How Does Fitzgerald Tell the Story in Chapter Two?

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How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter two? Kate Marsh, column 5 F Scott Fitzgerald tells the story through Nick Carraway, the narrator and also a character in the Great Gatsby. His use of literary techniques involves the reader effectively and tells a story so finely that it is arguably one of the best written novels of the 20th century. The structure of chapter two is very important as it makes the reader question Nick’s reliability as a narrator as a result, depending on the details and words used. In chapter two, Nick joins Tom and his mistress, Myrtle, on their trip to New York, where Myrtle’s sister has an apartment, and they have shrill, vulgar party with Myrtle’s sister, Kathleen. As a result, Nick contradicts his previous statement of him “never getting drunk”, and gets drunk. As the chapter goes on, Fitzgerald makes Nick’s narrating far more vague, giving the reader the impression that he is drunk and is therefore not a reliable source as his account of events is far less trustworthy than they would be if he was sober. Another structural technique that Fitzgerald uses to tell the story in chapter two is the use of flashbacks. Fitzgerald uses flashbacks very frequently in the novel, and by doing this Fitzgerald immediately has the reader questioning Nick, as accounts of the past are not as reliable as descriptions of the present. The form is also an important factor of how Fitzgerald tells the story in chapter two, as form is all about perspective. As Nick is the only narrator, we only hear Nick’s perspective on everything and therefore rely on Nick’s perspective on things such as characters and events in order to form our own judgment on them. However, Fitzgerald uses this technique very cleverly as we learn a lot about Nick Carraway as a character through his narration. In chapter one, he mentions that he is “inclined to reserve all
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