Why Is Myrtle Satisfied In The Great Gatsby

In the ancient Chinese beliefs of Taoism, being happy with what one has is far more valuable than a materialistic desire. People who believe in this philosophy learn to be satisfied with their current lifestyle, instead of being overcome by greed. Obsessively pursuing happiness can often lead to one's downfall. This idea is displayed in The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the story, a man named Jay Gatsby is obsessed with his past lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby will do anything to get Daisy back, despite the fact that she is married to another man named Tom Buchanan. Despite the fact that Tom claims he loves Daisy, he has an amour named Myrtle who is only with him because of his wealth. Throughout the novel, Tom and

Gatsby and Myrtle persistently go after what makes them satisfied, which eventually leads to both of their deaths. Constantly chasing after what makes one content can frequently bring them to their collapse, as shown by Gatsby attempting to win Daisy’s love and Myrtle constantly chasing wealth. Constant desire for something that makes one happy usually results in their destruction, as displayed by Gatsby’s constant obsession with Daisy. Prior to when the novel takes place, Daisy and Gatsby plan to get married, which is disrupted when Gatsby is drafted into the army. Even though Daisy promises Gatsby she will wait for him, she ends up getting married to a wealthy and socialite man named Tom Buchanan. Throughout the novel, Gatsby never comes to terms with Daisy marrying Tom. He believes that he is Daisy’s only love interest, despite her being married. Tom and Gatsby start to quarrel over who Daisy truly loves and Gatsby believes “[she] doesn’t love [him]. . . she’s never loved [him], she loves me” (Fitzgerald 81). When Gatsby says that Daisy has “never loved” Tom, he implies that Daisy’s marriage to Tom was not based out of love, but rather to

Although Myrtle herself is part of the lower-middle class, her one desire in life to be wealthy. This is precisely the reason why she cheats on her husband, as she feels that he is not able to provide the life that she wants. She chooses Tom to start having an affair with due to his luxurious lifestyle. However, this eventually leads to her death. One day, she sees Tom’s car, and excitedly runs out to meet him. The driver of the car does not see her, and she gets hit. After she gets run over, her husband starts to recall her “ run[ning] out to speak to him[,] and he wouldn’t stop” (Fitzgerald 98). When Myrtle “runs out to speak” to who she thinks is Tom, this symbolizes her constant desire to have money. Without even checking who the driver is, she eagerly runs out towards the car. To Myrtle, Tom is a representation of the life she wishes to live. Furthermore, her husband George Wilson portrays the life she never wanted to experience. To Myrtle, George is simply an affable man. She only married him “because [he seemed to be] a gentleman. . . [but]he wasn’t fit to lick [her] shoe” (Fitzgerald 39). By “not being fit to lick her shoe”, Myrtle feels that George will never understand her desires in life, meaning that he is not the right person for her to marry. Essentially, Myrtle and George’s marriage was just a large-scale