Myrtle Wilson is a character in the novel The Great Gatsby who comes from the Valley of Ashes, which is an area in the East where the poor can survive. Although Myrtle comes from this poverty-stricken area of the East, she still judges people on their appearances. Myrtle decides to share her story of how she first met Tom Buchanan, which emphasizes on his materialistic wealth. On the train going to New York, she straightaway notices how he is dressed. She first addresses his “dress suit”. Since Myrtle is poor, seeing someone in a dress suit directly links them to having money. In addition, Tom is wearing a dress suit in the middle of the day which shows that he could have bountiful amounts dress suits and is able to wear them casually wherever …show more content…
In addition to his dress suit, Myrtle notices that Tom is wearing patent leather shoes. The fact that she is looking down at his feet, represents that no matter how earnestly she tries to behave like a rich woman, she will always be a lower rank compared to Tom. Likewise patent leather shoes are exceedingly glossy and shiny, to the point where a person can look into them and see their reflection. Ironically Myrtle is looking down at his feet which shows her low class self, but she is looking at her reflection in his shoes which is mirroring back an image of a high class version of Myrtle. Patent leather shoes are expensive, which again addresses the fact that Tom has a great deal of money. When they both get off the train, Tom is so close to Myrtle that his “white shirt front” presses against her arm. The word white represents purity, but Myrtle is not pure because she is tricking Tom into liking her, so that she can pretend to be rich and get unnecessary items to show off to her friends and sister. In addition, she is from the Valley of Ashes, which is a dusty, grey area, where no one is pure like the colour
Myrtle Wilson came from a working class family with a low social standing. Due to her family’s lack of money, Myrtle’s options were limited to marrying men of equal or lower economic status than herself. As a result, Myrtle married George Wilson, a poor car mechanic. In her relationship with George, Myrtle lacked control due to her status as a woman and was thus forced to listen to her husband. However, because of her lower status, Myrtle did learn to use her physical attributes to her own advantage. In other words, Myrtle knew how to exaggerate her physical beauty in order to attract men such as Tom Buchanan; who would pay her with money and expensive gifts in return. Thus, “there is a clear connection between the material disadvantages” Myrtle faced and her lack of morals; given “the paucity of her allotment of the fundamental decencies” (Voegeli). In other words, because of her lack of economic backing, Myrtle Wilson grew up as a woman of lower class with less options in life; which limited her social power and drove her to act unlike any high class lady. Thus, Myrtle’s only option for increasing her status was through material services such as her relationship with Tom Buchanan. All in all, Myrtle Wilson’s economic status limited her to the life of a low class woman and her power others in her
Myrtle’s death happened so quickly, it was a wavering moment. Then the car disappeared, Daisy fled the scene and it shows that she is not innocent, even though she masks under white clothing and doesn’t drink. Michaelis said she was hit by a car “that may have been light green” the color green associates with money, greed, ambition and jealousy. It also says money killed her. ‘Myrtle Wilson, her life violently extinguished, knelt in the road and mingled her thick dark blood with the dust.’ Back in chapter two, we saw violence on Myrtle when her nose was broken by Tom Buchannan and blood spilt across the bathroom floor. Now she is kneeling on the road, choosing to be in that position. It’s like a prayer pose, it suggests she is paying for her sexual life. It is emphasized by the usage of the monosyllabic word like “thick dark blood”. The word “dust” has been used several times throughout the book, it symbolizes the destruction of dreams. Moreover this contrast with Gatsby, both of their blood was mixed with something else, when they passed
The first time that the reader catches an insight of Myrtle, Fitzgerald develops Myrtle to be a mere object of Tom's’ desire. Fitzgerald does this to extenuate the fact that Tom will not move on past Daisy to be with her. Tom “got some women” that supposedly is a secret but there is a lack of secretism on Myrtles end seeing as she is now calling during evening meals from “New York” just to talk to Tom. This further proves that she is in need of attention, something her husband can not fully give her at any random moment of the day. Myrtle is willing to express herself even when she’s already married. It reveals that she is deceiving her own husband, who is later mentioned in the novel. This allows for Myrtle to be looked down upon by the reader, it also entails her to be seen as an attention seeker. Again, Fitzgerald appeals to present-day behaviors by allowing Myrtle to be viewed as someone who wants to be showcased. Almost everyone can relate that they’ve wanted attention in their life at some point. This connects Myrtle to the reader's past or current feelings. Fitzgerald uses this to let readers feel compassion for Myrtle which emphasizes all she needs is for someone to properly love her, treat her, and show her what she needs to do to become successful in her
In the book Great Gatsby there are many examples of society and social class, many are shown to us as the book progresses. Some are shown to us very up front while, others are hidden in the text. Society and social class play a critical part in this book such as how people interact with the lower classes, to how the rich live their lives. When we look deeper into on how the Great Gatsby handles sociality and social class, which puts the characters in the positions they are in.
...aughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air” (Fitzgerald 35). Myrtle represents the “need” of women to be known for having money and wealth so that she is much more popular. Myrtle wears the dress to disguise her current status and act as if she is a part of the rich, but in reality she is poor and naive, but the transformation of the dress changes her to rich and conceited.
Unlike Daisy, who comes from old money, Myrtle is from the lower middle class. Myrtle hopes to climb the social ladder by cheating on her husband with Tom Buchanan.
While comparing and contrasting Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson, I will be focusing on all aspects of the characters. Physically they are very different, but by demonstrating their distinct physical differences, Fitzgerald is allowing us to pick favorites early on. Daisy and Myrtle share a number of similarities and many differences in their daily lives, such as how they look, act, and handle conflict.
The 1920s served as a significant period of time for women as it was then that they broke away from all the traditional social constrains.However, this leads to the issue of the negative representaion of women in the novel. It is noted that none of the main women in the Great Gatsby is portrayed in a good light. There is Daisy, who is beautiful, but also extremely shallow and materialistic- seeing that she only married Tom for his wealth.Next, readers meet Jordan, Daisy’s friend. Jordan is portrayed as extremely independent and self- sufficient. However she is also seen to be a little detached, this is highlighted when Nick’s first description of her was that she was ‘motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balaancing something on it which was quite likey to her’, and we can infer that Jordan has an air of aloofness that makes her seem rather unapproachable. There is also Myrtle, Tom’s mistress. Myrtle and Daisy are binary opposites in terms of appearance, however, Myrtle like Daisy, is extremely materialistic. Myrtle chooses to have an affair with Tom while fully knowing that he was married because he was able to provide her with material things she could never afford. Furthermore, she insults her loving husband, and claims that he is ‘not fit to lick [her] shoe’ simply because he was not rich. Here, readers can clearly see that Myrtle is a woman with loose morals who is completely
Tom knew Myrtle better than any of the main characters. He had met her on a train headed for New York. When the train reached the city, she went with him in a taxi, and their affair began. Tom never made much of an effort to keep their relationship secret. In fact, he almost paraded her around in the presence of his acquaintances. They made frequent trips into New York so that they could be together. Myrtle was Tom's escape from his own life in East Egg. While Daisy provided him with a wealthy, acceptable social image, she was not much more to him than a mere possession. His affair with Myrtle offered him a chance to defy his social expectations. Their relationship was important to him because of this opportunity to escape. When Myrtle died, it shook him deeply, especially because he believed Gatsby had been driving the yellow car. After leaving George Wilson's garage the night of the accident, he managed to drive slowly until he and Nick were out of sight. Then he slammed his foot down on the accelerator, driving much faster. He began quietly sobbing, privately mourning her death. He immediately blamed Gatsby for bringing their relationship to an abrupt halt. "That God damned coward!" he cried. "He didn't even stop his car." His feelings of anger and hurt were greatly intensified by the day spent in New York....
