"...I'm inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores." (pg. 5)
Nick is the narrator of this story and he begins by telling the reader a little about himself. The quote above tells us that he reserves judgement of others. This characteristic drew many people to him. Some people were curious and entertaining while others were very boring. He said that people came to confide in him even though he didn't want them to because he didn't judge them. To me, this characterizes Nick as quiet, open-minded, and reflective. He likes to keep to himself, but his personality draws people to him. It drew Mr. Gatsby to him and lead him to confide his secrets in Nick. I think he is a perfect narrator because others find it easy to confide in him.
To go along with this, since Nick is the narrator, that means the story is told in first person point of view. Just as other characters in the story seem to sympathize with Nick, the reader also sympathizes with him. This also allows the reader to share some of the same opinions Nick might have and even characterize the other characters in the same way he might characterize them. For example, the reader knows that Jordan is a bit of a liar and even cheated at one of her golf matches, but since Nick as strong feelings for her, the reader is more inclined to push those flaws aside and like Jordan just as Nick likes her.
ReplyDelete