Importance of Point of View in The Great GatsbyIn novels containing an interwoven plot and varied scenes, the author's selection of point of view becomes a factor essential in its impact and effectiveness. The Great Gatsby is one of those novels that demonstrates this point most obviously. Although Fitzgerald's decision to view the plot through the eyes of Nick Carraway has some limitations, it provides the means to connect the tone and message of the novel as a whole. Scott Fitzgerald would be the first to admit that his masterpiece was not without its flaws. In a letter written to Edmund Wilson, he criticized what he considered to be the novel's "GREAT FAULT". the catastrophe. Undoubtedly, this constraint of detailed development was imposed almost solely by point of view. Because Fitzgerald presents the plot through the perspective of a pivotal character, the intimacy between any other group of characters is lost or can only be hinted at. A certain haze surrounds these important relationships, as Nick and, in turn, the reader are blind to the details of how they came to be. In the case of Gatsby and Daisy, some of the power that supports Gatsby's dream is never presented. Such a situation is, however, somewhat mitigated by the integration of dialogue. Not only does this aspect of Fitzgerald's point of view describe the other character in the novel in depth, but it also keeps the narrator's credibility in check. Who's to say Nick Carraway will be the only glimpse into the wealthy world of Long Island in the 1920s? He himself admitted to being far from perfect; or even “vulnerable”. By giving the reader the opportunity to judge the importance, purpose, and mission of each character, less time is spent analyzing the narrator's credibility and more time is spent understanding Fitzgerald's statement as a whole. In The Great Gatsby, this is a message that would be lost without the selected point of view. Fitzgerald, through what Nick perceives and the changes he undergoes, comments specifically on the society of the time.