Nick's Influences In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the beginning of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the audience is introduced to Nick, the narrator. He begins the book by describing his life for the duration of the entire first chapter. The first impression he lays upon the audience is a quote of his father’s wisdom: “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’”(1). This shines light into Nick’s life: how he was raised and the type of people he had as influences. In using this method, he opens a door to the audience that seems personal and allows them to connect with him, which leads the audience to believe that he is a good honest man. From this point on, Nick really has

However, Gatsby is also “exempt from [his] reaction” (2). It seems as if, in the beginning, Gatsby is the human form of a satanic figure who bypasses any and all law, including Nicks. Disregarding his original thought of Gatsby, Nick is honored to be a part of all the extravagant parties and he has a sort of infatuation with knowing all the details and in this begins to seek out Gatsby. The two form a great bond with one single connection: Daisy. Daisy is Nick’s cousin and Gatsby’s former lover. Daisy is Nick’s way into Gatsby’s vulnerability and the bond begins as Gatsby seeks out Nicks help in chapter 4. By getting close to Gatsby, Nick gets to know a character that the rest of the characters in the book see as a mysterious man. In fact, most would not even recognize his face while looking right at him. This bond allows the readers to understand a character that would be a mystery without the reliability of Nick

He claims that she is “incurably dishonest” but he still is persistent in building a relationship with her. Maybe he has an infatuation with dishonest people; however, the real reason lies in his infatuation to be a reliable, honest source himself. He claims to be “one of the few honest people that [he has] ever known” (59). In order to prove this Nick must be obeisant and shine light on many different truths. For example, Jordan cheats in a Tournament, Gatsby being involved in illegal activities, Tom cheating on Daisy, etc. Nick is not a shady person but he surrounds himself with questionable people all for the sake of being open-minded and delivering his audience an honest recording of the events that summer in East