Who Is Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby
Myrtle Wilson is a metaphor for many concepts in the story. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson represents the unrealistic expectations of the American Dream and desire.
Myrtle represents multiple ideas, mainly her failed American Dream. The American Dream is an idealistic concept that every citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Myrtle Wilson is desperate to improve her life. She is not satisfied with her marriage, or with her low-class mechanic husband, George. This is evident when she says “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman,” she said finally. “I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick
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The roaring twenties was a time of freedom and sexuality, coming after a time with modesty and strict morals. Even though more broadminded than before, there was still a limit on what was socially acceptable. The more liberal side were those who had new money, and who were not raised from wealth. Myrtle does not care where she gets the money, she just aspires to be like those who have it. Myrtle is oblivious and in some regards “a beautiful fool” (Fitzgerald 20). Myrtle’s character is fascinating because of her sexuality, which would not have been frowned upon as much if the Great Gatsby took place in later years. An example of this is when Myrtle describes when she first meets Tom. “When we came into the station he was next to me, and his white shirt-front pressed against my arm, and so I told him I'd have to call a policeman, but he knew I lied. I was so excited that when I got into a taxi with him I didn't hardly know I wasn't getting into a subway train. All I kept thinking about, over and over, was 'You can't live forever; you can't live forever.’” (Fitzgerald 151) The rich looked down on her for being a sexual woman. Because of her actions, compared to the rest of the female characters in the book, she is the one who most represents the arrival of sexual liberation in the
How Does Fitzgerald Present Myrtle In The Great Gatsby
487 Words | 2 PagesMyrtle is Tom Buchanan’s lover, her husband George owns a rundown garage in the valley of ashes and she possesses fierce vitality and desperately looks for ways to improve her situation. Sadly she chooses Tom who treats her as an object of his desire. She is mid-thirties, short and plump but carries her extra flesh voluptuously. She wears clothes that are stretched tight over her fairly broad hips. (Fitzgerald p.28) Myrtles personality and behavior show that she wants to climb the social status with her acute manner and vigor.
Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
485 Words | 2 PagesIn this quote, "I married him because I thought he was a gentleman and knew something about breeding, but he was not fit to lick my shoe" (Fitzgerald 34) Myrtle clearly states that George is not her type. She wants to escape her unhappy life with George; therefore, she has an affair with Tom Buchanan to fulfill her worldly desires of partying and having a rich man. Her lust for life leads to her death. Myrtle’s death emotionally and mentally affects George, which prompts him to murder Gatsby (who he mistakes for both his wife’s killer and lover), and then kills himself.
Use Of Masks In The Great Gatsby
696 Words | 3 PagesMyrtle Wilson’s husband is named George Wilson, unfortunately, she is miserable being married with him. She is having an affair with Tom, “There is always a halt there of at least a minute and it was because of this that I first met Tom Buchanan’s mistress.” (Fitzgerald ## ) Nick Carraway implies that Myrtle is having an affair with Tom. Myrtle married George Wilson because she thought that he had money so she married him, later she discovered that he is not wealthy and married Myrtle with a borrowed suit. She feels better that she cheats on him with Tom Buchanan.
Compare And Contrast Daisy And Wilson In The Great Gatsby
720 Words | 3 PagesIn the novel, Great Gatsby, the two main women presented are Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. There are many similarities and differences between Daisy and Myrtle. For instance both of them are unhappy in their lives and they are love in with a different with person, not with their husband. Their marriage is a jail. They are both in love with Tom in a different way, Daisy is the wife and Myrtle is the mistress.
Who Is To Blame For Myrtle Wilson's Death
258 Words | 2 PagesFollowing her recent death, Mrs. Wilson has been identified as Mr. Gatsby’s ‘Mystery Mistress’ who has been spotted many times inside his large mansion in West Egg. George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband has said that he knew she was having an affair, but with whom he did not know. In light of recent events, he had the following to say; “I loved Myrtle. We were planning
Literary Analysis Essay On The Great Gatsby
1208 Words | 5 PagesIn the novel, Myrtle Wilson is the perfect example of a woman that would substitute morals for desires. Her actions were the result of her yearnings for money and power, which is in direct relationship with the Marxist critical perspective. She not only degrades herself to being a mistress, but she betrays a good man for a materialistic life. She uses her sexual appeal to achieve the lifestyle she wants. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick describes his meeting with Myrtle and gives the reader a clear visual of how Myrtle uses her looks to get what she wants and how she treats her husband as a result.
