As the events of the summer of 1922 unfold, the character of Nick Carraway matures greatly in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the beginning of the novel, Nick is very naïve and doesnÃÂt notice faults in people. Nick also realizes that materialism is wrong and that if he must give up his morals to be successful in the east, it is not worth it.
Nick has a very naïve personality in the beginning of the novel. He is unaware of how to judge the truth in people and doesnÃÂt see many faults with them. As the summer unfolds though, he learns how to accurately judge individuals and realizes that what he thought at first is not the truth at all. For example, he thinks that Daisy is a beautiful woman with admirable traits and even makes the mistake of liking her. ÃÂIÃÂve heard it said that DaisyÃÂs murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming.ÃÂ
(Fitzgerald 14). Nick regarded Daisy as a cute, fun-loving girl who had no imperfection. It is later that he realizes how materialistic and superficial and flawed she is. Nick Carraway enjoyed the company of the BuchananÃÂs but by the end of the book he was mature enough to realize their true nature. ÃÂThey were careless people, Tom and Daisy ÃÂ they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness....ÃÂ (Fitzgerald 170). This shows us that his view on the BuchananÃÂs changed greatly and that his judgement matured throughout the book because he could not see them from this light before.
NickÃÂs views on materialism and his desire to become a rich bond man change throughout the novel as he matures. ÃÂThe...
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby Demonstrate Nick Carraway's maturation as the events of the summer of 1922 unfold.
I question your emphasis on Nick Carraway's desire for material gain. Yes, Carraway did come east to work in the bond trade, but there are several times when he passes up obvious opportunities to achieve greater material gain. When Gatsby asks him about how much money he makes, and offers to include him in a deal, as a gesture of thanks for arranging the meeting with Daisy, Nick is not interested. Nick shies away from Meyer Wolfsheim, even though he is obviously successful in his gambling.
Further, Nicks initial description of the Buchanans is hardly flattering. Tom Buchanan is immediately someone capable of great cruelty. He learns at the first meeting that Tom is having an affair. In the next chapter, he even spends a Sunday with Tom and his mistress, hearing the elaborate story that Daisy will not give Tom a divorce.
Consider also Nick's consistent antipathy toward Gatsby. "You're better than the whole damn bunch together," is the only compliment that he paid to the man.
Nick acquires more knowledge over the summer, but does he really mature? I think it's questionable.
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