Driving Under the Influence of Gatsby. Carraway relays a man practiced in a world of optimal intent and bright reality.

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1 Bohling 1 Lauren Bohling Mr. Labbe American Literature 29 April 2014 Driving Under the Influence of Gatsby Each stroke of the pen, each articulated syllable, and each valiant endeavor of Mr. Nick Carraway relays a man practiced in a world of optimal intent and bright reality. Nick Carraway struggled to live the life of an honest and steadfast individual, ceaselessly treading water in a grand abominable scheme of wealth, hope, and passion. Between the covers of F. Scott Fitzgerald s profound masterpiece, there lives a festering attempt to degrade the thoughts and morality of Carraway, formulated by none other than Nick s platonic lover, Jordan Baker. Drowning in the grandeur of beaming partygoers and illustrious celebrities, Miss Baker throws caution to the wind in spite of Carraway s warning, through a declaration of hope that no one quite so careless as her trod the same path, for it takes two to make an accident. Literary critics now pursue a debatable route of Nick Carraway s dishonesty through the justification of Miss Baker s passionate declaration, You said a bad driver was only safe until she met another bad driver? Well, I met another bad driver, didn t I? (Fitzgerald 177). The literal driving of Baker parallels with the drive that controls the lives of the characters in The Great Gatsby. This drive is catalyzed by a cornucopia of incentives. Truth flies above each page; bringing along its particularly majestic presence, eluding the minds of Jay Gatsby, the Buchanans, and Jordan Baker. Nick Carraway, self-identifies to the reader as one

2 Bohling 2 of the few honest people that I [Nick Carraway] have ever known (Fitzgerald 59). Contrary to Carraway s proclamation of his possession of this cardinal virtue, literary critics have deemed Fitzgerald s great narrator to be deceitful. Richard Lehan, one such critic, only partially condemns Carraway s honesty by declaring, his deceit seems more unintentional than calculated (Lehan 101). A substantial abyss separates calculated dishonesty from unintentional misspeaking, and minor misconceptions do not make up the essence of an individual. Nick Carraway proved to be an honest man, never putting forth a false pretense of wealth in an environment where wealth thrived. Towards the start of Nick and Gatsby s three month adventure, the Buchanans ask Nick to dinner, during which he promptly states, You make me feel uncivilized, Daisy. Can t you talk about crops or something? (Fitzgerald 12). This undeniably honest confession from Nick Carraway counters the argument that Nick feigns wealth by associating himself with the illustrious Jay Gatsby. As Carraway states, My own house was an eyesore...all for eighty dollars a month (Fitzgerald 5). Nick Carraway proved to achieve the cardinal virtue of honesty through humility, the giving of all knowledge and each thought, and through the complete denaturation of self which unfolds within the pages of Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby. Thomas Jefferson once proclaimed, Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom (qtd. in Ford), and the following chapters of Nick Carraway s life encase an unwavering sense of loyalty and a keen perspective of reality. Paralleling truth, loyalty exists solely in minute doses and primarily within the blood and bones of Mr. Nick Carraway. There lies an incredible valiance in the heart of one who refuses to abandon even the most despicable of individuals. A love and admiration for Jay Gatsby dwelled within the mind of Mr. Carraway, expressed when he stated I [Nick Carraway] have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I

3 Bohling 3 shall ever find again (Fitzgerald 2), and such admiration and love was visible even after Gatsby s death. The tragically moving encounter between Nick Carraway and the late Jay Gatsby is particularly highlighted by the few, yet chilling words, But it wasn t any use. Nobody came (Fitzgerald 174). Despite the vast hospitality Gatsby had provided thousands of strangers every weekend during ornate parties with extemporizing music, freshly squeezed orange juice, and even the offer of board in his castle, Nick Carraway remained the sole loyal companion of the great Jay Gatsby. Carraway exasperatedly begged the appearance of Gatsby s companions at his final presentation yet he found myself [Nick Carraway] on Gatsby s side, and alone... as he lay in his house and didn t move or breathe or speak, hour upon hour, it grew upon me that I was responsible, because no one else was interested. I ll get somebody for you, Gatsby. Don t worry. Just trust me and I ll get somebody for you- (Fitzgerald 164). One of the most admirable aspects of Nick Carraway s loyalty was that it was not solely directed at Gatsby. No, this undying loyalty extended to all, even Tom and Daisy Buchanan in their complicated personal affairs. Carraway transcends the unvirtuous behavior so common in those surrounding him, rising up above his peers with his exemplary virtue, rooted in his aforementioned loyalty. This sense of consciousness in relation to virtue proves to be vital in his moral survival amongst the wealthy and animalistic entrepreneurs flocking towards the wonders of Wall Street and the Golden Shores of Long Island. That very consciousness also allowed Nick to make intelligent decisions, specifically regarding speech and auditory skills, which brought others to trust and confide even the most dangerous conspiracies in him. Nick Carraway penned that there was a certain air about Gatsby, when in all actuality there was unmistakably a certain air about the narrator himself. Within Nick Carraway there lay a certain consciousness; a certain valiance, and a certain truth, possibly even God s truth itself,

4 Bohling 4 which formed Carraway into the only veritably reliable character throughout the entire novel. Nick Carraway is the only character in the novel who has an inner sense of reality (Lehan 99). Honesty as his guide, Carraway was possessed with an unparalleled loyalty, which led him to the telling of this tale. He told the tale of a hopeful man and his extravagant adventure to grasp a love long lost from the realm of remote possibility. Nick Carraway understood the impending end of the novel, yet shone through as a good-natured individual well beyond the close of this great American novel. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, Print.

5 Bohling 5 Lehan, Richard. The Great Gatsby: The Limits of Wonder. New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, Ford, Paul Leicester. "Monticello Jan " Letter to Nathaniel Macon. 12 Jan The Writings of Thomas Jefferson. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. The Library of Congress. Web. 29 May 2014.