The Great Gatsby is told through the perspective of the narrator, Nick Carraway. He begins his story by recounting why—from advice his father once gave him— he became a nonjudgmental person: “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.” This means that you should reserve judgment about other people because if you hold them up to your own moral standards, you will misinterpret their intentions and get a wrong impression of them. Fitzgerald used ethos to encourage the reader to trust Nick because a biased narrator will make the narrative narrow-minded; therefore, stressing his good judgment is crucial. Fitzgerald builds up Nick's character by acknowledging the fact that Nick was in the Great War and went to a prestigious college. This establishes even more ethos for Nick by manifesting that he does fit in with the crowd at West Egg. As the chapter continues, he introduces Jay Gatsby, a man who stands for everything Nick hates. Although Nick should despise Gatsby, he actually withholds his judgment of Gatsby—admiring him and even calling his personality “gorgeous.”
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AuthorMorgann Granger |