Modernism in The Great Gatsby

After reading the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the question arises about why Fitzgerald narrates the story from the point of view of Nick Carraway. Neither is he the one in the conflict of marriages like the Buchanans and Wilsons nor the mysterious, wealthy man Gatsby. So what is the point of Nick being the narrator? As we discussed during class last week, this time period, classified as modernism, involved increasingly conformist and materialistic values. I believe that Fitzgerald is narrating the book from Carraway's view to show how the previous era would view the now modern society. He resides in a simple house described as an eye-sore next to houses of the ultra-wealthy, and is friends with Tom, who is also ultra-wealthy. Nick isn't concerned with material values, rather he serves as a judge of the new era, proved by Tom's want of Carraway to like him and a similarly mentioned feeling that Gatsby feels towards him. Another new characteristic of this new era was the flapper, or strongly independent woman. This role is played by Jordan Baker. Carraway describes her as appealing because she is "self-sufficient", showing society's overall approval of the new-found independence of women. The Great Gatsby serves as a great representation of the new characteristics found in modernism, such as a judge of materialism and of the new identity for women.