Myrtle Wilson In The Great Gatsby

Words: 647
Pages: 3

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson are murdered by their own inability to accept reality. Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson are each in love with a person that they cannot have. Their lives have not followed the path that their hearts desire and they try desperately to fill the vacancy with their own fantasies. F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals the corrupt American dream through the similarities of Gatsby and Myrtle. Gatsby and Myrtle tragically share the reasons for their deaths. Gatsby and Myrtle both desire love and affection from someone who is already married, they both both have unrealistic expectations for their future life, and they are both hopelessly trapped in their own fantasy. Gatsby and Myrtle are both hypnotized by the thought that they can gain the love of someone who is already married. Gatsby is infatuated with Daisy and creates his whole life around the idea that he and Daisy will be together again. He throws magnificent and lavish parties in hopes that Daisy will make an appearance. …show more content…
Gatsby and Myrtle both value materialistic items and believe that love and materialism are intertwined. Gatsby believes that he can regain the love and affection from Daisy that he desires with materialistic items such as a huge gaudy mansion and nice clothing. Gatsby has set very unrealistic expectations for his future life with Daisy and in order to achieve his version of the American dream, he participates in immoral business. Myrtle wants to separate from her husband, George, because he is unable to give her the valuables that she desires. Myrtle pursues a relationship with Tom because he provides to her, the materialistic items she longs for, such as a separate apartment in New York City, and a pet that they share. This is a facade that Tom creates for Myrtle in order to make it seem like they have their own life