What
are the various ways Nick Carraway functions in The Great Gatsby? How does he
help give us the tour through Gatsby's world? How does he help us get to know
Jay Gatsby? How does his presence change the course of the plot, the
interactions between other characters, and/or the reader's understanding of the
tone and theme of the novel? What else (if anything) do you think Carraway's
character accomplishes? How would the book be different if the narration was
provided by an anonymous, omniscient voice?
F. Scott Fitzgerald is a literary genius. Hands down. His expert use of deep symbolism and beautiful portrayal of a class-defined society continue to apply to civilization today. Yet, in his world-class book The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald takes a simple first-person narrator, Nick Carraway, and uses him to completly transform the book into one of the greatest American novels to date. Fitzgerald's use of his confidant to bring in another view and opinion on the rich and mysterious Jay Gatsby.
