While seemingly worlds apart, characters in literature often share surprising parallels. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson and Jay Gatsby initially appear vastly different, yet a closer examination reveals striking similarities in their aspirations and tragic downfalls. Both Myrtle and Gatsby yearn for wealth and acceptance into the elite social circles inhabited by the Buchanans, ultimately becoming victims of this very desire. However, the nuances of their motivations differ, with Gatsby’s pursuit driven by love for Daisy and Myrtle’s by a more materialistic ambition. Despite these distinctions, the parallels between Gatsby and Myrtle highlight poignant themes of class, desire, and the elusive American Dream within Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
Myrtle Wilson embodies a desperate yearning to transcend her lower-class existence and ascend into the opulent world of the wealthy. Her disdain for those she perceives as beneath her is evident when she laments, “‘I told that boy about the ice.’ Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders.” This quote reveals Myrtle’s delusion of superiority, despite her own modest social standing. She sees her affair with Tom Buchanan as a vehicle for upward mobility, granting her a taste of the lavish lifestyle she craves. Myrtle’s ambition is fueled by a desire for material wealth and the perceived prestige associated with the “Old Money” class.
Gatsby, conversely, strives for acceptance into the upper echelons of society primarily to recapture Daisy Buchanan’s love. His extravagant parties and displays of wealth are meticulously orchestrated to impress Daisy and demonstrate his worthiness in her eyes. As the original text states, “‘Why don’t you- why don’t you stay for supper? I wouldn’t be …show more content…“. This illustrates Gatsby’s eagerness to please and his underlying insecurity about his social standing in Daisy’s world. While Gatsby amasses wealth, it is not for the accumulation of riches themselves, but rather as a means to an end – winning back Daisy and recreating a lost past. His ambition is thus intertwined with a romantic ideal, albeit one deeply embedded in the materialistic values of the Jazz Age.
Both Myrtle and Gatsby suffer tragic fates directly linked to their interactions with the Buchanans, who represent the careless and destructive nature of the established elite. Myrtle’s life is brutally cut short by Daisy’s reckless driving, a consequence of her affair with Tom and her misplaced belief in her elevated status. Similarly, Gatsby’s dream of reuniting with Daisy culminates in his death, orchestrated by Tom’s manipulation and fueled by the class prejudices that ultimately deem Gatsby an outsider. Both characters are, in essence, casualties of the Buchanans’ indifference and the rigid social hierarchy that Fitzgerald critiques. They both aspire to the ease and carelessness that the Buchanans embody, yet become victims of that very world.
In conclusion, while Myrtle and Gatsby differ in their specific motivations – Myrtle seeking purely materialistic advancement and Gatsby pursuing love intertwined with social validation – they are fundamentally united by their shared aspiration to transcend their social origins and their tragic victimization by the very class they seek to join. Their parallel narratives serve as a powerful commentary on the illusory nature of the American Dream and the devastating consequences of unchecked ambition and social stratification in The Great Gatsby. Despite their apparent differences, comparing and contrasting Gatsby and Myrtle reveals profound similarities in their desires, their vulnerabilities, and their ultimate destinies within Fitzgerald’s cautionary tale.
