Interrelation Between Great Gatsby and Nick

¶ … Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby in the Great Gatsby. The writer examines the beginning relationship and the way it changes as the story unfolds. There were five sources used to complete this paper. Before one can begin to understand the relationship between Nick and Jay one must have an understanding on the plot of the story itself. The Great Gatsby is a story about Jay Gatsby still being in love with Daisy Buchanan.

He does everything he can to try and win her back and she is so selfish and absorbed that she allows him to make the effort, knowing she is not going to leave her husband Tom. Tom has an affair and Daisy kills the mistress with Gatsby's car. In the end Gatsby is still doing anything he can for Daisy because he takes the blame for driving the car. The mistress's husband comes to Gatsby's house and kills Gatsby.

The entire story is told from the narration of Nick Carraway who has moved to Long Island to become a bonds worker. He is the cousin of Daisy Buchanan. The end of the story is about Gatsby's funeral and the fact that three people show up after all the parties and deals he did in life. The relationship between Nick and Gatsby is a complicated one because it begins with one mindset and as the story unfolds it changes dramatically.

Jay Gatsby starts out as almost a big brother figure to Nick. He rose from poverty in North Dakota to one of the wealthiest men in the Long Island area. He does this by taking part in many acts of organized crime and underhanded deals that most law abiding citizens would have no part in. Nick initially views Gatsby as the epitome of success.

He is wealthy, he has friends, he throws lavish and expensive parties and he is a bit taken with the fact that Gatsby will even give him the time of day, much less be his friend the way he does. He appears to Nick to be everything that every young man aspires to be. He is confident, cocky, owns a beautiful home and wears fantastic clothes. As Nick narrates the story the relationship and its changes are obvious as the story unfolds.

In the beginning of the story Gatsby appears to be everything he wants the world to believe that he is. This is because of the way Nick views him and presents him to the reader. Everything the reader believes about Gatsby is what Nick is showing the reader. As Nick gets to know him and sees that he is really an insecure man who only wants the love of a woman he cannot have, Nick begins to see the tarnish on Gatsby's coat of armor.

It is this change in relationship between the two men that take the reader through the unveiling of Gatsby's true self. It is directly because of Nick realizing what he really is that the reader is allowed to see so as well. Nick uses his open honest nature to impress Gatsby who in turn confesses and confides in him constantly. The relationship between Nick and Gatsby begins as Nick idolizing Gatsby and all that he seems to represent.

The flashy cars, the big house the fun parties are all things that Nick believes prove Gatsby is a good and successful person. As Nick begins to observe the desperation that Gatsby has with his love of Daisy he begins to see some of the flaws in the man he started out admiring. It is within the context of that eye opening that the relationship between them begins to change. Once Nick sees the man behind the curtain where Gatsby is concerned their relationship becomes much more equal.

And on that note most of the story occurs. It is at the end of the story that it changes again where Nick becomes the stable and admirable one with Gatsby being someone that Nick has come to pity. Nick also becomes influenced by Gatsby and his own morals are impacted by that relationship. "Besides the party in New York, Nick did other things that made him out to have lower standards than the reader would believe.

Nick saw Gatsby in several positions which were very good indications of his "side business." At the meeting with Meyer Nick was offered a business connection (Cox, 2004), which Gatsby quickly dismissed and tried to cover up. Later Nick was offered another chance to "pick up a nice bit of money" but was told that it was a "rather confidential sort of thing." These offers to Nick, as well as several long distance phone calls Nick overheard, made it very easy to see that Gatsby was involved in something illegal.

The numerous rumors Nick was told could only add to his suspicion. Yet in spite of all of this Nick continued to associate with Gatsby and never said anything to the press nor the police. It is possible that Nick was only protecting his friend. He could be a Vernon Jordan of the1920's. Like Nick, Vernon protected the President and stood up for him. Nick defended Gatsby to Tom, and he didn't have anything to say to the newspaper reporter.

Although Nick never tried to get Daisy a job, he did try to smooth things out between her and Tom. He also arranged meetings between Gatsby and Daisy (Cox, 2004)." The relationship between Nick and Gatsby is a complicated one in that the narration changes as the relationship unfolds. "Nick reluctantly admire the poor dope; it's why we do, too. Gatsby's kind of happiness may not be worth pursuing - but there's something admirable about the pursuit. "At least, his drive is a poetic drive," says.