Myrtle Wilson, a pivotal character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, is more than just a name in a tragic tale. Her physical description, meticulously crafted by Fitzgerald, serves as a powerful tool for understanding her character, her aspirations, and the social commentary woven throughout the novel. This article delves deep into the nuances of Myrtle’s physical appearance as depicted in The Great Gatsby, exploring its symbolic significance and its contribution to the novel’s overarching themes of class, wealth, and the American Dream. We will analyze how Fitzgerald uses specific details to convey Myrtle’s personality, her social standing, and her desperate yearning for a life beyond the Valley of Ashes.

The Significance of Physical Appearance in Character Development

In literature, an author’s choice of physical descriptors is rarely arbitrary. It’s a deliberate act, meticulously designed to provide insight into a character’s inner world, their social context, and their role within the narrative. Physical attributes can reveal personality traits, motivations, and even foreshadow future events. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald masterfully employs physical descriptions to differentiate between characters, highlighting the stark contrasts between the wealthy elite and those, like Myrtle, who aspire to join their ranks. These descriptions aren’t merely aesthetic; they are integral to understanding the novel’s complex themes.

Myrtle Wilson’s Introduction: A Striking First Impression

Myrtle Wilson’s introduction in Chapter 2 leaves a lasting impression. Fitzgerald doesn’t shy away from detailing her physical presence, immediately establishing her as a figure of vitality and a stark contrast to the subdued elegance of the wealthy characters. He writes, “She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can.” This initial description is crucial. The phrase “faintly stout” suggests a departure from the slender ideal of the 1920s flapper, yet the qualifier “sensuously” imbues her with a certain allure and self-assuredness. This isn’t a woman ashamed of her body; it’s a woman who uses it to command attention.

The contrast between Myrtle’s physical appearance and her surroundings, the desolate Valley of Ashes, is immediately apparent, highlighting her desire to escape her current circumstances. Her vitality seems almost defiant against the backdrop of decay and despair.

Analyzing Key Descriptors: Flesh, Vitality, and Restlessness

Several key descriptors recur throughout Myrtle’s portrayal, each contributing to a multifaceted understanding of her character:

• Flesh: The emphasis on Myrtle’s “flesh” is significant. It underscores her physicality, her earthiness, and her connection to the material world. Unlike the ethereal beauty often associated with the wealthy women in the novel, Myrtle’s beauty is grounded in her physical presence.
• Vitality: Myrtle exudes a raw, almost untamed vitality. This energy is both captivating and dangerous, reflecting her ambition and her willingness to break social norms. Her vitality is a driving force behind her actions, fueling her affair with Tom Buchanan and her desperate attempts to reinvent herself.
• Restlessness: Beneath the surface of Myrtle’s confidence lies a deep-seated restlessness. She is never truly content, always striving for something more, something beyond her reach. This restlessness is evident in her constant desire for new clothes, new experiences, and a new identity.

Myrtle’s Clothing: A Reflection of Her Aspirations

Myrtle’s choice of clothing is a critical aspect of her physical presentation and a powerful symbol of her social aspirations. When she travels to New York with Tom, she immediately transforms her appearance, shedding her working-class identity and adopting the attire of the wealthy elite. The yellow dress she purchases is a particularly telling example. Yellow, often associated with wealth and extravagance in the 1920s, becomes a symbol of her borrowed status. However, the ill-fitting nature of her clothes, both literally and figuratively, reveals the superficiality of her transformation. She can mimic the appearance of wealth, but she can never truly belong to that world.

The description of Myrtle changing into an elaborate afternoon dress highlights her performative nature. She’s playing a role, consciously crafting an image that she believes will elevate her social standing. However, this performance is ultimately unsuccessful, as her true social origins are always lurking beneath the surface.

The Contrast with Daisy Buchanan: A Study in Social Class

The physical contrast between Myrtle and Daisy Buchanan is striking and deliberate. Daisy, with her delicate beauty and effortless elegance, embodies the refined sophistication of the upper class. Her beauty is understated and natural, reflecting her upbringing and her inherent sense of belonging. Myrtle, on the other hand, is a more flamboyant figure, her beauty more overtly sexual and her style more consciously constructed. The difference in their physical presentation underscores the vast social chasm that separates them.

Daisy’s voice, often described as low and melodious, is a key element of her allure. It suggests a sense of privilege and refinement that Myrtle can never replicate. While Myrtle may try to imitate the mannerisms of the wealthy, she can never fully erase the traces of her working-class origins.

The Valley of Ashes: A Reflection of Myrtle’s Reality

The Valley of Ashes, a desolate wasteland between West Egg and New York City, serves as a powerful symbol of Myrtle’s social and economic reality. The grayness and decay of the Valley mirror the hopelessness and despair that pervade her life. It is a place of broken dreams and unfulfilled potential, a stark contrast to the glittering world of wealth and privilege that Myrtle so desperately desires to enter. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, looming over the Valley, serve as a constant reminder of the moral decay and spiritual emptiness that underlie the pursuit of the American Dream.

