ipl-logo

Myrtle's Position In The Great Gatsby

1073 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of myrtle in the great gatsby

In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the female characters, Jordan Baker, Daisy Buchanan, and Myrtle Wilson, throughout the whole novel, all have the same motive which is achieving their desired social position through cheating. Jordan Baker is a very wealthy and famous golfer who will do anything to achieve her goal which is very beneficial to her social position. Like Jordan, Daisy Buchanan is very wealthy as well and married to one of the richest men in East Egg, Tom Buchanan. However, when she finds real love, Gatsby, she denies it because she wants to keep her social position. Like Daisy, Myrtle cheats on her husband and had an affair with another man who is Tom Buchanan. Myrtle wishes that she could live the upper class lifestyle rather to the poor lifestyle in which she is in. This leads to the disrespect towards her husband because she wants to leave her …show more content…

Tom did not like this and decided act upon it by breaking her nose with his open hand. However, this does not change Myrtle’s opinion being with Tom. Throughout the whole novel, Myrtle still does not treat her husband with respect and wishes that she could be with Tom instead as she cares only about her social position. Unlike Myrtle, Jordan Baker already has the social position that Myrtle was dreaming of. Jordan Baker is a very famous golfer and wealthy woman. However, she is a cheat not in just golf, but at life as well. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, describes her as “incurably dishonest” (Fitzgerald 158) She uses men for her own sexual pleasure which is evident through the quote “insolent smile turned to the world and yet satisfy the demands of her hard, jaunty body.” (Fitzgerald 158) Her social position and wealth makes her very attractive to many men. However, during Gatsby’s party, Jordan hangs out with Nick and Nick senses a start of their relationship with one

Show More
Related

Myrtle's Use Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby

966 Words | 4 Pages

The Moral Decay of the Materialistic Although F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby debuted in 1925– before the Great Depression– it serves as a prophetic exemplification of the the material excess of the 1920s that drowned out signs of the coming Great Depression. The book’s plot follows the bootlegger Jay Gatsby as he pursues his old love Daisy Buchanan through flaunting his new extravagant lifestyle, mainly by throwing ostentatious parties. Yet, in the end, Daisy chooses her unfaithful husband Tom over Gatsby. Through Fitzgerald’s use of wealthy, materialistic characters, he comments on the effect of the material excess of the roaring twenties: moral corruption.

Read More

How Is Daisy Portrayed In The Great Gatsby

871 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays women in an extremely negative light. The idea Fitzgerald gives off is that women are only good for their looks and their bodies and that they should just be a sex symbol rather than actually use their heads. He treats women like objects and the male characters in the novel use women, abuse women, and throw them aside. I believe that Daisy, Jordan and Myrtle are prime examples of women in The Great Gatsby being treated poorly.

Read More

The Role Of Jordan Baker In The Great Gatsby

918 Words | 4 Pages

“The Great Gatsby" begins in 1922 when the roaring twenties had just been set into motion. This jubilant era was a revolutionary time in America’s history as it was an age of social rebellion and domestic reform. Another key event from this time period was the Prohibition which attempted to ban all alcohol consumption and sales, but only succeeded in making alcohol cheaper to the people. Jordan Baker thrived during this era as a pro-golfer and she stood for more than what most women wanted blossoming her way as her own self-sufficient source. In, “The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jordan finds herself in conflict with society’s expectations through characterization of her as an independent young woman and through the theme

Read More

Examples Of Deception In The Great Gatsby

826 Words | 4 Pages

Fitzgerald in the novel, uses careless individuals who would destroy everything and everyone and yet still manage to retreat back to their money. Daisy Buchanan, the ‘golden girl’ is rather dishonest and deceitful throughout the novel. As she starts having her affair with Gatsby, she creates unrealistic expectations in Gatsby head about their future together. As Gatsby is having drinks at the Buchanan’s, Tom leaves the room and Daisy kisses Gatsby and declares, ‘I don’t care!’ At this point, the audience realizes that Daisy is and always was in love with Gatsby and that she was prepared to leave Tom.

