I’ve been on this course for a few weeks now and the idea of Nick Carraway being so relatable has always popped up. I think we’ve come to the conclusion that while many of us dislike Nick, as difficult as some may want to admit, he mirrors us.

I like to say that we readers are bystanders. We are as common and ordinary as the guests in Gatsby’s lavish parties, the customers in the restaurants, and the staff in Gatsby’s house. With this, how is Nick a reflection of us?

Nick is a bystander. If he were not a narrator, I think his role would have been reduced to a casual neighbour who advises Gatsby on his lovesickness. Nick paints himself as an observer but I feel that that has made him more of an accomplice to Gatsby’s death.

He had multiple opportunities where he could have told Gatsby that he was crossing the line, or reminded him that the woman he was pursuing is married and also has a daughter. But no, Nick chooses to avoid all that and justifies his action as someone who was done dirty by the Buchanans.

Nick is no different from the guests that attend Gatsby’s parties. Like us, we do not really think about how our small actions impact people. Or how the casual advice we give out to our peers or acquaintances impact them.