How does Nick most change after Gatsby's death?

How does Nick most change after Gatsby's death?

• A. He becomes more hopeful about the East.
• B. He moves to the West Coast.
• C. He writes a memoir praising the East.
• D. He becomes disillusioned with the East Coast.

Answer: (D)

The main idea being tested is Nick’s moral awakening after Gatsby’s death. The events surrounding Gatsby’s demise expose a world of wealth and status in which people act with carelessness and evasiveness, and where even those who inspire admiration—like Gatsby—can be crushed by a social code that prizes money over integrity. This realization shifts Nick from the earlier, more hopeful interest in the East to a disillusioned view of its values. He witnesses Tom and Daisy escape responsibility, Gatsby’s dream collapse, and a society that treats life and loss as disposable, which chips away at Nick’s earlier tolerance or admiration. That experiences fuels a newfound cynicism about the East Coast’s promises and ethics, making “disillusioned with the East Coast” the best description of his change. His response isn’t to cling to the East as a beacon of hope, nor to move somewhere else for romantic reasons or to praise it in a memoir; instead, he withdraws from that world and contemplates returning to the Midwest, seeking a place he believes will tolerate accountability and honesty.

The main idea being tested is Nick’s moral awakening after Gatsby’s death. The events surrounding Gatsby’s demise expose a world of wealth and status in which people act with carelessness and evasiveness, and where even those who inspire admiration—like Gatsby—can be crushed by a social code that prizes money over integrity. This realization shifts Nick from the earlier, more hopeful interest in the East to a disillusioned view of its values. He witnesses Tom and Daisy escape responsibility, Gatsby’s dream collapse, and a society that treats life and loss as disposable, which chips away at Nick’s earlier tolerance or admiration. That experiences fuels a newfound cynicism about the East Coast’s promises and ethics, making “disillusioned with the East Coast” the best description of his change. His response isn’t to cling to the East as a beacon of hope, nor to move somewhere else for romantic reasons or to praise it in a memoir; instead, he withdraws from that world and contemplates returning to the Midwest, seeking a place he believes will tolerate accountability and honesty.