Essay on 'The Great Gatsby' (Fitzergerald): the Question of Nick Carraway's Integrity

        In pursuing relationships, we come to know people only step by step. Unfortunately, as our knowledge of others' deepens, we often move from enchantment to disenchantment. Initially we overlook flaws or wish them away; only later do we realize peril of this course. In the novel 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the journey from delight to disappointment may be seen in the narrator, Nick Carraway. Moving from initial interest to romantic allure to …

…of what seemed 'meant to be' but was not, Nick sees that, while Jordan may excite his interest and passion, the excitement pales in the light of her lack of 'the fundamental decencies.' Though it has been Nick's first impulse to reserve judgments about her, in the end he cannot: the limit of his tolerance defines him. In letting go of Jordan because of her lack of integrity, Nick has held fast to his.