Nick starts the novel by relaying his father's advice "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had. Does he reserve judgment in the novel?

Many people feel that Nick was an impartial bystander. I'm not so sure about this. He certainly stood by through all the dirt that gets slung around in the story. He has negative viewpoints about both Daisy and Tom, considering them both superficial and empty. He kept quiet on both sides of both affairs, but when he first learned about Tom's affair with Myrtle he thought Daisy should "rush out of the house, child in arms. Although Nick did next to nothing to intervene, he did have his own judgments about the people in high society.