gatsby essay - final

8/19/2019 Gatsby Essay - Final

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Bagga

Rishu Bagga

Mrs. Mozzone

English

11 January 2016

Nick Carraway’s Dishonesy in !he "rea "as#y

$n %rancis &co %izgeral'’s no(el) The Great Gatsby) %izgeral' shows he li*e o* a +an

na+e' Jay "as#y hrough he eyes o* Nick Carraway. Nick has ,us +o(e' ino his new ho+e in

-es Egg) New ork) an' "as#y is his neigh#or. "as#y lo(es a wo+an na+e' Daisy) who

ha//ens o #e Nick’s cousin. "as#y las saw Daisy years ago *ro+ he i+e Nick is narraing

he sory. "as#y’s lo(e *or Daisy re+ains uncon'iional) e(en hough Daisy is now +arrie' o a

rich /olo /layer na+e' !o+ Buchanan. !his +an is richer an' +ore res/eca#le han "as#y. s

"as#y ges in(ol(e' wih Daisy’s li*e again) con*lic occurs) an' Nick *in's hi+sel* ra//e' in

he cener o* i all. !he rea'er +ay #elie(e Nick o #e a relia#le narraor *or un'ersan'ing he

con*lic) as Nick a//ears o #e (ery wise *ro+ early on in he #ook he clai+s he 'oes no ,u'ge

/eo/le) an' is one o* he *ew hones /eo/le he knows. 3owe(er) alhough Nick see+s hones a

*irs glance) here is a+/le e(i'ence ha /ro(es ha Nick /ossesses a raher 'ecei*ul characer.

-hen Nick *in's hi+sel* in ense siuaions) he en's o #e 'ishones a#ou his inenions

o a(oi' con*lic. %or e4a+/le) Nick +enions (ery casually o he rea'er ha he was in a

relaionshi/ wih a girl) 5#u her #roher #egan hrowing +ean looks in his7 'irecion) so when

she wen on her (acaion in July) he7 le i #low 8uiely away.9 :6; $* Nick was a ruly hones

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characer) he woul' ha(e a leas ol' his /arner he was lea(ing her) insea' o* running away he

+o+en she le* hi+ on his own. Nick 5lies o hi+sel*) an' conse8uenly he rea'er a#ou his

relaionshi/ wih a girl #ack ho+e9 :<’ Rourke;. Nick’s 'ishones characer 'iscre'is his

relia#iliy as a narraor. $* Nick #elie(es ha he is hones) hen he is o#(iously na=(e) an'

here*ore unrelia#le. n unrelia#le characer can easily +islea' he rea'er. Near he en' o* he

no(el) "as#y is 'ri(ing Daisy ho+e *ro+ New ork in his car. Daisy 'eci'es o 'ri(e *or a

while) #u acci'enally his Myrle) he wo+an wih who+ !o+ is ha(ing an a**air) an' kills her.

"as#y akes he #la+e *or i) an' Myrle’s hus#an' -ilson kills "as#y an' hen hi+sel* in an

ac o* re(enge. -hen he /olice arri(e a he scene) Nick o#ser(es ha 5Caherine :Myrle’s

siser;) who +igh ha(e sai' anyhing) 'i'n’ say a wor'.9) an' ha 5she showe' a sur/rising

a+oun o* characer a#ou i oo9) an' as a resul 5-ilson was re'uce' o a +an >'erange'’ #y

grie* in or'er ha he case +igh re+ain in is si+/les *or+9 :16? @16A;. Nick ha' he

o//oruniy o #ring ,usice o no only "as#y) #u also o -ilson. %urher+ore) he 5/raises

Caherine’s characer *or lying9 :<’ Rourke;) who also 'i' no ake ha o//oruniy. Nick’s

unruh*ulness /ro(es ha Nick is no necessarily a /roagonis in he no(el) as he rea'er

/ercei(es hi+ o #e. /roagonis woul' 'o e(eryhing in his /ower o #ring ,usice) unlike Nick

who kee/s 8uie a#ou wha he knows. s seen in hese e4a+/les) Nick chooses o a(oi' ense

siuaions) raher han san'ing u/ *or wha he #elie(es is righ. lhough Nick 'oes no 'irecly

lie) he is #eing 'ishones #y no s/rea'ing he wor' o* ruh) an' so he rea'er has o un'ersan'

ha Nick is no hones al#ei he #elie(es he is.

