A Long Way Down

The book A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornby, focused mostly on the present. However, because the book was about suicide, it is fair to say that the environment the characters lived in led them to suicide. But most importantly, the environment shaped how the characters made the decisions which led to the the suicide and how they viewed the enforcement caused them to go to the top of the roof.

For Martin, because he was a TV host, and led a life in which he felt his life was "untouchable" and where he was considered almost a god for being on TV, it gave him the sense of being invincible. This led to the belief that he would never get caught and could do whatever he pleased. This led to the sex-with-a-15-year-old issue. But because Martin was in the spotlight which showed every flaw he ever had once he messed up, this indiscretion was taken and blown up into the fiasco which ensued. He went to jail and lost his wife and kids as a result. The loss of his known family makes the world appear pessimistic and harsh to him. Therefore, he became a sad, pathetic drunk who wanted to throw himself off of a roof. In the end of the book, it is the change in the environment of his friends which help him view life more optimistically and to do better in the world. In a sense, the change of environment by the addition of his friends he met on the roof allowed Martin to grow as a person and eventually believe in order to do good he must change himself.

Jess's problems were rooted in her environment at her home. Between a missing sister and separated parents, her environment was anything but stable, safe, and inviting. This might have caused the erratic behavior seen throughout the book. But when the other three of the gang get thrown into her life, the stability of having those friends allow her to calm down and reach some resolution with her parents. Her decision to be at the top of the roof was a reflection of the instability in her home environment.

JJ admits throughout the novel that because he was raised as a young American teen, he view himself as having greater worth than reality might say is true. Therefore, this false sense of grandeur causes JJ to feel under appreciated and neglected as a person in society when he cannot amount to any sort of fame or success. The hoping for a grand future left his reality less than appealing, creating irrational decisions, such as those to jump off the roof in an attempt to escape the boring life he never wanted. Instead of appreciating the little he had, he wanted more and more until that thirst led him to the idea he would never amount to anything, so he must die. When everyone else helps him see the irrationality in his thinking, then he allows himself to move on from the failed band, and start his own view of success.

Maureen's environment defiantly shaped who she was. She had a baby while she was young, and her lover left her. This depressing situation caused her to become a pessimistic woman who only stayed at home to take care of her disabled son. Once she realized that she needed to live outside of her past life with the runaway groom and son, she changed her behavior to match.