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Contrasting Types Of Women In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Karen Giron English 11 Carr 5/11/23 In F.Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson and Daisy Buchcan are two female characters created by the author. They are examples of two contrasting types of women from the Roaring Twenties. Although both women are preoccupied with matters of money and social status, their personalities differ and their core beliefs are what drive their behavior and judgment. Fitgerald emphasizes the shallowness and superficiality of the wealthy elite through these characters. Myrtle's character embodies the darker side of the American dream. Myrtle wants a new life with Tom, who represents wealth and status. “The only crazy person I was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake” (Fitzgerald 39) This reveals Myrtle's bitterness against her husband and her conviction that she is entitled to better. It also demonstrates her lack of accountability of her own decisions and deeds. She places the blame for her unhappiness on her husband rather than owning up to her actions. Myrtle says, “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman.. I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe.” This shows Myrtle's dissatisfaction with her present social status and her desire to move on to better. Her relationship …show more content…

Additionally, it is revealed that she is not happy in her marriage and struggles to find fulfillment in her rich lifestyle. Daisy struggles with balancing her feelings for Gatsby and for her love for her husband. When she says, “I love you now-isn't that enough? I can't help what's past.”(Fitzgerald 133) This shows Daisy’s conflicted with her past relationship with Gatsby and her current marriage. She is unable to decide between the two and is very torn. Daisy's persona stands in for the hollowness of riches and privilege since, despite having worldly possessions, she is unable to experience true

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Additionally how Fitzgerald uses precise diction with describing Myrtle’s movements intensify her characterization. “But immediately she turned sharply from the window and leaning forward tapped on the front glass. ‘I want to get one of those dogs,’ she said earnestly.” Myrtle seems to feel entitled to things because she wants them. Her character grows much throughout this passage, particularly into a woman that does not like the life she has, so she does anything in her power, even having an affair, to change that.

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Fitzgerald is using this example to show that people dream to be higher class, but the social class is unfair. Myrtle is trapped looking for that comfortable life. Myrtle had said “ I married him because i thought he was a gentleman… i thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit

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“And that’s the difference between your case and mine.” “Why did you, Myrtle?”(Fitzgerald 29). Myrtle is talking about how she did wrong in marrying Wilson, this whole dialogue just showcases her selfishness and how terrible of a person she is. Myrtle is unhappy with her relationship because she can not constantly be getting what she wants, so she cheated on him with Tom who can provide her with what she wants.

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Myrtle explains she only married Wilson because, “ I thought he was a gentleman, I thought he knew something about breeding but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe.” (Fitzgerald 34). Myrtle's love for Tom is all based on wealth because Myrtle is happier with Tom due to Tom's money and how she can get anything she wants. In contrast to her current relationship with Wilson; who generates a very low income and cannot spoil Myrtle with any belongings, but only his love. Tom is able to make Myrtle happy with the only thing she cares about, Money.

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Fitzgerald depicts the women of the novel as deceitful, sexual beings that are naturally subordinate to men through Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle. Daisy exemplifies the naturally inferior role of women relying on the wealth of men in their lives to take care of them. When Daisy talks about her daughter she claims, “a fool–that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool”(21) establishing women’s subordinate role in which they are ignorant to the affairs of their husbands and expected to rely on their beauty to carry them through life. When Daisy is accused of infidelity with Gatsby in the hotel, Gatsby claims that Daisy is attracted to men of wealth and, “only married [Tom] because [Gatsby] was poor and she was tired of waiting for [him]”(137).

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