More handpicked essays just for you.
George Wilson character in the Great Gatsby
George Wilson's role in the Great Gatsby
George Wilson character in the Great Gatsby
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: George Wilson character in the Great Gatsby
To begin, George and Myrtle Wilson have a poor relationship connection because of the traits that make George weak. George Wilson is unable to make acceptable decisions when under pressure. When work piles up in front of him, he resolves his wife being an issue by, “‘I’ve got my wife locked in up there,’ explained Wilson calmly. ‘She’s going to stay there till the day after tomorrow…”’ (Fitzgerald 136). In a marriage, no husband should ever lock their wife in a room at all, let alone two days. George Wilson makes a rash decision to do this, which creates further tension between him and his wife. When issues arise, George cannot peacefully resolve them, making him a poor choice for Myrtle to be with considering that George is willing to make radical decisions at the …show more content…
Lathbury states, “Wilson’s dull, self-defensive grief is the embodiment of the sterility of the valley of ashes; lacking a dream, his life itself is a kind of death” (79). This shows how George does not aspire for a goal in his life, a poor attribute, as a person without a goal is more likely to detract from achievement. Additionally, George is unable to cope with the loss of his wife, ending with the death of Gatsby as well as himself. Although George’s poor attributes have an effect on their relationship, Myrtle’s traits also happen to be an issue. Myrtle does not have any feelings for George any longer. When talking about her life, Myrtle states, “‘Well I married him’...I thought he know something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe”’ (34). With emotions like this, any person can see that Myrtle does not like George and instead uses him for the little wealth he makes from working hard in his garage. Myrtle does not like George anymore, making their marriage more of a one-way relationship where George would sacrifice everything for Myrtle, but Myrtle would not give away a single object if it meant saving her
more diverse look at the life of Gatsby. Also shows how much Gatsby dwells on
Myrtle Wilson came from a working class family with a low social standing. Due to her family’s lack of money, Myrtle’s options were limited to marrying men of equal or lower economic status than herself. As a result, Myrtle married George Wilson, a poor car mechanic. In her relationship with George, Myrtle lacked control due to her status as a woman and was thus forced to listen to her husband. However, because of her lower status, Myrtle did learn to use her physical attributes to her own advantage. In other words, Myrtle knew how to exaggerate her physical beauty in order to attract men such as Tom Buchanan; who would pay her with money and expensive gifts in return. Thus, “there is a clear connection between the material disadvantages” Myrtle faced and her lack of morals; given “the paucity of her allotment of the fundamental decencies” (Voegeli). In other words, because of her lack of economic backing, Myrtle Wilson grew up as a woman of lower class with less options in life; which limited her social power and drove her to act unlike any high class lady. Thus, Myrtle’s only option for increasing her status was through material services such as her relationship with Tom Buchanan. All in all, Myrtle Wilson’s economic status limited her to the life of a low class woman and her power others in her
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.
She is kept in a life that is falling apart as she longs for a lover that she’s actually interested in. Her husband Wilson loves her, but turned out to be poorer than the man she thought she was marrying. Myrtle wants someone to love that loves her to go along with her wish of a life of luxury. Tom was the answer to all her problems. He was rich, and he loved her, even if that meant they were both cheating. The airedale—undoubtedly there was an airedale concerned in it somewhere though its feet were startlingly white—changed hands and settled down into Mrs. Wilson’s lap, where she fondled the weather-proof coat with rapture” (Fitzgerald 31). Buying their own dog is just another way to further their relationship, making them feel more like a couple. Would Myrtle have really want to have that dog with Wilson? Or Tom with Daisy? Tom could throw around money whenever he wanted so buying the dog wouldn’t be a problem. The entire apartment requires dedication to the relationship, and putting a dog in it increases it even more so. Just being with Tom and sneaking away from time to time isn’t enough for Myrtle. She wanted to run away with Tom, leaving her old life behind. She had even convinced Wilson to move away from the horrible life they shared, but this backfired and he ended up keeping her locked inside until they were ready to leave the next day. “Myrtle Wilson’s body wrapped in a blanket and then in another
They are both born into impoverished families, but deny acceptance of their lower status. Myrtle and Gatsby also share similar aspirations, to gain money and higher status. They are attempting to rise above their social class. Fitzgerald’s interpretation of Gatsby however, is much different from his portrayal of Gatsby. Gatsby is a tragic hero. He has nothing but good intentions and aspires for love, while Myrtle is simply shown as a foolish woman who is so absorbed in greed that she sacrifices her morals and sanity, in exchange for money and higher status. Gatsby, unlike Myrtle, maintains redeemable qualities until his murder. Everything he does is for his love, Daisy, because he wants only the best for her even if his life turns to ruins as a result. In contrast, Myrtle who has the same aspirations as Gatsby, exhibits impure intentions. She wants to achieve her goals of becoming a wealthy, elite member of society, purely to feed her selfish, eager desires, at the cost of her husbands’ sanity. This is what removes any sympathy a person may have had for Myrtle. She is depicted as a silly imbecile who cheats her way out her marriage and into her
She wants someone who has a lot of wealth in order for her to live a luxiours life. She begins to have an affair with Tom and it causes harm to her marriage which she has with George. She says to herself when meeting Tom the first time, "You can 't live forever; you can 't live forever" (38). Myrtle realizes Tom is a wealthy individual and having an affair with him will help her climb out of the social class in which she is trapped in. She sees him as the perfect man representing the American Dream. She lives in the Valley of the Ashes with her husband, George, who is the owner of a garage. She married him because she thought he was a gentlemen and he knew something about breeding. But it turned out he was not financially stable and it causes Myrtle not to love him. This shows how Myrtle is acquisitive and she does not appreciate George for who he is. She realizes life is fading away from her along with her youth and in order to live the life she always desires, she must become Tom’s mistress. She wants to live the rich and famous life style which George could not provide. This shows how Myrtle is morally corrupt because she does not see the harm in having an extramarital affair and just looks to pursue wealth. This eventually leads to her own death. The chase for the American Dream causes corruption and destruction within
In the book, The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, George is one of the side characters in the book, but is important to the story plot due to his actions. He is a mechanic that lives in a garage in New York in the part which was describe “valley of ashes” (24). George works very hard which makes him look “spiritless...[and] anæmic” (25). He is married to Mrs. Myrtle and plans to go to the West with her, but has not gone yet do to money issues which is why he works hard to provide the money to go. He develops a chance of personality throughout the story by the effects of other’s mistakes.
