Who Is Nick Carraway A Dynamic Character In The Great Gatsby

A Dynamic Character - In the Worst Way

“Shy people notice everything, but they don’t get noticed” -Unknown. This quote seems to be true of Nick Carraway, narrator of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although one may not characterize Nick as shy, he is a reserved person, especially living in New York during the Jazz Age. Throughout the book Nick silently observes his peers as they attend over-the-top parties, have affairs, and throw their wealth around. Despite starting the book as a silent observer, who is honest and kind, society changes Nick Carraway into a very judgemental man, whose observations could have stopped tragedy if he spoke up. Nick was not always a quiet, in the beginning of the story he moves to West Egg from Chicago,

As a bond-salesman Nick makes far less money than Daisy and her husband, Tom, and also lives in a small, shoddy cottage next to his neighbor Gatsby’s mansion. When Tom invites Nick on a trip into town, Nick is not taken aback by Tom’s kindness, “I think he’d tanked up a good deal at luncheon, and his determination to have my company bordered on violence. The superlicious opinion was that on Sunday afternoon I had nothing better to do” (24). Nick believes that Tom simply want a tag-along for his trip to see his mistress. As the trip progresses, Nick notices the overblown actions of those around him, from buying puppies on a whim to Tom punching Myrtle for mentioning Daisy’s name. Nick begins to judge these people, so when presented with the opportunity to leave, Nick takes it, “Then Mr. Mckee turned and continued out the door. Taking my hat from the chandelier, I followed” (37). Another sign of Nick’s morphing into a judging person is when he first arrives at a party hosted by Gatsby, “‘This is an unusual part for me. I haven’t even seen the host. I live over there--’ I waved my hand at the invisible hedge in the distance, ‘and this man Gatsby sent over his chauffeur with an invitation’” (47). Nick believes that Gatsby should welcome all of his guests, so when he does not even see Gatsby he has pessimistic thoughts about Gatsby’s character. At this point Nick has begun to

Nick continues to simply stand by while the characters do immoral things, but he says nothing. In a chance to have a real conversation with Daisy and Tom, Nick still decides to do nothing, “I’d be damned if I’d go in; I’d had enough of all of them for one day, and suddenly that included Jordan too” (142). This is yet another example of Nick victimizing himself, earlier in the story Nick states, “Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtue, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (59). However Nick mistakes upholding information as honesty. In the final portion of the story, Nick is told information in which he could use to stop a chain of tragic events, “It was after we started with Gatsby toward the house that the gardener saw Wilson’s body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete” (162). He does not. Still, this is not the most revolting action of Nick’s, “I shook hands with him; it seemed silly not to, for I felt suddenly as though I were talking to child. Then he went into the jewelry store to buy a pearl necklace- or perhaps a pair of cuff buttons- rid of my provincial squeamishness forever” (179). Despite the actions of Tom that may have led to the death of many, Nick shakes his