There is a moment when Nick realized that “the Middle West now seemed like a ragged edge of the universe.” Then, Nick decided to move to New York and start a career in the bond business. This excerpt indicates the fact that he is not content with the lifestyle he has in his homeland.
Detailed answer:
The Great Gatsby is the novel that shows off the urbanization process in the 20th-century US. It was followed by the “American Dream” emergence. People started moving to cities from rural areas. So the number of well-to-do Americans became considerably higher, creating a whole new social class. If we talk about geography, the vast majority of affluent Americans lived in the East. The most popular place was a Long Island, divided into West (new money) and East (old money) Eggs.
Nick Carraway, one of the novel’s central characters, was born and raised in the Middle West. It was a place implicitly dedicated to the well-to-do small business owners and their families. Hence, Nick’s life had a stable pattern established by his family.
However, the influence of the American dream and capitalism was increasing. He started feeling like the place made him suffocate with limits, not allowing the young man to fulfill his potential. “Instead of being the warm center of the world, the Middle West now seemed like a ragged edge of the universe.” Nick’s own words demonstrate that he desperately wanted his life to change to feel satisfied with it. It was time, and he “decided to go East and learn the bond business.”
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