What action best reflects Nick's state of mind after Gatsby's death?

What action best reflects Nick's state of mind after Gatsby's death?

• A. He becomes disillusioned with the East Coast
• B. He becomes more enthralled with wealth
• C. He moves away immediately
• D. He writes a glowing tribute to Gatsby

Answer: (A)

Nick’s experience after Gatsby’s death shows a shift from curiosity about the East’s glittering world to a deep disillusionment with it. The tragedy lays bare the moral hollowness and carelessness of the wealthy social circle that Gatsby pursued and that Nick had begun to inhabit. Seeing Gatsby’s dream collapse while those responsible—Tom, Daisy, and their circle—escape with minimal consequence forces Nick to reassess what he values and where he can find integrity. This realization pushes him to withdraw from the East Coast and return to the Midwest, seeking a place he believes has more honest, grounded standards. That sense of disillusionment is the heart of this moment: the East, with its wealth and superficial glamour, no longer seems and meaningful to him in the same way. This is why the other possibilities don’t fit as well. Wealth’s allure doesn’t enchant Nick after Gatsby’s death; instead, it looks increasingly corrupt and empty. The idea of immediate, permanent departure is true in a sense, but the clearer, defining change is his growing disenchantment with East Coast society. Writing a glowing tribute to Gatsby would contradict his growing critique of the moral landscape he’s just left.

Nick’s experience after Gatsby’s death shows a shift from curiosity about the East’s glittering world to a deep disillusionment with it. The tragedy lays bare the moral hollowness and carelessness of the wealthy social circle that Gatsby pursued and that Nick had begun to inhabit. Seeing Gatsby’s dream collapse while those responsible—Tom, Daisy, and their circle—escape with minimal consequence forces Nick to reassess what he values and where he can find integrity. This realization pushes him to withdraw from the East Coast and return to the Midwest, seeking a place he believes has more honest, grounded standards. That sense of disillusionment is the heart of this moment: the East, with its wealth and superficial glamour, no longer seems and meaningful to him in the same way.

This is why the other possibilities don’t fit as well. Wealth’s allure doesn’t enchant Nick after Gatsby’s death; instead, it looks increasingly corrupt and empty. The idea of immediate, permanent departure is true in a sense, but the clearer, defining change is his growing disenchantment with East Coast society. Writing a glowing tribute to Gatsby would contradict his growing critique of the moral landscape he’s just left.