Is Nick Carraway related to Daisy?

Yes. Nick says that Daisy is his second cousin once removed. He also knew her husband, Tom Buchanan, from college.

Is Nick Carraway a reliable narrator?

Nick says he tries to reserve judgment and calls himself honest, and he mostly tells what he sees and hears. Still, he is telling the story afterward and clearly cares about Gatsby, so readers see events through his opinions.

How old is Nick Carraway?

Nick turns thirty during the story. He thinks of it as the start of a new decade of his life.

From The Great Gatsby

Nick Carraway

Our thoughtful narrator

A thoughtful young man from the Midwest who tells the story. He always tries to listen fairly to everyone.

Who is Nick Carraway?

Nick Carraway tells this story. He is a thoughtful young man from the Midwest who rents a tiny cottage by the water for one summer, right next door to a huge mansion. Nick tries hard to listen fairly to everyone, and he becomes a true friend to his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, even helping him meet Daisy again.

Nick Carraway is a character in The Great Gatsby, the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Nick Carraway like?

Fair
Loyal
Observant

Nick Carraway’s story

In the original novel, Nick Carraway comes East from the Midwest in 1922 to learn the bond business. He rents a small house in West Egg, next door to Gatsby’s mansion, and he is also Daisy Buchanan’s second cousin once removed, which is how he first ends up at dinner across the bay with Daisy and Tom. There he meets Jordan Baker, and the two of them spend much of the summer together.

Nick is the one who learns Gatsby’s secret from Jordan. He then arranges the tea party that brings Gatsby and Daisy together, and he watches the summer grow brighter and more complicated. He likes Gatsby for his hopefulness, yet he never pretends to approve of everything Gatsby does. Nick turns thirty during the story, and he starts to feel that a new chapter of his life is beginning.

After the tragic events at the end of the summer, Nick is almost the only person who stays loyal to Gatsby. He helps with the funeral, tries to find Gatsby’s friends, and welcomes Gatsby’s father. Sad and tired of the East, Nick finally goes home to the Midwest. He tells the whole story afterward, and he is the narrator who says Gatsby was worth more than the careless people around him.

“I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”

Nick Carraway, the narrator, describing himself near the start of the story. From the original 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

A moment to remember

Nick invites his cousin Daisy to tea at his little cottage so that Gatsby, pacing nervously nearby, can finally see her again after five long years.

Jay Gatsby: neighbor and friend
Daisy Buchanan: second cousin once removed
Jordan Baker: friend he spends the summer with
Tom Buchanan: college acquaintance and Daisy’s husband

Talk about it

Nick tries to listen fairly to everyone, even people he doesn’t agree with. Why do you think that’s a good way to be a friend?

Questions about Nick Carraway

Is Nick Carraway related to Daisy?: Yes. Nick says that Daisy is his second cousin once removed. He also knew her husband, Tom Buchanan, from college.
Is Nick Carraway a reliable narrator?: Nick says he tries to reserve judgment and calls himself honest, and he mostly tells what he sees and hears. Still, he is telling the story afterward and clearly cares about Gatsby, so readers see events through his opinions.
How old is Nick Carraway?: Nick turns thirty during the story. He thinks of it as the start of a new decade of his life.