Ollie MacLaren P2 Shoemaker Passage 3 Analysis In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Myrtle’s shallowness, emphasized by her ability to quickly pass over the fact she is having an affair, conveys the lack of moralistic value and the shameless materialism of the “Jazz Age.” At the apartment, in which Tom (the husband of Nick’s cousin) and Myrtle (the wife of Tom’s mechanic) are conducting their affair, Myrtle explains “It was on the two seats facing each other that are always the last ones left on the train. I was going up to New York to see my sister and spend the night. He had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.”(36). In this story, Myrtle’s lack of character starts to shine through. When describing meeting this man whom she seems to be willing to throw her somewhat dull life away for, the first thing she describes is what he was wearing. Her inability to describe features like his, or his smile, the reader can infer that she is very materialistic. She sees Tom, not for who he is, but for the wealth and prosperity he represents. …show more content…
After explaining how his white shirt pressed against her, and they hit it off, she exclaims “I was so excited that when I got in a taxi with him I didn't hardly know I wasn’t getting into a subway train. All I kept thinking about over and over, was ‘you can’t live forever; you can’t live forever’.”(36). Through Myrtle’s mantra, Fitzgerald further expands on the lack of moralistic value, painting a picture of extreme impulsivity. In this time period, it is a societal norm to act without thinking. Myrtle’s inability to see the big picture, and failure to understand the consequences of cheating on her husband, reveals how shallow of a character she really is. Through her and Tom’s actions, the reader can begin to see just how little society at that time values