How Did Nick Carraway Grow In The Great Gatsby

The Growth of Nick Carraway
As F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby develops, so does the character of Nick Carraway. He begins his life in a well to do family living a comfortable life in the middle-western United States. Bored with his monotonous life, Nick leaves to take part in World War I. After returning, he moves east and becomes captivated by the opulent lifestyle of those around him. Over the course of the novel, Nick becomes aware of the corruption and immorality that arises with the glamour of this society. These experiences changed Nick's psyche, transforming him from a naïve, kind boy into a cynical, broken-down man, saddened by human greed.
At the start of The Great Gatsby, Nick is portrayed as an innocent and privileged

young whose view of mankind has been distorted by his gruesome experience in war. The first chapter begins with “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice…” (1). This quote suggests that in the past, before Nick experienced the happenings in the novel, he was very naïve towards the harsh truths of the world. The chapter continues with Nick’s father’s advice, “‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, … just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’” (1). These “advantages” imply that Nick led a sheltered childhood and that his family was relatively well-off. Nick appears to find a great deal of meaning within his father’s advice and later makes him “inclined to reserve all judgement” (1). Again, Nick looks to be a very pure and honest person, reluctant to face the reality of human malice. Nick admits, however, that as his life progressed and he followed his father’s teachings, it became harder and harder to suspend judgement, except in the case of Gatsby. This pessimism, I believe, came from Nick’s experience in the Great War. His brief, apparently joyful recount of the experience; “I enjoyed this counter raid so thoroughly, I came back restless” (3); seems too brief and too joyful to be reflective of his true thoughts. It is as if the reality of the war is too hard to face for Nick and that this terrible experience warped his impression of mankind. After his involvement in WWI, Nick transforms from an innocent young boy into a man hardened by the facts of life.
After living a relatively dull life in the mid-West and encountering the horrors of war, Nick becomes enthralled by the wealth and luxury of New York.

When he first moves to West Egg, Nick “ha[s] that familiar conviction that life was beginning all over again” (4). While to many people, the East represents the older society, Nick sees the possibility of rebirth there. He seeks a new life so as to escape the chaos that war has introduced into his life and to restore order, which is often associated with the East. After his move to New York, Nick is enchanted by the beauty that surrounds him. He describes Gatsby’s house as a “colossal affair” (5) and Tom’s as an elaborate and “cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion” (6). To him, these new houses, created in old architectural styles, are works of art, representative of the success of those around him. Nick wishes become prosperous himself, just to have a taste of this extravagant lifestyle and to prove himself to those around him, especially Tom. Later, when he attends Gatsby’s party, Nick describes it as “alive with chatter and laughter” (40) and full of “spectroscopic gayety” (44). His positive portrayal of the festivity implies that he enjoys this excessive glitz of the people around him. Even though he is very much an outsider in this sub-culture, Nick wants to be a part of it. In his initial experience with the wealthy’s lifestyle in New York, Nick becomes enamored by

it.
After the initial experience, however, Nick begins to find issues with the society and its members. He realizes, when caught up in the affairs Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom, how petty their lives are and how little they care for others.