Nick is 'ishones a#ou how he ,u'ges oher /eo/le. $n he #eginning o* he no(el) Nick

'escri#es hi+sel* as a +an who 5is incline' o reser(e all ,u'g+ens9 :1;. 3owe(er) hroughou

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he no(el) here are *ew) i* any insances where he doesn’t ,u'ge any o* he characers. -hen

"as#y *irs +ees Nick) he reas hi+ (ery well. 3e in(ies hi+ o his /ary) which is rare) as his

/aries generally 'on’ re8uire an in(iaion) he akes hi+ ou o lunch) an' s/en's i+e wih hi+.

*er a *ew 'ays "as#y ells Nick he has a *a(or *or hi+) an' Jor'an) Daisy’s *rien') will le hi+

know is 'eails. Nick i++e'iaely ,u'ges "as#y as a rich +an who wans a #ig an' i+/ossi#le

*a(or *ro+ hi+. 3e is 5sure he re8ues woul' #e so+ehing uerly *anasic) an' *or a +o+en

he7 was sorry he’'7 e(er se *oo u/on his o(er/o/ulae' lawn9 :6;. *er Jor'an ells Nick

ha "as#y si+/ly wans hi+ o in(ie hi+sel* an' Daisy o(er *or ea) Nick is 5shook #y he

+o'esy o* he 'e+an'9 :;. Nick’s asserion ha he 'oes no ,u'ge /eo/le +ay lea' +any

rea'ers ino #elie(ing ha he is a relia#le narraor) when he is in *ac no. Nick ,u'ges "as#y in

his insance) an' i #eco+es clear ha he 'oes no hol' a neural (iew/oin hroughou he

no(el. 3e can +islea' he rea'er as 5he7 is ca/a#le o* #eing an unrelia#le narraor a +o+ens

ha are crucial o he sorys 'e(elo/+en9 :Carwrigh 1;. *er "as#y’s 'eah) he assu+es ha

!o+ ol' -ilson o kill "as#y. *er he learns ha !o+ 'i' no ell -ilson o kill "as#y nor

known ha Daisy was 'ri(ing he car) Nick realizes ha 5wha !o+7 ha' 'one) was) o hi+)

enirely ,usi*ie'9. &ill) he ,u'ges !o+ an' Daisy as #eing 5careless /eo/le9 :1;. 3owe(er

when aking a 'ee/er look ino he siuaion) !o+ is a no *aul in "as#y’s +ur'er. "as#y

iner*ere' wih his +arriage) ca+e o his house) an' 'isres/ece' hi+. Nick has no righ o ,u'ge

!o+ as #eing careless) an' so his ,u'g+en /ro(es ha he is #iase' owar's "as#y’s cause) an'

ha he 5e(en srains >,u'g+ens’ ou o* inconclusi(e e(i'ence.9 :Carwrigh 2;. narraor who

srains ,u'g+ens ou o* inconclusi(e e(i'ence canno also #e hones) relia#le) or neural. &i+ilar

o he way Nick #elie(es he is hones) #u isn’) Nick is also no *ree o* ,u'g+en he way he

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Bagga

#elie(es hi+sel* o #e. $ is i+/erai(e ha he rea'er un'ersan's ha Nick is a ,u'g+enal

characer) in or'er *or hi+ or her o *or+ heir own (iews #ase' on *ac.

Ferha/s %izgeral' is no +erely /aining he sory o* "as#y’s lo(e li*e) #u also) hrough

he in'irec characerizaion o* Nick) a /heno+enon o* hu+an naureG e(eryone has his or her

own (iew/oins an' ,u'g+ens) an' heir #elie*s on hose sances are unwa(ering. Regar'less o*

he e4en o which a /erson +ay #elie(e hi+ or hersel* o #e non@,u'g+enal) i is i+/ossi#le o

+ake sense o* he worl' wihou ha(ing so+e ,u'g+ens or #iases. s con*lics e+erge o'ay)

e(eryone has heir own o/inion) an' e(eryone #elie(es heir (iews are he hones) an' un#iase'

ones) ,us as Nick 'oes in The Great Gatsby.

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gatsby essay - final

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