The Great Gatsby

Nick's opinion of himself

At the end of Chapter 3, Nick states that he is one of the honest people he's ever met.

Could you tell me what you think the significance of this passage is? Or Why you think he said it?

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Last updated by phoebe h #109101
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And I kinda need the answer this year, please.

Nick is the ONLY honest character in the book. Everyone else is living a lie. Daisy is the worst, cheating on her husband. Tom isn't much better, though. Their lies and the messes they leave behind make Nick hate them and hate the East. Jordan Baker cheats at golf and is dishonest about her feelings for Nick.

Nick is beginning to see the facades and shallow ways of the East and eventually leaves to go back home to the Midwest. This is Fitzgerald's commentary.

Just to disagree. Nick isn't honest either. He knows about Tom's affair with Myrtle, but doesn't say anything to Daisy. And Daisy is a brat, but i think that Tom is worse than her. Tom is not only lying to his wife. But to his mistresses husband, who is supposedly his friend. Gatsby has no ties. But either way. Nick isn't honest.

I think Nick's statement that he is one of the few honest people is a satire on the high esteem with which the gossiping borgeois populus of the twenties held themselves. As Danielle C said above, Nick knows about Toms' affair with Myrtle and he does not reveal certain key things about Gatsby and other characters, in order to shape our opinion of them. Nick revels in the idle musings and whispers about where Gatsby got his money (in chapter 3) as much as any of the people he observes.