Nick Adams is still that young boy in the indian camp throughout all of the stories.

While
he grows and changes, he still has that broken innocence that changed the way he saw the world
since then. However, I personally think there are a few stories that show his ultimate heartbreak
in a different light.
Growing up it seems that Nick and his father have a very tight-knit relationship, but we
don't hear much about his father after the story “Ten Indians,” when Nick finds out about
Prudence. This is the first heartbreak Nick experiences and he hears it from his favorite person,
his dad. I believe this to be an event that started Nick's long-term issue with girls and
relationships in general. In the story, “The End of Something,” we see Nick break up with
Majorie and his friend Bill coming to meet up with Nick after the event. This shows that Bill
may have had some influence on Nick's decision to break up, but also that Nick had planned it
before then. The language during the story points to the idea that Marjorie may have had no idea
it was coming, and Nick being short with her in response highlights his frustration. When Bill
comes to meet up with Nick these frustrated emotions and actions are also thrown onto him.
Nick doesn't have any stability in his life at this point and doesn't have any trust in himself either.
In the next story, “Three Day Blow,” we see Nick and Bill having some pretty extensive
conversation that turns into being about Marjorie. Nick is obviously at a loss for what to do, as
he’s rethinking his decisions and wants Marjorie back. While he doesn't outright say it to his
friend, Bill still goes on to tell Nick that he got out of it at the right time, because marriage made
men into wusses. Nick still has doubts about his decision, and I think this conversation is what
caused the riff between Nick and Bill’s relationship. Throughout the rest of the stories we don't
see much more of Bill, but there is still evidence that Nick has issues with not only romantic
relationships, but also friendships.
We also see in “Now I Lay Me,” nicks struggles with war and marriage. From this story
specifically, it fills in the blanks on some of the things holding Nick back from love. Nick is in
the war at this point, and he and a couple of other soldiers can't sleep. I believe this is from the
trauma and sadness of war. One of the soldiers, John, talks about his wife and kids when Nick
and Signor Tenente ask about it. For distraction purposes, maybe. John then tells the two guys
that marriage is a necessity, and a good wife will make your life. Nick thinks about it later on
into the night, however his mind shifts to other activities in his life, usually mundane like fishing.
He also mentions that the women he thought about “blurred and all became rather the same.”
This is a way to get him to stop thinking about the importance of close intimacy and life and turn
to the things he already knows and is good at (like trout fishing). I believe this also is because
Nick doesn't want to “burden” a woman with the difficult things he's lived through and continues
to live with.
In the stories “Cross-Country Snow” and “Big Two-Hearted River,” we see that Nick has
gotten a woman named Helen pregnant. It mentions that the women in this area “don't ever get
married unless they're knocked up.” This doesn't make me feel good for Nick as he's already had
issues with close relationships and it probably won't be the healthiest of relationships for him,
Helen, or the baby. Nick is obviously very unattached throughout these two stories and we don’t
really get much from him in terms of feelings. In “Cross Country Snow,” he says he's happy
about it now, in a way that suggests he wasn't happy before or he won't be happy after the baby is
born. Nick doesn't say any plans about marriage. In “Big Two-Hearted River,” we see Nick go
on a fishing trip by himself. He is extremely happy, but it's more important to notice that he is
alone, for multiple days at a time, with no baby. This shows that this relationship and family
“thing” isn't working with Nick.
There is plenty of evidence throughout the Nick Adams stories to point toward Nick
having issues with close relationships. We as humans require socialization and love to get
through life and all its issues. I believe his inability to maintain relationships is his ultimate
heartbreak, as it influences the trauma of life in other ways.