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Nick in the Great Gatsby

The story is the happening during the First World War characterized by hard economic conditions. The novel works on various diverse levels, providing readers with memorable characters and events. Nick was brought up in well off and respectable facility in Chicago and attended Yale University where he studied literature. It is through his change in various ways that makes him the major character making the reader clearly know other characters. Nick being the only person who changes in the novels develops the various themes. Change is inevitable and it is as good as rest.

Initially, nick is made known to us as being a bachelor from Midwestern family, a graduate from Yale and a veteran of World War I who has moved to New York to try his hands on bond business. He was brought up in respectable and affluent family in Chicago. In 1922, he rented a bungalow between two mansions and led a modest live style. Comparing his past life and what he sees in New York, the moral values of those he used to leave with in Midwestern is different from those of the West, "That's my Middle West . . . the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark. . . . I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all-Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life". On the basis of his background up bringing, Nick seems to hold high level of moral values such as honesty, integrity, trustworthy among others. However, while trying to mingle with his new friends such as Jordan, Tom among others Nick tried to be part of his friends for instance he accepted Jordan dishonesty "it made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply-I was casually sorry, and then I forgot". The deeper Nick is drawn closely relating to his friends the less honest he turns out to be.  At the end he is rebuked by Jordan for being just as dishonest and careless as the rest of group.

Additionally he chums around with Tom and Mrytle to suit their lifestyle. Its is worth noting that Nick perception towards people has changed because he encountered individual who engage in adultery, hypocrisy, lying although he tried to fit with them he later sought to distance himself, this is depicted by this statement, "He [Gatsby] was clutching at some last hope and I couldn't bare to shake him free." . This is probably an indication of Nick being tired of and ready to give up on friends who are not morally upright in the society.  Towards the end of the novel, most of his friends are dead. For instance people refused to attend Gatsby funeral but Nick was among the few in attendance, he said, "When a man gets killed I never like to get mixed up in it in any way. I keep out. When I was a young man it was different...I stuck with them to the end...Let us learn to show friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead...." . After the loss of all of his friends, Nick is left confused not knowing where to go.

From the review of the novel, Nick is the only character who transforms throughout the novel building on other characters as well as the main themes. Initially, he seem honest, trustworthy and a man of high moral. His desires to suit and cope with his new friends leave him exposed as being dishonest. Similarly, although initially he feared being close to dead person, he changes and he is among the few attending Gatsby funeral. By undergoing several changes throughout the novel, readers are able to know the attributes of other characters.