Throughout the novel, Nick judges the characters somewhat
harshly, yet he does not voice his objections. He continues to see Jordan even after he
has realized that she is a cheater at golf. He accompanies Tom to visit Myrtle even
though he "wants the world to stand at moral attention;" he helps arrange an illicit
meeting between Daisy and Gatsby, knowing that Daisy is a married woman. He seems to
disprove of the drunken party at Myrtle's apartment, but he gets just as drunk as the
rest of them. All these examples show Nick's outward conformity. He does what he is
requested to do without showing his true reluctance.
Nick
is a passive character, and there are many instances of that passivity. He no longer
cares for the girl back home, but he continues to write to her and sign his letters
"love Nick." He lets his relationship with Jordan slowly drift away without telling her
why he is upset with her.
But perhaps the best example of
the tension that you are asking about comes at the end of the novel, when Nick meets up
with Tom after Gatsby's death.
I couldn't forgive him or like him but I saw that
what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and
confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy . .
.
And yet, with this
disproving stand, Nick shakes hands with Tom, never telling Tom the truth about the
accident. This action seems to be the most blatant and inexcusable sign of conformity.
Nick, even here, refuses to take a stand, and goes so far to shake the hand of the man
who caused the murder of Gatsby.
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