Why is Nick an Unreliable Narrator in "The Great Gatsby"

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion

Introduction

You know, from the get-go in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby," we're seeing everything through Nick Carraway's eyes. He's our storyteller. But here's the thing: Is Nick really giving us the full picture? This essay's gonna dig into why Nick might be a bit biased when he talks about Jay Gatsby, that mysterious main dude. By checking out different parts and some bits from the book, we'll see how Nick's own feelings and views might get in the way of him showing us who Gatsby truly is.

Main Body

First off: There's this moment when Nick first sizes up Gatsby. He calls him "the single most hopeful person he ever met" (Fitzgerald, 6). Sounds like he's putting him on a pedestal, right? But let's think about where Nick's coming from. Raised in the Midwest, always kinda wowed by rich folks and their fancy ways. Could be that this admiration makes him see Gatsby with rose-tinted glasses. So maybe his first impression isn't as clear-cut as it seems.

Then there's this: The friendship angle between Nick and Gatsby muddles things even more. As they become buddies, Nick gets all wrapped up in Gatsby's chase for Daisy Buchanan. Remember when he tells Gatsby, "They're a rotten crowd... You're worth the whole damn bunch put together" (Fitzgerald, 162)? That’s some serious loyalty there! With such emotions in play, can we really trust that what he says about Gatsby is spot on?

Another point to consider: Sometimes Nick just leaves stuff out or shares only bits and pieces of info. Like when he says, "I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known" (Fitzgerald, 59). Really? Makes you wonder if he's hiding something or shaping things to suit his narrative. So yeah, we gotta be careful about taking his word as gospel.

And don't forget: Nick’s own sense of what's right and wrong paints his views too. He's not shy about judging folks around him, including Gatsby. Calling him “a bootlegger” (Fitzgerald, 61) and trashing those lavish parties as “a circus” (Fitzgerald, 40). These aren’t neutral observations; they're loaded with his personal hang-ups.

Conclusion

In wrapping up here, it's clear that Nick Carraway isn’t the most trustworthy guide through "The Great Gatsby." His personal biases—whether emotional ties, selective storytelling or moral judgments—all slant how he portrays Jay Gatsby. We’ve got to keep our thinking caps on while reading his account to truly grasp who Gatsby was meant to be within this classic tale.

Bibliography

• Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1925.
• SparkNotes Editors. (n.d.). SparkNote on The Great Gatsby.
• Bruccoli, Matthew J., editor. New Essays on The Great Gatsby. Cambridge University Press, 1985.
• Piper, Henry Dan. The Critical Reception of F. Scott Fitzgerald: Through 1981. G.K. Hall & Co., 1984.
• Mizener, Arthur. "Gatsby Rediscovered." Yale Review vol 46 no 1 (1957): pp31-45.