![]() In addition to his Everyman quality, Nick's moral sense helps to set him apart from all the other characters. In effect, motivated by his conscience, Nick commits social suicide by forcefully pulling away from people like the Buchanans and Jordan Baker. When he realizes what his social superiors are really like (shallow, hollow, uncaring, and self-serving), he is disgusted and, rather than continuing to cater to them, he distances himself. What helps make Nick so remarkable, however, is the way that he has aspirations without being taken in - to move with the socialites, for example, but not allowing himself to become blinded by the glitz that characterizes their lifestyle. He is an educated man who desires more out of life than the quiet Midwest can deliver (although it is interesting that before living in the city any length of time he retreats to the country). He heads East after World War I, seeking largely to escape the monotony he perceives to permeate the Midwest and to make his fortune. Given this background, it is interesting that Nick would come to be regarded as a level-headed and caring man, enough of a dreamer to set goals, but practical enough to know when to abandon his dreams.Īlso contributing to Nick's characterization as an Everyman are his goals in life. Nick's relative apparently doesn't have any qualms about sending a poorer man off to be killed in his stead. This little detail divulges a few things: It places the Carraways in a particular class (because only the wealthy could afford to send a substitute to fight) and suggests that the early Carraways were more tied to commerce than justice. When the civil war began, Nick's relative "sent a substitute" to fight for him, while he started the family business. In addition, the family patriarch didn't exhibit the good Midwestern values Nick sees in himself. By the time the story takes place, the Carraways have only been in this country for a little over seventy years - not long, in the great scope of things. His family, although descended from the "Dukes of Buccleuch," really started when Nick's grandfather's brother came to the U.S. He is a little more complex than that, however. He hails from the upper Midwest (Minnesota or Wisconsin) and has supposedly been raised on stereotypical Midwestern values (hard work, perseverance, justice, and so on). He comes from a fairly nondescript background. On one level, Nick is Fitzgerald's Everyman, yet in many ways he is much more. Nick, although he initially seems outside the action, slowly moves to the forefront, becoming an important vehicle for the novel's messages. In addition, Nick has the distinct honor of being the only character who changes substantially from the story's beginning to its end. ![]() Part of Fitzgerald's skill in The Great Gatsby shines through the way he cleverly makes Nick a focal point of the action, while simultaneously allowing him to remain sufficiently in the background. First, he is both narrator and participant. ![]() Nick Carraway, the story's narrator, has a singular place within The Great Gatsby.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |