Nick Carraway

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Background to Nick Carraway's Character

Nick Carraway is the narrator of the story.

Location of Nick Carraway

After fighting in World War I, he moved from his home in the Midwest to work in the world of finance in New York City.
At the time of telling the story, Nick has moved back to the Midwest and has become a writer.

Relationships

He is a distant cousin of Daisy Buchanan.
While living in Long Island, he was Jay Gatsby’s next door neighbour.

Nick Carraway - Old Money Connections

From the beginning of the story, Nick places himself in the ‘old money’ section of society.

Family wealth

He reveals that he is from a 'prominent, well-to-do' family in America’s Midwest region.
The family’s wealth comes primarily from a hardware business, which Nick’s father still runs.
'Old money' is fortunes dating from before the 19th century. 'New money' is recently acquired fortunes.

Nick's experience in war

Despite a privileged upbringing, Nick did join the army and fight in World War I.
This means he would been exposed to the cruelty of mankind at a young age, possibly saving him from becoming too sheltered like some of his privileged contemporaries.

Dislike of West Egg

Nick’s refined background is clear through his initial dislike of West Egg.
- West Egg and East Egg are two areas on Long Island.
He considers West Egg to be 'the less fashionable of the two' (Chapter One), presumably because West Egg is the home to the ‘new money’ class, while East Egg is where the ‘old money’ people live.
As such, Nick finds himself caught between the two worlds.

Disapproval of new money world

Nick is not used to the vast displays of extravagant wealth he encounters at Gatsby’s parties.
In fact, at the end of the novel, he confesses that he 'disapproved of' (Chapter Eight) the ‘new money’ world which Gatsby represented.

Nick Carraway - Educated and Wise

Nick has benefitted from a good education having graduated from the prestigious Yale University, and Nick confesses that he was 'rather literary in college' (Chapter One).

Poetic writing style

As well as the narrator of the story, Nick is a key character in it. Because he is telling the story as he is writing it, we learn a lot about him from the way he expresses himself.
Nick’s writing style is often thoughtful and poetic, for example, his final comment about how 'we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past' (Chapter Nine) is equally beautiful and thought-provoking.

Reflection on his finance aspirations

Because of this poetic style of expression, it is perhaps surprising that Nick was trying to make a name for himself in the world of finance, and perhaps this helps us to understand why he never really fitted into that world.

Chooses words wisely

Nick considers himself to be 'unusually communicative in a reserved way' (Chapter One).
This juxtaposition between being both 'communicative' and 'reserved' seems to suggest that Nick chooses his words wisely.
- Juxtaposition is putting two contrasting words or ideas next to each other so the reader compares them.