Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Rising up the social ladder is something that the majority of mankind has tried to do at least once. Sometimes, people achieve their goals, and reap the benefits of a high status life: money, connections, respect, protection, and an air of superiority. Unfortunately, the majority of these individuals will fall short of their dreams of changing their social status, as this goal is unattainable. In the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, important side character Myrtle Wilson is introduced as the poor, vulgar, Valley of Ashes mistress to high status, East Egg figure, Tom Buchanan. In the novel, Myrtle makes attempts to be more like Tom, to have more money, nicer clothes, host fancy parties, and feel as though she belongs as his peer. …show more content…

Fitzgerald illustrates, “‘I told that boy about the ice.” Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders. The “These people” are the best! You have to keep after them all the time’” (Fitzgerald 28). Myrtle is hosting a small gathering at her apartment. Those in attendance included Tom, her lover, Nick, who was pressured into coming by Tom, Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, and the McKee’s, the downstairs neighbors. Tom tells Myrtle to get more ice so that the guests can have drinks, and Myrtle once again becomes a whole different person. Ignoring her past and current status, Myrtle rises above, belittling the servants for not getting ice, acting so above them. Myrtle being insulting and boorish towards her staff is how she believes someone with lots of money would treat their staff. Through her actions, Myrtle is establishing a narrative that shows her wealth, to gain respect from her peers. Adversely, Myrtle Wilson never genuinely improved her social status. Myrtle Wilson’s vocabulary is a major indicator of the fact that she is not a high status …show more content…

A massage and a wave, and a collar for the dog, and one of those cute little ash-trays where you touch a spring, and a wreath with a black silk bow for mother’s grave that’ll last all summer. I got to write down a list so I won’t forget all the things I got to do’” (Fitzgerald 31). During her get-together, Myrtle starts telling her guests all of the things that she is going to do the next day. Through her use of “I’ve got to get”, and “I got to write down”, Myrtle is exposing the fact that if she were truly a high status member of society, she would have had a better education, and would use the proper grammar and way of speaking, such as “I need to get”, or “I have to write down”. Myrtle’s vocabulary is an indicator of her lack of class. She will never be on par with those who were born into money, such as Tom Buchanan. In addition, The Literary Criticism Article, “On Possessions and Character in The Great Gatsby” by Scott Donaldson, divulges a violent interaction between Myrtle Wilson and Tom Buchanan. In Myrtle’s apartment, Tom begins to patronize and mock Myrtle, suggesting that Mr. McKee, one of Myrtle’s guests who is a photographer, be introduced to Myrtle’s husband, the owner of a garage, so that Mr. McKee can capture images of Myrtle’s husband at the

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