George Wilson And Myrtle In The Great Gatsby

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Doomed The “Roaring Twenties” was an extravagant time characterizing the decade of prosperity. Automobiles started an industrial revolution that lead to unprecedented growth. These shifts came about in economical aspects, but they also occurred in lifestyles and culture. Fitzgerald shows the obvious distinction between the rich and poor was associated with modernity, a break with traditions and location. He uses the characters Myrtle and George Wilson to show how poverty doomed their relationship. In The Great Gatsby, the social class levels were tied together with whether you lived in East Egg, West Egg, or the Valley of ashes. Fitzgeralds describes the “valley of ashes...where the ashes take forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke… the grey land and spasms of bleak…show more content…
George and Myrtle are damaged by this because Tom could take Myrtle without threats. The restrictions that the lower class had prompted Myrtle to look for a life that wasn’t parochial. Tom introduces Nick to Myrtle when they all decide to go to the city. Upon their arrival, venders on the street catch Myrtle’s attention. Tom told Myrtle ‘Here’s your money. go and buy 10 more dogs with it” (32) Tom gave anything and everything Myrtle wanted. Nick declined the offer to go up with Tom and Myrtle to the apartment they owned for one purpose only: their affair. Tom comforted Nick by saying “Myrtle’ll be hurt if you don’t come up.” (32) Later, Myrtle decided to throw an amoral party in the apartment filled with illegal activities. Nick recalls “Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume… an elaborate dress of cream colored chiffon.. her personality had undergone a change.” (35) Myrtle is a social climber when she’s around Tom and tries to act more sophisticated and urbane, but those qualities were not congenital. At the party, Tom also slapped Myrtle after she mentioned Daisy’s name.

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