The Great Gatsby Myrtle Analysis

Words: 1951
Pages: 8

Similarities of developing character between Daisy and Myrtle in The Great Gatsby In the story The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald takes advantage of the feelings and characteristics of women during the roaring twenties in the story. He shows that women believe in having a higher social status, reputation and lots of money are all factors that help in leading to a happy and secure lifestyle. Daisy and Myrtle try to achieve this hope and dream in similar ways by being involved with the concept of having this richness. They do not care about what it takes to keep this money and reputation including getting treated unfairly and others they result in hurting while trying to achieve it. Daisy and Myrtle are shown completely different …show more content…
For Myrtle, she has an affair with Tom Buchanan, because she craves to have the higher social status and money that Tom has and hopes that by being with Tom she can fulfill her crave. Myrle wants this because she believes that she belongs or can relate to the lifestyle in the East Egg more than in the Valley of Ashes. Even Tom does not seem to mind, that Myrtle is using his money because he is fully aware of it and supports it, he is willing to buy anything for her to make her happy. This is shown in the beginning of the story, when he publicly and openly goes to different places with Myrtle in New York and East Egg, not caring if anyone sees them. Specifically, when Nick narrates the scene when him, Tom and Myrtle are in New York and Myrtle goes to a newsstand to buy “a copy of "Town Tattle." and a moving−picture magazine, and [at] the station drugstore some cold cream and a small flask of perfume” (27). This quote reveals Myrtle’s character by how she uses Tom’s money to buy herself expensive items that she could not afford herself to proves that she is a different person with Tom than she is with George when buying a copy of "Town Tattle”, that is a gossip magazine. This shows that her character only cares about learning and reading about the rich and higher class is the closest she will get to becoming one of them. Myrtle uses Tom’s money as a way for her to change her position, whereas Daisy uses his money as a shield for protecting her family’s future. Since Daisy has been born and raised in a rich and wealthy family, she is willing to do anything in her power to keep it that way. Even when she has an affair with Gatsby for his love and attention, she is reminded of her situation that Gatsby lives in West Egg