She views her husband as nothing as clearly illustrated in The Great Gatsby when the novel states “walking through her husband as if he were a ghost, shook hands with Tom, looking him flush in the eye.” walking through him is showing she doesn't even view George, Her husband, as though he is in the room, She just goes straight to Tom because he’s her ticket out of this life Myrtle put herself into. She then says to her George, “Get some chairs, why don’t you, so somebody can sit down.” She just wants to make plans with Tom. Her husband is only distraction to her. She has no relationship with her husband. As soon as she found out that he had borrowed his suit she knew her would all be going downhill. Myrtle was now a victim of her own desperation, because of her marriage to
Perhaps one of the greatest ways Fitzgerald establishes the horrific times of the 1920s occurs when he evokes sympathy for Gatsby regarding his tragic death and the after affects. One night, after being in New York City for the day, Daisy and Gatsby are driving back to Daisy’s home. Daisy’s husband, Tom, has not remained faithful to her since their wedding day and he is in an affair with a woman named Myrtle Wilson. The road from New York City back to Daisy’s home travels past the home of Myrtle Wilson. As Daisy and Gatsby are driving by, Myrtle sees the car and recognizes that Tom was driving it earlier. Thinking that Tom is currently driving the car, Myrtle thinks that Tom has come to get her and take her with him. Myrtle then runs out to the car, but the car does not stop because Daisy is driving it, and ends up accidentally hitting and killing Myrtle. However, when George Wilson finds out that his wife has been killed, he is wrongly told that Gatsby was the one driving the vehicle. George Wilson becomes so upset by this that he goes to Gatsby house and shoots him. This event creates sympathy for Gatsby because he gets killed for an crime that he did not commit. Gatsby’s tell also signifies his love for Daisy and how he was willing to take the blame for the murder, so that Daisy would not suffer any
Tom is proud of his affairs, and has had many since his marriage. For the esteemed Tom Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson is simply the woman for the time. Due to Tom being consumed by wealth, people that recently came to fortune or individuals with less money hold no stake in Tom’s world. To Tom they are nobodies. He commands attention through his boisterous and outspoken behavior. If Tom has a problem, he will let that person know immediately while being as degrading as possible. Overall, Tom Buchanan proves high-class does not classy with respectable
Myrtle’s perception of reality is blurred. She fails to recognize her social standing as someone of the lower class, and instead brings upon a self lead pretentious charade that she is of the upper class. She has an acquired habit of stating that various aspect in her life are under her expectations. She insists that she only “married him because (she) thought he was a gentleman”, and that he “fit to lick ...
Before Myrtle Wilson bit the dust, she had an affair with Tom Buchanan. Wilson lived in the valley of ashes and Tom was up to his knees in cash so the two could not, or would not, divorce their existing spouses marry each other because in the world of The Great Gatsby, it’s all about retaining your social status. That did not mean that Tom couldn’t visit Myrtle in secret and buy her gifts. For example, the first time Nick met Myrtle she was wearing a “spotted dress of dark blue crêpe-de-chine,” given to her by Tom (25). Myrtle’s blue dress was bought by Tom, a member of the higher class, exhibiting how the color blue is seen around those in the higher class. Shortly after Myrtle’s death, George accused Tom of being the driver who ran her over. When the policeman asked Tom what color his car was, Tom replied “It’s a blue car, a coupé,” (140). His blue car also shows that the color blue is always around members of the higher class like
Tom Buchanan is a man from the upper class of society that believes he is better than everyone and is described by Nick as a man with “Two shining arrogant eyes had established of always leaning aggressively forward.” (Fitzgerald 11) . He is a man with no morals and has an affair with a mistress named Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle is part of the lower class and her morals are just as low as Tom. Myrtle attempts to use Tom to move up in society. Myrtle puts on her best dress and tries to entertain the guests when she goes out with Tom. Myrtle attempts to entertain the guest by acting like a superior because she thinks she will sound fancier. This only makes her seem more foolish and seem like the low class person she truly is. Tom sees Myrtle as an inferior human being and treats her with disrespect. Myrtle knows about Tom’s wife Daisy and uses her name to tease him. With no remorse “Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” (Fitzgerald 41) when Myrtle disrespected Tom by repeating Daisy’s name. Myrtle is an easy target for Tom and finds satisfaction in feeling superior to Myrtle. Myrtle knows she's not as