What Does Myrtle's Death Represent In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby on the surface is a deceptively crafty tale about consumerism and the American dream in the 1920s yet it is full with symbols and metaphors that allow the readers to take away a stronger message. In fact, some of Fitzgerald’s hints are so slight and well-hidden that a majority of readers are unable to pick up on them. For example, textual evidence in The Great Gatsby shows that Gatsby was driving the car that killed Myrtle, not Daisy. The film-makers picked up on these hints as Gatsby as shown in the driver’s seat when the car hit Myrtle. But why is this important? Wouldn’t Tom have blamed Gatsby both ways and he would have still died? Yes, but Gatsby’s death would have held a different meaning. The theme of the book could have further expanded to integrity as well as the American dream. After an insightful analysis, it is likely that Gatsby was the driving the car that killed Myrtle due to reoccurring symbols, social norms, and sheer logic.

It is constantly correlated with the image of Gatsby reaching out towards it, towards Daisy, the American dream, his future. When Michaelis was first describing the car that hit Myrtle he said, “He wasn’t even sure of its color – he told the first policeman that it was light green.” This was one of Fitzgerald’s small clues to show that Gatsby was the driver as his characters color is well established as green. It is arguable that the color green would show that Daisy was driving as Myrtle ran towards the green as Gatsby did and the green could symbolize Daisy, but by this point in the novel Gatsby and Daisy have already been together so the green light no longer symbolized Daisy but the American dream which Myrtle was searching