Myrtle's Use Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby
966 Words | 4 PagesWhen Myrtle begs Tom for a dog, he nonchalantly hands her too much money and “decisively” says “Here's your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it” (Fitzgerald 28).Tom’s angry and ‘decisive’ tone of voice is because he uses Myrtle’s must assert dominance through materialism. As, Myrtle does not need ten dogs, yet Tom wishes to flaunt both his wealth and dominance by commanding her to buy them. Because of Tom, Myrtle also lives in excess and must face moral corruption. As after she buys the dog, Nick describes that
Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby
951 Words | 4 PagesThroughout The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson desired to fit in with the upper class; however, her marriage to George Wilson prevented such from occurring. Myrtle failed to recognize her husband’s hard work and true character due to her efforts to rise in social status. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald emphasized Myrtle’s hatred towards her marriage through her conversation with Catherine, depicting how people of the twenties focused more on wealth and power compared to moral American values. As readers closely evaluate the moment of Myrtle’s dialogue, she dictated her feelings towards her marriage in a way that supposedly justified her infidelity.
Examples Of Myrtle In The Great Gatsby
1188 Words | 5 PagesSome may use Gatsby’s case to argue that a person can change their social class and achieve great amounts of wealth, however Myrtle, never tried to work hard for what she wanted. Unlike Gatsby, Myrtle simply wanted one man, Tom, to do all the work for her. From buying her things, to taking her places, Myrtle made Tom do all the work for her. Myrtle would even call Tom’s phone late at night as stated on page twenty when Jordan told Nick, “Tom’s got some girl in New York… She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner time.”
Fitzgerald's Portrayal Of Women In The Great Gatsby
430 Words | 2 PagesFitzgerald depicts the women of the novel as deceitful, sexual beings that are naturally subordinate to men through Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle. Daisy exemplifies the naturally inferior role of women relying on the wealth of men in their lives to take care of them. When Daisy talks about her daughter she claims, “a fool–that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool”(21) establishing women’s subordinate role in which they are ignorant to the affairs of their husbands and expected to rely on their beauty to carry them through life. When Daisy is accused of infidelity with Gatsby in the hotel, Gatsby claims that Daisy is attracted to men of wealth and, “only married [Tom] because [Gatsby] was poor and she was tired of waiting for [him]”(137).
Portrayal Of Women In The Great Gatsby
2439 Words | 10 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of themes of wealth, love, and tragedy. Also during the time this book was written, women’s suffrage had begun, so women were taking their first steps towards equality with men. The three main women characters in the novel: Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, and Jordan Baker, all have things in common but can be vastly different; they reflect the view of women in the early 20th century. The Great Gatsby portrays the characters Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan as stereotypes of women during the 1920s, seen in their behavior, beliefs, and their ultimate fate.
Myrtle's Ambition In The Great Gatsby
1052 Words | 5 PagesMyrtle is slain by her quest for capital; Wilson becomes insane from his wife's affair and subsequent death; and Gatsby loses what he looked for his entire life, the past. All of these characters prove the tragic message that no matter one's dreams or ambitions, no matter one's money or determination, they can still fail or even die as a result of their
Love And Desire In The Great Gatsby
1890 Words | 8 PagesMyrtle was a “gold-digger”, but she also believed that he would genuinely love her and pick her over Daisy, even though Tom gave no indication of doing so. Like Daisy, breathed out wealth, Myrtle had breathed out vitality and sensuality, hoping for Tom to chose her as his love and for him to give her riches and luxury. As for Daisy, much like Myrtle, was also chasing both money and love, at different points in her life. Daisy, initially wanted love, and she displayed that, by first waiting for Gatsby and then once again when she was newly married with Tom. Over time, like with Myrtle, this dream of love evolved to of riches further on in her life.
Corruption Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis
1756 Words | 8 PagesThrough the character Myrtle the reader can see the portrayal of the low and ignorant class of America. Myrtle is the wife to George Wilson,
The Theme Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby
1262 Words | 6 PagesThe desire for a luxurious life is what gets Myrtle into having an affair with Tom Buchanan. Her immoral decision harms her marriage with George, which leads to her loss of happiness and dreams of a rich life. Myrtle is full of life and dreams, perfect for a
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