Myrtle’s confinement to the Valley of Ashes is a direct consequence of her social standing. She is trapped in a cycle of poverty and limited opportunity, unable to escape the circumstances of her birth. Her affair with Tom Buchanan offers a temporary respite from this reality, but it is ultimately a false promise, leading only to tragedy.

The Tragic End: A Physical Manifestation of Social Constraints

Myrtle’s tragic death is a direct consequence of her social aspirations and her entanglement with the wealthy elite. Her physical demise, struck by Daisy Buchanan’s car, is a brutal reminder of the power dynamics at play in the novel. She is literally run over by the carelessness and indifference of the upper class, her body becoming a symbol of the devastating consequences of social inequality. The graphic details of her death underscore the violence and brutality that underlie the seemingly glamorous world of the wealthy.

The description of Myrtle’s body after the accident is particularly poignant. Her vitality is extinguished, her physical beauty destroyed. She is reduced to a broken and lifeless object, a stark reminder of the fragility of human life and the destructive power of social forces.

The Enduring Significance of Myrtle’s Physical Description

Myrtle Wilson’s physical description in The Great Gatsby is more than just a collection of adjectives; it’s a carefully constructed portrait that reveals her character, her aspirations, and the social commentary at the heart of the novel. Fitzgerald masterfully uses physical details to highlight the contrasts between the wealthy elite and those who aspire to join their ranks, exposing the superficiality and the destructive consequences of the American Dream. By understanding the nuances of Myrtle’s physical presentation, we gain a deeper appreciation for the novel’s complex themes of class, wealth, and the pursuit of happiness.

Questions and Answers About Myrtle Wilson’s Character

How does Myrtle’s physical appearance reflect her social class?

Myrtle’s appearance is a blend of attempts to emulate the wealthy and the realities of her lower-class status. Her clothes, while expensive imitations, often appear gaudy or ill-fitting, betraying her lack of genuine understanding of upper-class style. Her heavier build also contrasts with the slender ideal often associated with wealth and leisure.

What does Myrtle’s vitality symbolize in the context of the novel?

Myrtle’s vitality represents her ambition and her desire to escape her current circumstances. It’s a force that drives her to seek a better life, even if it means engaging in morally questionable behavior. However, this vitality is also somewhat destructive, leading to her tragic downfall.

How does Fitzgerald use Myrtle’s clothing to convey her character?

Myrtle’s clothing choices are a clear indication of her social aspirations. She uses clothes to create an illusion of wealth and sophistication, hoping to transform herself into someone she is not. However, the artificiality of her style ultimately reveals her true social origins.

What is the significance of Myrtle’s affair with Tom Buchanan?

The affair with Tom represents Myrtle’s attempt to climb the social ladder. She sees Tom as a means to escape the Valley of Ashes and enter the world of wealth and privilege. However, she is ultimately used and discarded by Tom, highlighting the power imbalance in their relationship.

How does Myrtle’s death contribute to the novel’s overall message?

Myrtle’s death serves as a tragic commentary on the destructive consequences of social inequality. She is a victim of the carelessness and indifference of the wealthy elite, her life cut short by their reckless behavior. Her death underscores the novel’s critique of the American Dream and the corrupting influence of wealth.

What are some subtle details in the book that hint at Myrtle’s underlying insecurities?

Despite her outward confidence, Myrtle’s constant need for attention and validation suggests an underlying insecurity. She craves the approval of those she perceives as being of a higher social standing, revealing a deep-seated sense of inadequacy.

How does Myrtle’s portrayal challenge the traditional stereotypes of women in the 1920s?

While Myrtle embodies some of the characteristics of the flapper, such as her rebellious spirit and her desire for independence, she also deviates from the stereotype in significant ways. She is not a wealthy socialite, but rather a working-class woman who is trying to navigate a complex social landscape. Her portrayal challenges the notion that all women in the 1920s were carefree and liberated.

What is the role of the Valley of Ashes in shaping Myrtle’s character?

The Valley of Ashes serves as a constant reminder of Myrtle’s social and economic limitations. It is a place of despair and hopelessness, and it fuels her desire to escape and create a better life for herself. The Valley’s bleakness contrasts sharply with the glamour of West Egg and New York City, highlighting the vast social divide.

How does the description of Myrtle’s voice contribute to her characterization?

While not as emphasized as Daisy’s voice, Myrtle’s voice, when she is trying to emulate the upper class, likely sounds affected and unnatural. This contrasts with her normal speaking voice, further highlighting the performative nature of her attempts to fit in with the wealthy.

In what ways does Myrtle embody the themes of illusion and reality in The Great Gatsby?

Myrtle’s entire persona is built on illusion. She attempts to create a false image of wealth and sophistication, masking her true social origins. This pursuit of illusion ultimately leads to her downfall, as she becomes entangled in a web of deceit and misrepresentation. Her story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of chasing false dreams.

Reflections on Social Status and Appearance

Ultimately, Myrtle Wilson’s physical description serves as a powerful reminder of the complexities of social class and the enduring allure of the American Dream. Her story, though tragic, continues to resonate with readers today, prompting us to reflect on the ways in which appearance, aspiration, and social status intersect in our own lives. Share your thoughts on Myrtle’s character and her significance in The Great Gatsby in the comments below.