Abstract

Most network analyses of narrative texts have focused on character interactions, often limiting their scope to social relationships as envisioned by social network analysis. This paper, however, presents a network analysis of the narrator and the main character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, expanding on my previous research that examined characters as networks of words within a dramatic narrative. I conceptualize the narrator and characters as lexical networks derived from the novel's dialogues and narration. A "symptomatic reading" of a character's speech network uncovers hidden aspects of that character, such as Gatsby's obsessive desire for Daisy and fixation on the lost past. Furthermore, analyzing a character's ego network within the narrator's narration reveals how the narrative voice understands and portrays that character. Specifically, Gatsby's ego network exposes the narrator's preoccupation with physical appearances, his subtle male gaze, his speculation about Gatsby's mysterious past, and his narrative strategy to mythologize Gatsby through temporal and spatial movements. Finally, the bipartite network between the narrator and the character, mediated through shared words, illustrates points of convergence and divergence, emphasizing the stark contrast between Gatsby as a character and Nick as the narrator. This study demonstrates how computational literary criticism can contribute to digital humanities by providing a refined examination of literary texts while creatively employing digital methodologies.