The Great Gatsby
Choose a novel or short story in which the writer’s method of narration (such as first person narrative, diary from, journal…) plays a significant part. Explain briefly the method of narration and then discuss its importance to your appreciation of the text.
“The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a fascinating and compelling story of a man who strives for the American Dream, never giving up. The man, Jay Gatsby, is a rich and extravagant gentleman who owns everything he wants but does not have everything he desires. He lusts after his lost love Daisy Buchanan and tries to relive his past with her. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway. Nick’s perceptions regarding characters and events in the novel have an effect on the reader’s appreciation of the text.
The style of the narration is in first-person narrative. During Nick Carraway’s introduction, he sets himself up to be a reliable, trustworthy narrator by suggesting he does not judge people “I’m inclined to reserve all judgments”. However, he casts doubt over his credibility later in the introduction by claiming that basically that some people are boring “usually plagiaristic and marred by obvious suppressions”. By using a first-person narrative, the readers are only told one side of the story through Nick’s eyes. This encourages the reader to believe Nick and his views as this is the only one they get. Fitzgerald also makes the reader doubt Nick’s views as he tends to sway between two sides throughout.
The Essay on Point Of View Person Story Reader
A diverse Point of View in literature is what produces the story. In each story the author shows you what they think is important by giving you a certain point of view. Whether it is a first person or a third person point of view, there is always a motive behind why the author chose that view." Everything that Rises Must Converge", by Flannery O'Conner, deals with contentious issues of racism and ...
Jay Gatsby is seen as an admirable man at the beginning of the novel due to Nick’s perception of him as the only one who “was exempt from my reaction”. We are given no details about Gatsby other than Nick’s feelings towards him. This influences the reader’s reaction towards Gatsby as they have no other insight to Gatsby’s life. Given the positive feelings towards him and the mystery surrounding his background at this moment in the novel a sense of wonder and speculation of Gatsby arises in the reader.
Although Gatsby made his money from illegal trade, bootlegging, and committed adultery just the same as Tom, he escapes Nick’s condemnation and potentially the reader’s as well. Nick just accepts Gatsby for who he is and his misdoings and admires him throughout the novel. Although Nick’s admiration and belief in Gatsby wavers slightly at some points, “with an effort I managed to restrain my incredulous laughter”, when Gatsby shows him the slightest bit of evidence he has a complete renewal of faith in Gatsby, “then it was all true”.
Even though Nick is unreliable, Fitzgerald shows that his views alone are better than everyone’s together, “Life is much more successfully looked at from a single window”. This image is reinforced towards the end of the novel when Nick looks upon a Daisy and Tom through a single window and suggests that they are conspiring against Gatsby. The earlier comment along with this moment illustrates more greatly that Tom and Daisy belong to an elite society, closed off from everyone else.
Nick’s own beliefs about characters and events do affect any reader’s own views on the matters. The first-person narrative gives one man’s own opinions and if these are the only opinions available they will have a definite impact. Although Nick is unreliable and biased, despite the claims he isn’t, these views are important to the reader’s appreciation of the text.