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Lauren Brooks

Mrs.Sharp

English

08 February 2019

The Great Gatsby

In the novel,​The Great Gatsby​ by ​F. Scott Fitzgerald. Myrtle Wilson tries to escape her

class, and wishes to become wealthy. She believes she can achieve this by being with Tom.

Myrtle is shown to care more about money than love, she regrets that she married her

husband George Wilson who is a poor car mechanic who lives in the valley of ashes.​"The only

crazy I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed

somebody's best suit to get married in and never even told me about it, and the man came after it

one day when he was out”(Fitzgerald 109) Myrtle thinks that she deserves more than George.

She believes life is measured on how much money she has or the things she owns, which makes

her want more than the life she has now.​“He had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes, and I

couldn’t keep my eyes off of him”. The way she describes Tom as if the clothes he wears makes

him better or more appealing to her than George does. This reveals that she only wants Tom

because of the life that she thinks Tom can give her rather than loving him.

In the apartment Tom and Myrtle start fighting over the fact that Tom will not leave daisy for

her.​“ "Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!" shouted Mrs. Wilson. "I'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy!

Dai----"Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand. ”
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(125-126). Tom seems to abuse Myrtle but Myrtle still wants him because wealth is more to her

than having a man lover her. Tom doesn’t see Myrtle as her own person but only an object of

which he owns.​"I told that boy about the ice." Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the

shiftlessness of the lower orders. "These people! You have to keep after them all the time."

(69-70).Myrtle not only wants to be part of the upper class but she tries to play the part by acting

snobby. She thinks she is above because of what Tom gives her

In conclusion, Myrtle wants the life she doesnt have and doesn't get to have, but she would

do anything for fortune. The dream of that lifestyle then becomes later becomes the death of her​.