Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby

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Throughout the second chapter of The Great Gatsby, Mrs. Myrtle Wilson manifests herself as the paradigmatic portrait of a desperate woman. Her desperation causes her such a sense of deficiency and desire that she cheats on her husband, Mr. George Wilson, the proprietor of an auto repairs shop. The obvious question is: Where does this sense of despair come from? The answer is, simply, that she wants more. Myrtle lives with her husband George in the upstairs apartment of their “unprosperous and bare” repairs garage, located within a close propinquity of the “valley of ashes.” George, as described by Nick, is “spiritless” and “anemic,” alluding to George’s humdrum lifestyle (p. 25). Myrtle, desperately desiring a more exciting life, feels that she needs to expand her social horizons, break out of the insipid shell that is her marriage, and find for herself a new and improved way of life. In fulfillment of her desires, one evening, while taking …show more content…

(p. 36)” This is such a profound statement because when describing why she was “crazy” in marrying George, Myrtle states in particular that “He borrowed somebody’s best suit” (p. 35). In doing so, Myrtle demonstrates her materialistic and meaningless perspective on love, based solely on appearance; when something is meaningless, one tries to find meaning. In Myrtle’s case, however, she isn’t even seeking meaning, just more. Thus, her sense of desperacy is inevitable. There is no one specifically identifiable explanation for where Myrtle’s sense of despair comes from. However, throughout the second chapter of The Great Gatsby, the multifaceted reasons are self-evident; Myrtle wants more in her life: more excitement, more money, and more power etc. Nevertheless, to her misfortune, the way she goes about attaining more is precarious and cannot guarantee her long-term

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