Myrtle's Use Of Symbolism In The Great Gatsby

The belief that wealth and luxurious materialistic possessions can capture true happiness is yet again disproven in this tragic love story revolving around Jay Gatsby and his ambitious pursuit of happiness. Jay Gatsby, arguably the central character in the novel, perseveres and overcomes his poverty-stricken life. He eventually rises to the upper elite class made thanks to the illegal bootlegging of alcohol, allowing him to acquire immense amount of wealth and expensive residences such as his grand mansion. Fitzgerald intertwines Gatsby's mansion along with the residences of the other major characters, with the intentional use of symbolism, to reveal more about their individual identities. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby,

The small apartment is crowded with oversized furniture, gossip magazines and paintings, the apartment corresponds hand in hand with their egos. They both exhibit a child’s mentality, constantly seeking attention and pursuing their wants and needs without any consequences, hence why the apartment is on the top floor and why they own oversized furniture. In Grande, Bjørnar’s academic article, “Desire In The Great Gatsby”, he claims “ Myrtle’s apartment in New York reflects her social ambitions.” Myrtle’s intent is purely to show off the materialistic possessions she is awarded through her affair with Tom and tries to use this opportunity to live a lavish life. The apartment represents Myrtle’s materialistic desires while it also gives a chance for Tom to display his dominance by owning the apartment and sexually pleasing the women within. Engaging in an affair with Tom shows that infidelity is no issue for Myrtle as she will do anything to get what she has always wanted: money and power. Through the eyes of her, pursuing money and power at the expense of infidelity is

Their house in contrast to the mansions and bungalows in East and West Egg is immensely less desirable. Their home symbolizes who George is, a mechanic and who Myrtle is, the wife of a poor mechanic. Michael Nowlin in his critical introduction of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald describes Myrtle as “a vivacious wife dying from cultural and sexual starvation.”(Nowlin 2007) Being poor and living in the dark and desolate poverty infested place, Myrtle has been deprived of a materialistic lifestyle forcing her to take command and commit adultery with Daisy’s husband. Her sole intention being to satisfy herself sexually and improve her quality of life. Their house being in the Valley of Ashes is overlooked by the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg, this shows the Wilson’s are always being looked down upon. The eyes of the doctor serve to act and judge the identities of the inhabitants of East and West egg passing through and also people already living in the valley.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, there are numerous residences which represent their owner’s identity and reveal the ways in which how the identities are interlinked with their homes. Fitzgerald crafts the importance of the symbolism by utilizing vivid imagery of the wealthy residences and characterization of the major characters to portray to the audience how homes