Dude, lemme tell ya, I totally remember the first time I rolled into NYC like it was yesterday. It was a whole vibe, right? Everything was bigger, brighter, and way too loud. You get that feeling, like, you're just a tiny speck in a giant, roaring machine. That's kinda the deal with Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby. He's not just chilling; he's processing this crazy place. He's got this super complex, kinda messy relationship with New York City and the wild, rich folks who call it home. It's not just a city, it’s a whole mood that messes with his head and his heart.
The Great Gatsby: Nick's Big Apple Drama 🍎🏙️
Nick, our main man and super reliable narrator (or is he?), lands in New York in the summer of '22. He's there to learn the bond business. Sounds super glamorous, right? Nah. But his crib, that little shack in West Egg, puts him right next to the real action. The city itself and its fancy suburbs are, like, a character in the book. It’s all about the glitz, the parties, the crazy wealth, and the kinda sticky morality that comes with it. Nick’s feelings for this place? They are a rollercoaster.
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| How Does Nick Feel About New York In The Great Gatsby |
Step 1: The Initial Spark – Awe and Wonder ✨
When Nick first shows up, he's got that classic Midwest innocence. New York City, or even just the idea of it, feels like this huge, exciting promise. He's ready for a fresh start, a clean slate.
1.1. The Big City Hype
It’s all about the potential. He sees the city as a place where anything can happen. Think about those first few drives into the city—the sheer scale of the buildings, the rush of people, the energy! Nick describes it with this almost poetic language. He's super impressed by the whole spectacle. The air is thick with ambition and the scent of newly minted money. He's optimistic, like a kid on Christmas morning with a totally massive pile of presents.
1.2. The 'Gaudiness' of Wealth
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This awe is mixed with a little bit of side-eye, though. He quickly catches on to the sheer excess of it all. Gatsby’s parties—those are in West Egg, yeah, but they’re fueled by NYC money and NYC attitudes. Nick is both drawn to and kinda repulsed by the lavish lifestyle. It's all so over-the-top, like a movie set that's way too expensive. He sees the surface-level fun but also kinda feels the emptiness underneath all that champagne and jazz music.
Step 2: Getting Wrecked by the City’s True Colors 🎨
As the summer heats up, Nick's rose-tinted glasses start to slip. He starts seeing the real New York, which is way more complicated and way less sparkly than the brochures suggested. This is where his moral compass starts spinning like crazy.
2.1. Moral Slippage and Loose Living
The city acts like this magnet for bad behavior. Think about the apartment Tom has in the city for his little side-thing with Myrtle. It’s messy, it’s deceitful, and it’s a whole lot of yuck. Nick is a witness to a bunch of stuff that would totally shock his folks back home. He sees people acting super shady and getting away with it because they’re rich and careless. This makes him uncomfortable. He’s watching the rules of decent behavior totally crumble.
2.2. The Valley of Ashes: A Dark Contrast
Then there’s the Valley of Ashes. This ain't a pretty picture. It's this grimy, depressing industrial zone that's the total opposite of the beautiful East Egg mansions. It’s where the real grit is, where the forgotten people live. Nick sees this place and it’s like a punch to the gut. It shows him the true cost of the wealth he’s surrounded by. It's the ugly underbelly of the American Dream, right there in neon lights and soot. It’s not just a place; it's a symbol of ruin.
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Step 3: The City as a Symptom of Sickness 🤢
Towards the end of the story, Nick's feeling towards New York shifts from mild critique to a full-blown disgusted realization. He sees the city, and the whole East Coast scene, as fundamentally corrupt.
3.1. Disappointment and Betrayal
He figures out that the dazzling world he came to see is fake. The people are shallow, the relationships are transactional, and the whole dream is built on a foundation of lies and phoniness. Gatsby himself, the whole reason Nick got pulled into this mess, is a perfect example of someone who bought the New York Dream, and it ultimately destroyed him. The city is the stage where this tragedy plays out.
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3.2. A Total Rejection of the East
Nick basically decides that the East, including New York, is toxic. It’s where people go to be careless and then hide behind their money when things go sideways. He realizes he can't be part of that kind of scene. He feels totally alienated. The "fantastic" world he first saw is now just a source of horror and deep sadness. He starts to miss the honest simplicity of the Midwest. That "fresh green breast of the new world" feeling is gone, replaced by a bitter taste.
Step 4: The Final Verdict – Getting Outta Dodge 🚪
By the time he's packing his bags, Nick has delivered his final, powerful judgment on New York and the whole roaring mess of the Jazz Age.
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4.1. The Return to Authenticity
He decides to go home. This isn't just a physical move; it’s a moral and spiritual retreat. He’s rejecting the fast life and the moral vacuum he found. He goes back to the Midwest, seeking something real and solid. He's had enough of the glittering sham.
4.2. Leaving Behind the 'Aesthetics'
Nick’s feelings for New York end up being a mixture of intense attraction and profound repulsion. It’s beautiful, it’s exciting, and it’s full of energy, but it's also morally bankrupt. He can’t wait to get away. His final view is that the East, and New York as its heart, is a place that ruins people. He leaves with a sense of relief, like he just escaped a really bad infection. That city, man, it was a heartbreaker.
FAQ Questions and Answers
How does Nick’s job relate to his view of New York?
Nick’s job in the bond business is all about money and finance, which is the whole engine driving New York's excitement and moral decay. The job pulls him into the world of wealth, which he initially admires, but ultimately exposes the shallowness and reckless ambition that he grows to despise.
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How does the weather symbolize Nick’s changing feelings toward the city?
The novel uses the weather to totally reflect the mood. The early summer, which is warm and lively, matches Nick's initial excitement. But the heat waves, especially during the emotional climax in the city (like the dramatic scene at the Plaza Hotel), show the tension and moral sickness that finally makes Nick hate the place.
How does Nick compare the Midwest to New York?
Nick views the Midwest as a place of real values, decency, and moral foundation. He sees New York (the East) as a place of transience, reckless behavior, and moral corruption. He believes the East has a way of ruining people, which is why he feels compelled to return to his roots.
How did Nick feel about New York after Gatsby’s death?
After Gatsby's death, Nick feels a deep sense of disgust and moral superiority over the East Coast social scene. The city becomes a symbol of the carelessness and lack of responsibility that led to his friend's tragic end. He sees it as a place he must leave to maintain his own integrity.
How did the concept of the 'American Dream' affect Nick's perception of New York?
New York is the ultimate symbol of the 1920s American Dream—the idea that you can come from nothing and achieve incredible wealth. Nick sees how this dream, pursued recklessly and corrupted by money, turns into a nightmare. The city, for him, represents the failure of that dream to deliver true happiness or moral fulfillment.
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