Chapter 1
The beginning chapter of The Great Gatsby (TGG) is the first insight into the man the reader will be spending one hundred and eighty odd pages with, it begins to unveil the character and shows what he is like as a narrator, perhaps unreliable, but that's up for debate.
Nick Carraway is the narrator, and he tells the story from his eyes, he mentions briefly of the title of the book, and the actual intended drive behind the whole book... Gatsby. Yet it is interesting to notice in the first chapter that Nick refers to Gatsby once or maybe twice within the whole chapter. Perhaps this is showing that Nick is that unreliable narrator or alternatively the reader is expecting too much from the first chapter because it is read from expectation of the title.
Nick quotes his father at the beginning of the book 'whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in the world haven't had the advantages that you've had.' I think this quote is hugely important, notice that it is within the very first paragraph of the book and Nick has decided to put it there, perhaps suggesting to the reader that he is either caring, considerate and loyal to his father, on the other hand it could suggest that because his father had to tell him this he is not considerate, caring and loyal to his father.
When you read onto the chapter, it is notable that Nick has his thoughts and views on the world, and they are not going to change any time soon. He is a bias narrator to his own beliefs, and so he should be. At times Nick can come across as bitter and spiteful, this showing he was not listening to his father, and it is noticeable that the way he tells the story can appear slow. The title is The Great Gatsby. The reader, after they have read the front cover of the book, is expecting something to do with Gatsby, and with one hundred and eighty pages there isn't a lot of time just to get to know the narrator. But it's so interestingly written in a way in which the book is still incredibly fast paced. The content of detail and swinging from setting to setting and person to person, it's tricky to keep up yet Gatsby is still no prominent.
I enjoy Nick as a narrator, it is possible to argue that he will add elements of humour to his narration due to his views and ideologies. And still, I am looking forward to the grand entry of Gatsby.
Joe
Good general reactions to Nick. You make good points about his narrative stance. Can you say more about his ideologies? Also, don't forget to cover as many of the reading journal narrative points as you can? However, a good start to your investigation of the novel.
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