The Character of Nick Carraway
Appearance
- He is supposed to look like his great uncle
- “Well rounded man” (pg 5)
Motivation Goals
· Nick himself tells us why he decided to move East and what in particular his goal or intention was.
· He states that when he came back, he “wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart.” ( pg 2)
· He wanted to become a well rounded man again essentially although he hates new york
· He came to new york to become a bond salesman: “I enjoyed the counter-raid so thoroughly that I came back restless. Instead of being the warm center of the world the middle-west now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe—so I decided to go east and learn the bond business” (pg 6)
Related Symbolism/ Imagery
New York - New York can be considered symbolism due to the fact that Nick has negative experiences there however he still chooses to come back to become a salesman
Gatsby - The character of Gatsby is symbolism for Nick due to the fact that he holds him high on a pedestal even though it’s ironic that Gatsby stands for everything that Nick despises in New York
Green Light - the green light is mentioned in this chapter however Nick is not too sure of what it really is
. East Egg - represents breeding, taste, aristocracy, and leisure
West Egg- represents ostentation, garishness, and the flashy manners of the new rich.
Valley of Ashes - is symbolism absolute poverty as well desolation. It is the moral decay that is hidden by the fronts put up by the Eggs. It is mainly home to the less fortunate
Dr’s eyes - They symbolize the eyes of God, staring down at the moral decay of the 1920s
Relationship to Others
Gatsby - Nick’s relation to Gatsby is that he is an admirer of him and that is pretty much it
Daisy - Nick’s second cousin
Tom - Daisy is Nick’s husband, however Nick knows him from college
Jordan Baker - Daisy’s friend, a woman with whom Nick becomes romantically involved during the course of the novel
George Wilson - are acquaintances throughout the novel
Catherine - Myrtle’s sister and a friend of Nick’s.
Roles in the Novel
Nick is invited to his cousin Daisy Buchanan’s home to have dinner with her and her husband Tom, an old college acquaintance of his. There he meets Jordan Baker, Daisy’s friend and a professional golfer. In Chapter 2, while hanging out with Tom he ends up being dragged first to George Wilson’s garage to meet Tom’s mistress Myrtle Wilson, and then to the apartment Tom keeps for Myrtle in Manhattan. They invite over a bunch of friends and a drunken party ensues. Nick witnesses some of Tom’s ugliest behavior, including his physical abuse of Myrtle that really surprises him.
Nick’s role in the novel so far is mainly to narrate what is happening mainly due to how temperant he is. Nick is tolerant, open-minded, quiet, and a good listener, and, as a result, others tend to talk to him and tell him their secrets. Gatsby, in particular, comes to trust him and treat him as someone...
