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Character Analysis Of The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. It takes place on Long Island in the summer of 1922. Told from the point of view of Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s friend and neighbor, the plot follows Gatsby’s attempts to reunite with Daisy after five years of accumulating wealth with which to impress her and win her away from her husband, Tom Buchanan. Gatsby almost achieves his goal; however, tragic events lead to the demise of his dream and, ultimately, his death. Throughout the book the character focus seems to remain on Tom Buchanan, his wife Daisy, and the mysterious Jay Gatsby. Their money and lavish lifestyle seems to draw all the attention towards them, however there is another character displaying a very powerful message: Myrtle Wilson. The glimpses that we do see of Myrtle show her talking about her affair openly which is something very uncommon in the 1920s. Fitzgerald uses Myrtle as commentary to show the consequences of a woman who is open about her sexuality.
Myrtle, being repressed in her marriage, begins to display how her husband isn’t satisfying her. Society told women like Myrtle that they needed to “monitor their behavior—especially the moral and sexual behavior” (Sword). Myrtle was expected to conceal her impure thoughts, and act virtuous at all times. Myrtle and her friend, Catherine, are having a conversation about being unhappy. Myrtle states “Well, I married him…”
“Why did you Myrtle?” demanded Catherine. “Nobody

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