Read More

Use Of Masks In The Great Gatsby

696 Words | 3 Pages

Her motivation to do this is because she wants people to think she is rich just like Daisy’s motivation. The outcome of her having an affair makes her an unfaithful wife to her husband. Finally, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson are the characters in the novel that put on untruthful identity for them to cover their mistakes, and their motivations show what kind of

Read More

Myrtle's Ambition In The Great Gatsby

1052 Words | 5 Pages

Although the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald emphasizes the parties and prosperity of the American 1920's, it reveals many major characters meeting tragic ends. The characters who meet these ends - Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and George Wilson - possess the same tragic characteristic: they endeavor for something more out of their lives than what they have. This ambition for what they could not have ultimately spelled their doom: Gatsby wanted money and Daisy; Myrtle wanted wealth and luxury, and sought it from Tom Buchanan; Wilson earned what he could only to please Myrtle. The Great Gatsby reveals a tragic nature through the trials and tribulations these characters endure to progress and prosper, only to receive death for their ambition. The exciting and wild time period of the "Roaring Twenties" provides a stark contrast to the deaths in order to further highlight the tragic nature of the novel, and leaves a theme that even those with the most hope and strong ambitions can fail and die miserably, no matter how much money they have.

Read More

Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby

951 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson desired to fit in with the upper class; however, her marriage to George Wilson prevented such from occurring. Myrtle failed to recognize her husband’s hard work and true character due to her efforts to rise in social status. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald emphasized Myrtle’s hatred towards her marriage through her conversation with Catherine, depicting how people of the twenties focused more on wealth and power compared to moral American values. As readers closely evaluate the moment of Myrtle’s dialogue, she dictated her feelings towards her marriage in a way that supposedly justified her infidelity.

Read More

Love And Desire In The Great Gatsby

1890 Words | 8 Pages

Myrtle was a “gold-digger”, but she also believed that he would genuinely love her and pick her over Daisy, even though Tom gave no indication of doing so. Like Daisy, breathed out wealth, Myrtle had breathed out vitality and sensuality, hoping for Tom to chose her as his love and for him to give her riches and luxury. As for Daisy, much like Myrtle, was also chasing both money and love, at different points in her life. Daisy, initially wanted love, and she displayed that, by first waiting for Gatsby and then once again when she was newly married with Tom. Over time, like with Myrtle, this dream of love evolved to of riches further on in her life.

Read More

The Great Gatsby Daisy Buchanan Wealth Quotes

484 Words | 2 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, characters have very distinct identities that develop throughout the book and many inferences are needed to understand the characters. One example of this is Daisy Buchanan. Daisy Buchanan cares greatly about wealth and is a very careless person. Throughout the novel, many of her decisions are due to her greed and carelessness, even though those decisions may not be the best decisions for her. Daisy displays her greed throughout the novel; she marries Tom Buchanan because of his wealth.

Read More

Stereotypes Of Women In The Great Gatsby

1557 Words | 7 Pages

This lust for power most likely stems from Myrtle’s own insecurities as she could feel intimidated by Daisy and her influence on Tom over her own. She also uses her hope in their future as a way of distracting herself from the life she chose. Finally, Jordan is illustrated as an individualistic character, making her different from both Daisy and Myrtle. However, she also has a major flaw as Nick mentions

Read More

Compare And Contrast Gatsby And Myrtle's Parties

915 Words | 4 Pages

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel that tells the story of love affairs, the american dream, and the battle between old money versus new money. The main problem of the novel is the fight for Daisy’s heart. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, and their love is fading away. Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, while later on Daisy is having an affair also with Jay Gatsby. The Buchanans come from old money, while Gatsby comes from new money.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Daisy And Wilson In The Great Gatsby

720 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel, Great Gatsby, the two main women presented are Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. There are many similarities and differences between Daisy and Myrtle. For instance both of them are unhappy in their lives and they are love in with a different with person, not with their husband. Their marriage is a jail. They are both in love with Tom in a different way, Daisy is the wife and Myrtle is the mistress.

Read More

Money And Power In The Great Gatsby Analysis

1149 Words | 5 Pages

Just like Daisy, Myrtle chooses money over love. She cheats on her husband George with Tom. Myrtle was a woman from the lower class who desired to be a part of the higher class. Tom spoiled Myrtle and gave her the lifestyle she always wanted. She belittles her husband and talk bad about him because he is not at the top of the social ladder where Tom is.

Read More

Female Characters In The Great Gatsby Essay

1296 Words | 6 Pages

2.2. THE GREAT GATSBY Considered as Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby offers a similar point of view about women in the 1920s. In this novel, there are three remarkable female characters. The first of them is Daisy Buchanan, the leading female character.

Read More

Examples Of Alcoholism In The Great Gatsby

609 Words | 3 Pages

Tom’s altercation with Myrtle accentuates his hypocrisy and lack of self-control; while he doesn’t feel guilty for cheating on Daisy with Myrtle, he feels that he has the right to maintain his authority over Myrtle. In this same scene, Myrtle, who is also drunk, draws attention to the negative aspects of her personality.

Read More

More about Myrtle's Position In The Great Gatsby

Related Topics

Open Document