Nicole Underwood

Mrs. Sharp

English 11 Period 4

February 11th, 2019

The Great Gatsby ICE

In the novel, ​The Great Gatsby​ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway recalls living in

West egg where he is neighbors with Jay Gatsby, an ambitious millionaire. Nick is drawn into a

life of secrecy and greed as he develops a friendship with Gatsby. The events that unfold cause

Nick to become overwhelmed with emotion. In the novel, Nick's relationship with Jordan Baker,

his friendship with Jay Gatsby, and his ties to the sudden deaths that take place cause him to seek

help in a psychiatric hospital.

To begin with, several characters that appear in the novel have a detrimental impact on

Nick’s mental state. One of these characters is Jordan Baker whom Nick develops a brief

relationship with. Unfortunately, their relationship goes up in flames when Jordan states, “I mean

it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were rather an honest,

straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride.” (Fitzgerald 177). This quote is

significant because it is the first time that Nick's character is questioned throughout the entire

book. Nick regards himself as “..one of the few honest people that I have ever known..” (59), and

believes that he has greater morals than the people he is surrounded by. From Nick‘s perspective,

it was most likely painful to hear the woman that he is in love with make spiteful statements

about him. Nick also claims that he felt ashamed after losing Jordan because he states, “Angry,
and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.” (177). This event clearly had a

strong influence on his life because it damaged him emotionally.

Furthermore, Gatsby also had much to do with Nicks downward spiral throughout the

novel. For instance, Nick describes his house as insignificant which is very similar to how he

feels compared to Gatsby. The text reads, “My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small

eyesore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of water, a partial view of my neighbor's

lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires.” (5). To elaborate, there is a clear sense of

jealousy between Nick and Gatsby. Gatsby had more money than Nick, a much nicer house, and

more friends than he did. Because Nick was surrounded by wealth and materialistic people, he

gradually begins to start comparing himself to everyone else around him. This likely made him

feel insecure and overall unhappy because he couldn’t compete with the people that he was

spending most of his time with.

Lastly, the deaths that occurred took a tremendous toll on Nicks well-being. Nick gets

tangled up in all of the drama following these gruesome murders. For instance, Nick states, “It

was after we started with Gatsby toward the house that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little

way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete.” (162). To elaborate, Nick is comparing

the deaths that took place to a holocaust. A holocaust can be described as complete devastation

or death on a mass scale, which can be used to describe the tragedies that Nick was involved

with. Certainly, having to deal with these fatalities in such a short period of time had a major

impact on Nick. In another example, the text states, “It is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust

floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows

and short-winded elations of men.” (2). To elaborate, Gatsby represents everything wrong with
the time period in Nick's opinion. Nick feels that everyone around him is very materialistic and

self-centered. Gatsby’s desires, which were to acquire wealth and rekindle his relationship with

Daisy, were ultimately what led to his tragic end. This makes Nick feel hopeless because

Gatsby’s aspirations consumed his life so, consequently, Nick is concerned that he will have to

face the same fate.

In conclusion, there are many instances that causes Nick to seek help in a psychiatric

hospital. As the story unfolds Jordan Baker, Jay Gatsby, and Nicks involvement in the murders

that took place are what causes him to seek help. The overwhelming amount of emotion Nick

goes through throughout the course of his life is just one reason that he goes to a mental

institution. Societal pressures and tragic events are what ultimately lead Nick into a state of

depression and hopelessness.