The Great Gatsby Heroism Analysis

In everyday life we see countless acts of heroism, at work, at schools and in other parts of the world. And maybe if one is lucky enough they may encounter heroism in their favorite novels such as the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. While others may argue that the hero of the story was Gatsby himself, praised for his hard work and accomplishments of the great American dream, I would say otherwise. According to the English dictionary a hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. This title would fit no other character than Nick Caraway. Although his voice is heard in the third-person omniscient point of view, Nick Caraway displays noble qualities as seen in the novel time and time
again. An example of this is seen at the very beginning of the novel. When he 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....” Reserving of judgment, a strong quality Nick possess, he believes so due to the fact that his father told him long ago, saying "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one… remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." As a character Nick possess a strong moral ideology of remaining unbiased until he understand the person and their situation at hand. Such noble quality is what allowed Nick Caraway to befriend Gatsby and ultimately uncover the truths regarding James Gatz.
Like many heroes throughout literature, Nick Caraway is flawed in the sense that he a person who is easily overcome. Readers witness this flaw when Tom and Nick board the train and midway between east egg and New York when suddenly Tom jerks Caraway out of the train, determined to see his mistress, Myrtle. Nick barely protest and is led to witness Tom’s infidelity first hand to which he hides from his cousin Daisy Buchannan. Who has been faithful to Tom since the day they exchanged wedding vows. It is not known why Nick decides to so but in hiding the truth he shields Daisy from tears and vicious heart break.
Nick caraway shows deep authenticity nearing the end of the novel when he executes one last act of heroism.
While the wealthy and privileged retreated to their opulent lives Nick remains behind to send Gatsby on his final journey to the grave. He remarks “…I was sure there'd be a wire from Daisy before noon—but neither a wire nor Mr. Wolfsheim arrived; no one arrived except more police and photographers and newspaper men.” After Gatsby's death, Nick is one of the only people to attend the funeral. He wonders where all of Gatsby’s guests were in his darkest hour. To his dismay Nick sees how truly alone Gatsby is and decides to stand by him regardless. His actions embody his loyalty and friendship toward Gatsby. From the beginning of novel Nick shows deep compassion for Gatsby and understanding for his longing of money, love and the American dream. When Gatsby and Nick met, we began seeing the wall of lies Jay had built around him slowly begin to collapse, opening up the hidden principles that created the man Gatsby strived to become.
Many may argue that The Great Gatsby was the story of a man who strived to achieve greatness amidst the great, making him the tragic hero of his own tale. While others may state that the novel has no heroes because all of the characters from all the various social standings displayed flaws and weaknesses that make their personalities incapable of claiming the title of a true hero. However Nick was always willing to give of himself for the benefit
of others. Unlike Daisy and Tom, Nick believes in morality and he demonstrates his strong virtue perpetually. This is what makes Nick Caraway a hero.