Point of View

The narrative unfolds from the first person, past tense point of view - specifically, from the perspective of narrator Nick Carraway. There are three main points to note here - first, the various aspects of Nick's perspective. He is relatively young—turning thirty over the course of the narrative—and a veteran of World War I, meaning that like so many men of the time, and perhaps of any time newly returned from combat, he's looking for both a focus for the remainder of his life and an experience of pleasure after an intense experience of suffering. He is also from the American Midwest, a trait he shares with the author and which played a defining role in Nick's decision not only to move to the financially and socially stimulating East (since for Nick, it seems that the Midwest is equated with a financial...