Why Is Nick Carraway Important In The Great Gatsby

The summer that Nick Carraway narrates throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel The Great Gatsby forced Nick to question his view of the world. Nick, an aspiring investment banker who rented a little shack on the luxurious West Egg is enamored with his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby lives in a palatial abode a door away from Nick. Once Nick finally meets Gatsby, they develop an enduring friendship. Nick takes great interest in Gatsby’s past, his road to success, and his personality. Gatsby’s personality developed due to the influence of many people in his life; the most influential of these people being Dan Cody. Dan Cody is the most impactful person who contributed to Gatsby’s personality development because he introduced Gatsby

James Gatz was a hard worker, stemming from his meager farming success in North Dakota. However, the rest of his personality traits developed largely in his time with Dan Cody. When James found Cody’s yacht while he was walking on the shore of Little Girl Bay, the promise of success was palpable: “To young Gatz, resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, that yacht represented all the beauty and glamor in the world” (Fitzgerald 106). The James Gatz of North Dakota became Jay Gatsby, clam digger and Dan Cody’s protégé. Dan Cody was a wealthy copper miner who spent his days roaming the seas on his yacht. Being in the presence of Cody’s immense wealth inspired Gatsby to achieve a similar level of financial success. This desire was especially livened when the inheritance Cody left for Gatsby was taken by Cody’s mistress Ella Kaye. I also believe that spending so much time around Cody and his wealth is one of the key reasons that Gatsby became so attracted to Daisy. The story focuses most of its energy on Gatsby’s quest for Daisy’s heart, but I believe that Daisy and Cody are

After Gatsby’s time with Cody, he spent time in World War I. During his time in Louisville, he met Daisy and fell in love nearly instantaneously. Soon after their meeting, Gatsby was deployed elsewhere and they were forced apart. Her indelible mark on Gatsby left him constantly searching to find the feelings they shared previously. She is the reason that Gatsby chose to live on West Egg. She is the reason Gatsby holds all of his parties, so she might come and visit. A reader could assert that Daisy is the most influential character on Gatsby’s personality. Gatsby surely dedicated much time and energy to the idea of Daisy and her companionship, and she had a major impact on his emotional state. For example, when Gatsby came over to Nick’s house when Daisy was over for tea and Gatsby talked to Daisy: “He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room” (Fitzgerald 94). Daisy inspired Gatsby to put his maximum amount of effort into recreating their past spark and amend their relationship. However, the time that Gatsby spent with Dan Cody created the man who he became, while Daisy was there to see the final result and break his