How Does Myrtle Present The Marriage In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby presents two marriages, the Buchanans and the Wilsons. Both marriages include the typical roles of the husband being the caretaker and the wife staying at home and looking after the house, but the two relationships have more in common. Men at this time period were usually controlling and thought to be superior to the women in relationships. The two marriages in The Great Gatsby generally follow this stereotype. The novel points out both similarities and differences in the two marriages, and there is irony in the resemblance. Ultimately all four characters, Daisy, Tom, Myrtle, and George are victims and oppressors. The marriages are strained and complicated and they are connected through Tom and Myrtle, who had an affair together throughout the novel. At first glance readers may assume that the marriages between the Buchanans

Tom becomes at risk of losing his relationship, even though from the start he was the careless one who became involved in many affairs. After the men learn about their wives’ affairs, they take action to keep their relationships in tact. Tom confronts and challenges Daisy about her relationship, while George abuses Myrtle and plans to take her away. Their plans to regain their wives’ loyalty backfires, however, and instead they damage their relationships even more. Neither of the men are really involved in their marriages until their relations with their women are on the brink of doom. Tom had many affairs throughout his marriage with Daisy but he still says, “‘And what's more, I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time’”. (131) He claims to have always loved her, even though he never sought out for the relationship until the end. The men never showed interest and their relationship slowly fell apart, and they didn’t care until it was too