What Does Myrtle Represent In The Great Gatsby

To begin, Tom and Myrtle’s affair proves truthful to the lack of respect for women in the 1920’s. Myrtle’s possessiveness over Tom cause him to lose respect for her. He becomes

George had no idea that Myrtle is having a relationship with Tom, and in the end he thought she had an affair with Gatsby because Tom told him so. They don’t care about their significant others feelings, they only care about their own happiness. They are treated significantly differently, Myrtle got a broken nose because she kept on screaming Daisy’s name in front of Tom several times and he told her to stop, but she wouldn’t stop until he exploded in rage and hit her. "Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!" shouted Mrs. Wilson, "I'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai –– " Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald 25). When Daisy told Tom she’s going to leave him for Gatsby, Tom pleads he’ll change and stop having affairs with other women, or as Daisy likes to call it a

Nick and Tom were best friends in college, but hadn’t really talked much since then. When Nick visits Tom and Daisy one afternoon, he learns from Jordan Baker, Daisy’s friend, that Tom has a mistress. “‘Why-’ she said hesitantly, ‘Tom’s got some woman in New York.’ ” (Fitzgerald 15) This gives Nick reason to not like Tom and give him reason to tell Daisy, but he doesn’t. The next morning, Tom invites Nick to go to lunch with him in the city and Tom takes him to see his mistress-Nick does not want to, but he humors Tom. Tom’s mistress’ name is Myrtle Wilson. Nick does not agree with this, although he does keep it a secret. Nick listens to Tom and keeps his secret from Daisy, even though she already knows. Even though Nick develops a negative impression of Tom, he plays a role as a major confidant towards him.

Myrtle Wilson, the wife of George, and the lover of Tom Buchanan, is brutally murdered toward the end of the novel. After an uncivilized afternoon in New York, Daisy and Gatsby head swiftly back to East Egg. Gatsby explains to Nick, “It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were somebody she knew” (Fitzgerald 109). Myrtle ran out toward the car looking for Tom but sadly for her it is not him. Many know about Tom’s affair, but not with whom he is having it, especially Daisy. Daisy never slows the car down, and she never realizes who she hits. This shows that Daisy is oblivious to Myrtles existence. Myrtle is sleeping with her husband, she ruins their marriage, and Daisy kills her. The irony exists in this because Daisy actually saves her marriage by killing

Myrtle is a snob and tries to act better than everyone else even though she is nowhere close to being better. “I told that boy about the ice.” Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders. “These people! You have to keep after them all the time.” (Fitzgerald 32) Myrtle says this talking about the “lower orders” even though she is one herself. She believes that acting like a snob will make her sound fancy and more high class, but the truth is she is neither of those things.

In Fitzgerald's book, The Great Gatsby, Myrtle’s diction is described as untruthful. All through the book Myrtle is surrounded by lies in her life. The reader is shown this when Myrtle has a conversation with Mrs. Mckee. In their conversation Mrs. Mckee comments on how she liked Myrtles dress, but is instantly shot down by Myrtle in disdain. Myrtle then says, “I just slip it on when I don’t care what I look like.” (Fitzgerald 35) This is an awfully rude way of speaking to a guest who you invited to your own party. Myrtle was lying because she didn't have very much money to be honest, she just wanted people to think that she is the queen and wore expensive clothes like it was nothing special.

Symbolism is used in the quotation which are the green light and mist. The green light signifies the ultimate dream of Gatsby which is Daisy’s love. But after getting it, a mist hides the green light perceptibly affecting Gatsby. The green light also represents new life with Daisy but later realizes that it is not what he really wants.

