摘 要

根据布斯和费伦关于不可靠叙述者的理论，一个可靠的叙述者的所作所为应该与隐含作者相一致，但是《了不起的盖茨比》中的叙述者尼克所做的恰恰相反。主要表现在三个方面:尼克认为自己是一个诚实、客观的叙述者，但其实他却缺乏正确的自我认知；在对事件的报道中，尼克有时凭借自己的想象故意编造一些事实，有时又故意掩盖一些事实；在道德评判层面上，尼克依据自己的个人偏爱，无条件地崇拜盖茨比而又盲目地蔑视或指责汤姆、梅特尔等人。因此，尼克是一个不可靠叙述者。

关键词：了不起的盖茨比;尼克;不可靠叙述者;自我认知;事件报道;道德评判

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Demonstration 1

2.1 The identification of an unreliable narrator 1

2.1.1 The narrator and implied author 1

2.1.2 The convergence or divergence between the narrator and the implied author 2

2.2 The evidence of Nick as an unreliable narrator 3

2.2.1 Limitation of Nick’s self-cognition 3

2.2.2 Unreliable report of events 4

2.2.2.1Excessive report--------------------------------------------------------------------------4

2.2.2.2Insufficient report---- 5

2.2.3 Unreliable evaluation of others' morality 6

2.2.3.1 Idolization of Gatsby 7

2.2.3.2 Contempt of Tom and others 8

3. Conclusion 9

Works cited 10

Bibliography 11

An Analysis of Nick as an Unreliable Narrator in The Great Gatsby

1. Introduction

W.F.Scott Fitzgerald (1896~1940) is one of the greatest novelists in American literature. He is universally accepted as the spokesman of the “Lost Generation” of the Jazz Age. Generally considered to be his greatest novel, The Great Gatsby is a consummate summary of the ‘roaring twenties’ and an epitome of the ‘Jazz Age’.

In The Great Gatsby, through Nick Carraway’s narration, the readers are taken into the ‘roaring twenties’ to experience Gatsby’s whole life, both his rise and death. Nick, both the character and narrator of the novel, is the offspring of a wealthy Midwestern family, educated at a prep school and graduated from Yale University. He is related to all important roles in The Great Gatsby: Gatsby’s neighbor, Daisy’s cousin, Tom’s schoolmate and Jordan’s boyfriend. In addition, Nick is the only one who knows the truth of how Gatsby made his fortune. As a main character, Nick has an ambition to make a fortune in East and pursue his American Dream. His experience in East reflects the prosperity and disillusionment of American Dream. The double identity of being a participant as well as a stander-by in The Great Gatsby has enabled him to play an important role in pushing forward the development of the whole story. As the main narrator, Nick takes the responsibility of narrating what he saw, heard and felt and telling the readers about the setting of the whole story and all that happened in this ‘roaring twenties’, including the love between Gatsby and Daisy, the murder of Gatsby and so on. However, there are some doubts about those events that Nick had reported. Some of his reports are in accordance with the facts, but others are inconsistent with them. Thus, it’s worth discussing whether Nick is a reliable narrator or not.

Based on Booth and Phelan’s theory of unreliable narrator, this thesis tries to demonstrate that Nick is an unreliable narrator due to his limitation of self-cognition, unreliable report of events and unreliable evaluation of others’ morality.