gatwomen gatdaisy Women of The Great Gatsby Great Gatsby Essays

The Women of The Great Gatsby

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, the two central women presented are Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. These two women, although different, have similar personalities. Throughout the novel, there are instances in which the reader feels bad for and dislikes both Daisy and Myrtle. These two women portray that wealth is better than everything else, and they both base their lives on it. Also the novel shows the hardships and difficulties they have in their marriages. They are never satisfied with what they have, and are always longing for more.

Daisy Buchanan is married to Tom Buchanan and cousin to Nick Carraway. During World War I, many soldiers stationed by her in Louisville, were in love with her. The man who caught her eye the most was Jay Gatsby. When he was called into war, she promised him that she would wait for him. Also that upon his return they will be married. Daisy, lonely because Gatsby was at war, met Tom Buchanan. He was smart and part of a wealthy family. When he asked her to marry him, she didn't hesitate at once, and took his offering. Here, the reader first encounters how shallow Daisy is, making her a dislikeable character. Another event that Daisy is a dislikeable character is when she did not show up to Gatsby's funeral. When Daisy and Gatsby reunite, their love for each other rekindle. She often visited Gatsby at his mansion, and they were inseparable. This led Gatsby on because he dedicated his whole life into getting Daisy back, and she had no gratitude towards it. At the hotel suite scene, Daisy reveals to all that she loves Gatsby, but then also says that she loves Tom as well. This leaves the reader at awe, because after all the suffering that Tom puts her through, she still wants to be with him. After killing Myrtle, Daisy leaves with Tom to Chicago, and does not show up to Gatsby's funeral. This is wrong and disrespectful because she claimed that she loved him, and does not have the common decency to show up and pay her respects.

Despite Daisy being a dislikeable character, there are some instances in which the reader feels sympathetic towards her. A big factor is the affair that Tom has with Myrtle. Daisy knows that what her husband is doing, but she still stays with him for the fact that they have a daughter together and for financial support. When Nick first sees Daisy's daughter, she says, "I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool-that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." By this she means that if her daughter is in the same position she is in her marriage, she won't know of the affair that her husband might have. The reader feels bad for Daisy because she is not being treated the way a wife is supposed to be treated. That is why she is yearning for love, and Gatsby was there to give it to her. Another time is at the hotel suite scene. She doesn't know who to choose from-Tom or Gatsby. She's torn between two lovers, and both of them have their own reasons for loving her, and why she should choose them. Gatsby has a lot to offer her, and loves her for who she is. He succeeded in life just to be with her. Although Tom is having an affair, he questions her about their love, and that Gatsby cannot take his place. Daisy confused on what to do leaves crying, while Gatsby chases after her. The reader feels bad for her because she has to choose from her present life with Tom, or the new life she might have with Gatsby.

Myrtle Wilson is the wife of George Wilson and Tom Buchanan's mistress. Along with Daisy, she has instances in which the reader feels bad and dislikes her. The reader dislikes Myrtle because she is cheating on her husband who really loves her. George will do anything for Myrtle, but she's not grateful for it. For Myrtle, she thinks that the marriage was a mistake. She says this at the party held at her and Tom's apartment. She says, " The only crazy I was was when I married him. I knew right away I mad a mistake." Another time when the reader dislikes her is when she is trying to get away from George. In the movie, she literally wants to jump out the window and escape, and she knows that what George is doing is good for her. He knows that she's living another life in which she does not want him to know about. The reader also feels bad for Myrtle in this case. The reason why is that she wants to explore new things. Her husband is not giving her a life of excitement, and Tom is. Also Tom treats her like property. When Myrtle started to rant Daisy's name to Tom, he punched and broke her nose. So in a way, Tom doesn't really treat the women in his life the way they are supposed to be treated. It's funny though because he tells the women in his life that he loves them, and then does something to hurt them in the end.

Daisy and Myrtle are alike and different in several ways. They are the same in the fact that Tom is one of the men in their lives. He's the one that gives them everything they want, and for that that's the reason they stay with him. Another similarity is that they want more in life. They think that money is the best thing in the world. Without money they cannot survive. Because of their longing for something more, it often gets them in difficult and harmful situations. For instance when Myrtle was killed by Daisy in Gatsby's car, and Daisy having to live with a man that's with another woman. They both have to deal with Tom's brutality, because Tom always yells at one or the other. Also they are faced with the decision to stay with their marriages or go off with the other men in their life. Daisy and Myrtle are different because Myrtle knows what she wants in life. Although her life was ended in a tragic accident, she knew what she wanted to do. On the other hand, Daisy had no idea what to do. She seems to always be confused and lies to lead people on. Myrtle is a stronger person that Daisy. The reason is because Myrtle will actually do something to get away from her previous life, while Daisy will take it how it is. In the movie, Daisy is annoying and acts girlier. Myrtle is less annoying and keeps her affair on the down low. Her husband has a feeling about it, but he didn't know who the other guy was.

In the end, The Great Gatsby would not have been that interesting without Daisy or Myrtle. They were the ones that made the novel what it is. No matter what was happening, it tied to them in one way or another. They portray how women actually were during the 1920's. Fitzgerald did a good job in making the personalities of these women. Also in the movie, the actresses that played them actually fit the role. Women usually do not have impacts on things, but in this novel, major things happened as a result of these women. These things include dishonest marriages, love affairs, wealth, power, and jealousy. This goes to show that women are not always the innocent ones in novels, or any other type of literature.