A more thorough investigation of The Great Gatsby is necessary to uncover a well-disguised theme by Fitzgerald in this work. Upon a simple read through one would probably not notice the great similarities of Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson, but the two characters seemed to have the same agenda for their lives. While Gatsby took the route of acquiring money at all costs to join the upper class of society and to be acceptable in the eyes of a woman, Myrtle chose to make her way up in society at the cost of her marriage by attaching herself to money. The underlying question is who had the most success.
As a young man, Jay Gatsby was poor with nothing but his love for Daisy. He had attempted to woe her, but a stronger attraction to money led her to marry another man. This did not stop Gatsby’s goal of winning this woman for himself though, and he decided to improve his life anyway he could until he could measure up to Daisy’s standards. He eventually gained connections in what would seem to be the wrong places, but these gave him the opportunity he needed to "get rich quick." Gatsby’s enormous desire for Daisy controlled his life to the point that he did not even question the immorality of the dealings that he involved himself in to acquire wealth. Eventually though, he was able to afford a "castle" in a location where he could pursue Daisy effectively. His life ambition had successfully moved him to the top of the "new money" class of society, but he lacked the education of how to promote his wealth properly. Despite the way that Gatsby flaunted his money, he did catch Daisy’s attention. A chaotic affair followed for a while until Daisy was overcome by pressures from Gatsby to leave her husband and by the realization that she belonged to "old money" and a more proper society.
Myrtle eventually had similar goals as Gatsby, but her life did not begin the same way. She was of the lower class of society and married a simple man. The two pursued a poor life, but Myrtle’s husband George was a decent man. Nevertheless, Myrtle became unsatisfied, and when the opportunity arose to better the quality of her life, she took it. Daisy’s husband Tom, an unfaithful, rough man not very committed to his marriage, began an affair with Myrtle. This affair caused great interruption in the life of Tom and Daisy, and it was probably one of the main reasons Daisy felt the need to become involved again with Gatsby. Through Tom, Myrtle was able to acquire a new status and some of the wealth she was seeking. Any ties that she had still had to her husband were lost when she began to enjoy the fun of money. On the other hand, just like Gatsby, Myrtle was not raised in money and was not proper in its use. Also, just as in Gatsby’s situation, things did not work out for Myrtle. The affair, which did not include love anyway, fell apart in Tom’s rage to win back Daisy.
By the end of the book both characters were deceased. Neither one by natural causes, but as a result of their excessive aspirations. They were successful in the fact that they both lived their ideal lives for a time, but the rude, abrupt endings were not worth all the effort that went into their goals. The situations of Gatsby and Myrtle suggest that one should be satisfied with his or her life and should never let the eyes exceed the stomach in size.
