Group 4 - Question 1

Question: Nick Carraway says, "Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope (2)." What does he mean? What does this reveal about his character and how might this be significant to the novel?

Reserving judgement means holding back one's opinion on a subject— refraining from judging a person or an object at first glance. "Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope" could mean that keeping your thoughts to yourself comes with the hope that everything would come together in the end. We think what Nick is basically saying is to do nothing and hope for the best. 

This quote reveals a significant part of Nick's character. In the novel, Nick is roped into multiple situations that give him the chance to do something, or, at least, speak out but he chooses to execute neither action. This proves that Nick is the type to stand back and watch a scene in silence. He is someone who keeps his thoughts to himself and would rather not get too involved with anything. An example would be Gatsby and the rumors circulating around the man. Nicks remains quiet even as hears negative things about his neighbour and, most importantly, doesn't judge the other male before they get the chance to meet. Another example is when Nick finds out about Tom's mistress. As expected, he doesn't say anything, letting the others deal with their own problems instead. 

This quote is important as we later find out that reserving judgement and hoping for the best is not the best way to deal with the happenings in the novel. 

Labels:
Gatsby, Nick, Tom