Myrtle is unhappy with her standard of living and George. A quote to support this is, “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman” she said finally. “I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe” (2.34). It is shown in this quote that Myrtle overestimated George’s money because he’s a mechanic and is unhappy she is living over a garage. In addition, that’s where Tom comes in and she has an affair with him. A quote to assist this would be, “Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He’s so dumb he doesn’t know she’s alive” (2.26). In analysis of this quote, Myrtle uses Tom to get away from George and because Tom is wealthy and buys things for her. There was more than one reason to Myrtle’s affair with

First, Tom and Daisy demonstrate their carelessness through their insensitiveness. When Tom is visiting his mistress, Myrtle, she taunts Tom by repeatedly saying “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” (Fitzgerald, 39). This causes Tom to get aggravated and strike Myrtle in the face, breaking her nose. Tom physically abuses Myrtle and while he is under the influence of alcohol, he has the intent of hurting her, not caring if she gets injured. Tom also lies to Myrtle, telling her that he would marry her if is wife wasn’t Catholic. Tom does not care about the feelings of his mistress, seeing her as an object and not a human. Myrtle is nothing more than a way for Tom to feel powerful due to her low social status and insecurities. It is mentioned that Tom has cheated on Daisy before with a maid, further proving that Toms motive for having an affair is power. It also proves that Tom is not cheating on Daisy because he is bored, but because he does not truly love her or care for her. Tom’s lack of concern for those around him proves his insensitiveness and overall carelessness.

Tom was born into the money, and Wilson worked hard and works hard for what he has. Tom does not work, Wilson owns his own garage and works in it for a living. Some similarities are Tom is a cheater, and Wilson stays loyal to Myrtle. This shows how ignorant Tom is. He has a daughter with Daisy, and he is having an affair with Daisy. Tom and Wilson are alike also, they both are cowards, Tom doesn't like Gatsby because Gatsby is Daisy's old lover. Tom tells Wilson where Gatsby lives for the hit and run, and Tom knew this was his chance to get rid of Gatsby. Later on, Wilson kills

Fritzgerald states, “... and walking through her husband as if he were a ghost, shook hands with Tom, looking him flush in the eye. Then she wet her lips, and without turning spoke to her husband in a soft coarse voice” (2). Myrtle wants this wealthy lifestyle and it is evident through her concentration on Tom, a man of a wealthy status, even when she is talking to her husband, George. Myrtle does not give him the time of day even though George spends his money to try and improve their life. She married George because she thought he was of wealth because George wore a suit on the day of their wedding, but as soon as Myrtle realized his socio-economic status she soon started having affairs with wealthy men to increase hers. It was unsuccessful and Myrtle still reverted back to George buying her everything she wanted, when in the long run it only hurt them in not being able to pull themselves out of

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the fictional novel The Great Gatsby illustrating, in Nick’s perspective, the dying and lost love through the conflicts of the classes with the example of Tom’s use for Myrtle, and Gatsby’s affection to Daisy. Tom brings Nick along with him to meet his new lover Myrtle Wilson, where they throw a party in her apartment. As she acts arrogantly to fit into the old money tradition, “Some time toward midnight Tom Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face, discussing in impassioned voices whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy’s name...Moving a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald 37). As Tom broke Myrtle’s nose, this show no affection that Tom shows for Myrtle, as treating her like a property, as well as treating Daisy as property for still being married to her but also leaving her.

She knew she was just an object in one of Tom’s

Wilson gives to Myrtle his complete trust in the same way he provides Myrtle with what she asks for, but she abuses it. She takes her husband for granted while at the same time, she gazes at Tom sitting on a pedestal she has made for him. Tom is the man that can make Myrtle's every fantasy come true, but also the man that will lead to her early death. Myrtle is seen to be a fun and floozy mistress, but not as a real wife. She, as superficial as it may be, is not someone that Tom could take to parties and introduce to his parents. Myrtle controls Wilson, while Tom manipulates her simply for enjoyment. For example, Tom tells Myrtle that the reason they could never wed is because his wife, Daisy, is Catholic and she would never stand for a divorce. In this scene, Catherine, Myrtle's sister, tells Nick Carraway, the narrator, about the reasons why Tom and Myrtle may never come

Tom loved Myrtle, because she made him feel needed. When Myrtle died Tom was upset, but part of the reason why he was upset was because he might have just lost both of his women. Also, when Tom is invited