Examples Of Nick As An Unreliable Narrator In The Great Gatsby

Maria Semple once wrote, “There’s something uniquely exhilarating about puzzling together the truth at the hands of an unreliable narrator” (Semple 8). Narrator’s tell the story from their point of view and sometimes give away their option. When a narrator gives their optin away it may change the reader 's thoughts. Narrators write how they feel about a story and are sometimes judgemental about a certain topic. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott FItzgerald, Nick is an unreliable narrator for the story. Although Nick has good morals he is a unreliable because he sets up Daisy and Gatsby and he is judgemental of choices other characters make. To start off, Nick is an unreliable narrator because he helps Daisy and Gatsby spent time together …show more content…
Nick is judgemental in the story because he calls Daisy and Tom careless people. Nick says, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 179). Nick makes judgements about Daisy and Tom and how when they were in trouble they packed up and left town. The author wrote, “Nick is prejudiced, latter making comments such as: ‘Dishonesty in a women is a thing you never blame deeply.’ and referring to his household help as ‘My Finn’” (Wolok 1). Nick can be a kind person but is judgmental and rude at times to other people and their lifestyles. To continue, Nick is unreliable as a narrator because he makes rude comments about other people. Nick says, “I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me” (Fitzgerald 1). Nick states that he is a kind person and is a trustworthy friends but he is unreliable because he judges them for their choice. The author wrote, “Nick is constantly making judgements and associations that spring from his own education. Sometimes his judgments, based on his own intellectual viewpoint, seem harsh when he is dealing with an emotional, human situation” (Wolok 1). Nick tries to be a …show more content…
For example, Nick shows he has good morals because he does not act out like everyone else. Nick says, “I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon" (Fitzgerald 29). Nick is not like every character in the story, he does not drink a lot like everyone else and does not act out like them. The author wrote, “As narrator, Nick is in the tradition of Bartleby 's employer: a good enough fellow, prudent, slightly obtuse but, nevertheless, willing to help if he can” (Aithal 3). Nick is a good man and is willing to help out anyone in that needs him. He tries to be a good person and help them overcome their issues because of his morals. To continue, Nick proves to have good morals in the story because he tries to be a good person to please others. Nick says, “I wanted to get somebody for him. I wanted to go into the room where he lay and reassure him” (Fitzgerald 164). Nick wants to be a good friend and find someone to come to Gatsby’s funeral. The author wrote, “In addition, his reliability allows for the reader’s acceptance of Gatsby and his consequent glorification through Carraway’s eyes even with his criminal activity” (Murtaugh 9). Nick sees Gatsby as a good person with good morals even though he did not make the best choices. The eye’s watching over are GOd’s eyes watching over the town and seeing everyone 's moral. Nick is being