The Great Gatsby Point Of View Analysis
The Views of Nick Carraway F. Scott Fitzgerald writes his novel The Great Gatsby through the point of view of Nick Carraway, a young adult who finds himself in New York City after serving in the war for many years. His point of view changes throughout the story significantly, but it changes especially about Jay Gatsby, his neighbor. Gatsby is a mystery to all, but Nick becomes intrigued as he is introduced to the rumors about him. At first, there is a major confusion about who Gatsby truly is and what he has done in his past lifetime. Their relationship evolves and deepens as Nick helps Daisy and Gatsby. Nick gets to know Gatsby on more of a personal level and becomes an insider of his life, which helps him have a more in-depth understanding of Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a mystery to anyone that encounters him, but as Nick becomes involved in his life with Daisy, then he becomes an insider where Gatsby is not as much of a mystery to Nick anymore. The mystery and rumors surrounding Gatsby lead Nick to view him in a negative way. Before Nick ever has the opportunity to meet his party-obsessed neighbor,
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Gatsby, he is told numerous interesting speculations about him. In this scene at Gatsby’s party, Nick’s point of view about Gatsby is influenced by what he hears: “Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once” (Fitzgerald 44). All that he knows of about Gatsby is that he has a giant house where he enjoys throwing parties and is rumored to be a murderer. It is challenging for Nick to understand who Gatsby is since he is mysterious about his life and rarely lets people become insiders to it. While he listens to these claims before formally getting to meet Gatsby, Nick’s perspective of Gatsby develops in a misleading way; specifically, the rumors that Nick hears set him up to have an opinion of Gatsby not based in evidence. That is extremely unfortunate for both Nick and Gatsby because Nick is given the idea that his neighbor is an unpleasant person, while Gatsby is not given the opportunity to show who he actually is to Nick due to these rumors. The rumors form Nick’s perspective of Gatsby in a way that makes Gatsby seem even more mysterious and negative to him.
Gatsby becomes less of a mystery to Nick as Gatsby opens up about his past and his desire to be with Daisy, allowing Nick to become more of an insider of his life. After begging Jordan to ask Nick numerous times to invite Daisy over to his house in order to rekindle their old flame, Gatsby makes the situation with Daisy uncomfortable for all three of them. Nick is in shock about how Gatsby acts: “He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths, so that he could ‘come over’ some afternoon to a stranger’s garden” (78). Initially Nick is confused about Gatsby, as he is awkward and uncomfortable with Daisy; he sees that this is the big shot Gatsby has been waiting for for the past five years. But then Nick becomes less confused and more critical as he tries to help his neighbor by stepping in and pulling Gatsby aside, saying, “‘You’re acting like a little boy,’ I broke out impatiently. ‘Not only that, but you’re rude. Daisy’s sitting in there all alone’” (87). Nick somehow knows exactly what to say in order to calm Gatsby’s nerves and to follow through with his goal of reconnecting with her. Gatsby opens up to the idea of receiving help from Nick, and as their bond grows through their finding a way for Gatsby and Daisy to reconnect, they get to know each other better. Nick’s developing understanding of Gatsby shows in how Nick handles Gatsby’s nervousness around Daisy.
As Nick and Gatsby get to know each other, Gatsby becomes even much less of a mystery to Nick.
Nick concludes the story with his final thoughts about Gatsby's life after he is murdered by connecting what he has learned about him: “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (180). As Nick drives by Gatsby’s house during his last night in New York and reflects about Gatsby, Nick admires him for coming a long way in his life by becoming wealthy and successful in order to win Daisy over, but what his dream was never became true. After Daisy goes back to her husband, Tom, that is where his dream and goal die. He seems to realize that Gatsby is a completely different and better person than when he first met him. While Nick became an insider of Gatsby's life, he has become less of a mystery to
him.
Gatsby has become less of a mystery to Nick as they form a connection from Nick helping win over Daisy due to Gatsby’s determination to win her back. Nick’s first thought about Gatsby was that he was a murderer which was being spread around at the party where they met each other at. Gatsby and Nick were affiliated with each other over Daisy. From helping him out, Nick became an insider of Gatsby’s life and they became less of strangers to each other. During the final scene, Nick relates his final thoughts about how he was proud of where Gatsby was and that he was so close to achieving his goal of winning back Daisy before Tom won her back. From becoming a stranger that hosts decadent parties who was rumored to be a murderer, to someone in need of assistance, to someone that was just trying to achieve their goal in life, Nick’s perspective of Gatsby changed tremendously throughout the book as he became an insider of his life that no one else was.
Gatsby, he is told numerous interesting speculations about him. In this scene at Gatsby’s party, Nick’s point of view about Gatsby is influenced by what he hears: “Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once” (Fitzgerald 44). All that he knows of about Gatsby is that he has a giant house where he enjoys throwing parties and is rumored to be a murderer. It is challenging for Nick to understand who Gatsby is since he is mysterious about his life and rarely lets people become insiders to it. While he listens to these claims before formally getting to meet Gatsby, Nick’s perspective of Gatsby develops in a misleading way; specifically, the rumors that Nick hears set him up to have an opinion of Gatsby not based in evidence. That is extremely unfortunate for both Nick and Gatsby because Nick is given the idea that his neighbor is an unpleasant person, while Gatsby is not given the opportunity to show who he actually is to Nick due to these rumors. The rumors form Nick’s perspective of Gatsby in a way that makes Gatsby seem even more mysterious and negative to him.
Gatsby becomes less of a mystery to Nick as Gatsby opens up about his past and his desire to be with Daisy, allowing Nick to become more of an insider of his life. After begging Jordan to ask Nick numerous times to invite Daisy over to his house in order to rekindle their old flame, Gatsby makes the situation with Daisy uncomfortable for all three of them. Nick is in shock about how Gatsby acts: “He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths, so that he could ‘come over’ some afternoon to a stranger’s garden” (78). Initially Nick is confused about Gatsby, as he is awkward and uncomfortable with Daisy; he sees that this is the big shot Gatsby has been waiting for for the past five years. But then Nick becomes less confused and more critical as he tries to help his neighbor by stepping in and pulling Gatsby aside, saying, “‘You’re acting like a little boy,’ I broke out impatiently. ‘Not only that, but you’re rude. Daisy’s sitting in there all alone’” (87). Nick somehow knows exactly what to say in order to calm Gatsby’s nerves and to follow through with his goal of reconnecting with her. Gatsby opens up to the idea of receiving help from Nick, and as their bond grows through their finding a way for Gatsby and Daisy to reconnect, they get to know each other better. Nick’s developing understanding of Gatsby shows in how Nick handles Gatsby’s nervousness around Daisy.
As Nick and Gatsby get to know each other, Gatsby becomes even much less of a mystery to Nick.
Nick concludes the story with his final thoughts about Gatsby's life after he is murdered by connecting what he has learned about him: “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it” (180). As Nick drives by Gatsby’s house during his last night in New York and reflects about Gatsby, Nick admires him for coming a long way in his life by becoming wealthy and successful in order to win Daisy over, but what his dream was never became true. After Daisy goes back to her husband, Tom, that is where his dream and goal die. He seems to realize that Gatsby is a completely different and better person than when he first met him. While Nick became an insider of Gatsby's life, he has become less of a mystery to
him.
Gatsby has become less of a mystery to Nick as they form a connection from Nick helping win over Daisy due to Gatsby’s determination to win her back. Nick’s first thought about Gatsby was that he was a murderer which was being spread around at the party where they met each other at. Gatsby and Nick were affiliated with each other over Daisy. From helping him out, Nick became an insider of Gatsby’s life and they became less of strangers to each other. During the final scene, Nick relates his final thoughts about how he was proud of where Gatsby was and that he was so close to achieving his goal of winning back Daisy before Tom won her back. From becoming a stranger that hosts decadent parties who was rumored to be a murderer, to someone in need of assistance, to someone that was just trying to achieve their goal in life, Nick’s perspective of Gatsby changed tremendously throughout the book as he became an insider of his life that no one else was.