Gatsby’s character as a whole. He is annoyed with the superficiality of the people Gatsby surrounds himself with, as well as his attraction to someone as shallow as Daisy. He dislikes Gatsby at first because Gatsby strikes him as shallow. Concerning his invitation to Gatsby’s party, Nick explains disdainfully, “I had actually been invited. A chauffeur in a uniform of robin’s-egg blue crossed my lawn early that Saturday morning with a surprisingly formal note from his employer: the honor would be entirely Gatsby’s, it said, if I would attend his “little party” that night. He had seen me several times, and had intended to call on me long before, but a peculiar combination of circumstances had prevented it—signed Jay Gatsby, in a majestic hand” (41). Even after his initial dislike of Gatsby’s character, Carraway grows to like him as Gatsby had more and more opportunities to explain himself. The development of the relationship between Gatsby and Carraway enhances the quality of the book and adds intrigue to Nick’s character. In my opinion, Carraway’s character is the most fascinating character in The Great Gatsby. His perceptive social insight and ability to “reserve all judgments” makes his character attractive and fascinating. His honesty and unbiased viewpoint make him the perfect narrator, as well as a vital part of the story. Finally, Nick’s peculiar relationship with Gatsby adds intrigue to the story, as well as Nick’s character. All in all, Carraway’s ability to have grace, his honesty and his relationship with Gatsby make him the most interesting character in the book.