George Wilson is a nobody. He has no money, no land, and no power. The only things he has to his name are his business and his wife, Myrtle. In Chapter Two, when Wilson is introduced, it is only through observations: “one of three shops,” “the third was a garage,” “repairs. GEORGE B. WILSON. Cars bought and sold” (Fitzgerald 25). Fitzgerald has the reader notice the surroundings first: the interior and the “wreck of a Ford.” To further emphasize his mediocrity, the reader’s attention is drawn to the shadow of the garage. It is only then that the man is noticeable. He is described as a “blond, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome.” Upon Tom Buchanan's arrival, Wilson has a “damp gleam of hope in his light blue eyes.” He is socially awkward, not knowing what tones and physical reactions are appropriate in conversation. Even when Tom greets him like a friend, Wilson brings up an obviously sore issue between the two of them that instantly changes Tom’s demeanor toward him. The only thing that vanishes the tension is Wilson’s wife. Wilson instantly vanishes into the background when his wife comes down from the stairs. Myrtle is the complete opposite of her husband; she is the volcano and he is the ash. She walks through him as “if ...
She became used to him being unfaithful to her that she suggests to him after leaving him during Gatsby wild party “ and if you want to take down any addresses here’s my little gold pencil” (105). Tom and Myrtle relationship caused problems more in Myrtle life rather than Tom’s because unlike Tom’s wide, Wilson was unaware about her unfaithfulness and reacted way differently by becoming sick. In Nick’s perspective, he explains, “He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically sick” (124). Wilson behaves in way by having her locked in a room until he gets the car to move away but soon enough for jealousy to strike among Myrtle about Tom and his wife which later causes her death. Her death occurred because of the greatly amount of envy she has towards Daisy and her lifestyle with Tom. The feelings that she felt showed upon her by having “…one emotion after another crept into her face like objects into a slowly developing picture” (124). This single small affair between Tom and Myrtle became something bigger than expected by a heart broken husband, dishonesty, and death among a mistress. This crime is much relatable to many affairs in the world that ends really bad divorces and trust issues from the dishonesty from their significant
Daisy knows very well that tom is cheating on her, but doesn’t care because it's more convenient to stay in her unhappy marriage. Even though she wants to be with Gatsby, she wants to keep her social status and being with Tom makes this all the easier. Now, this is quite the opposite of Myrtle. She has a loving husband who would do anything for her, but her social status is all she cares about. Myrtle is willing to hurt George and ruin their marriage in order to climb up the social ladder. Neither of these women have respect for themselves. Both Daisy and Myrtle allow Tom to treat them
Decisions that people today might be able to relate to. Poor decisions often times lead to people being arrested, injured, or even sometimes killed. There were obvious poor decisions made in The Great Gatsby, some of which made by Myrtle because of her being caught up in her “love” for Tom. There were abounding factors of her loving Tom. She obviously didn’t like her husband because, “ [She] thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick [her] shoe” (Fitzgerald 34). Myrtle doesn't care much, if at all, about her husband. Her obsession with Tom makes her unreasonable. This is one of the reasons that she treats her husband poorly and doesn’t care about it. At their party Myrtle aggravated Tom by shouting, “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” (Fitzgerald 37). Myrtle ignores the consequences of aggravating Tom at their party. Not only does she not listen to his pleas to get her to stop talking about Daisy she ignores the fact that he is drunk. Through Myrtle’s obsession with Tom, “she ran out in a road. Son-of-a-bitch didn’t ever stop the car” (Fitzgerald 149). Myrtle was so obsessed with Tom , and his money, that she ran into the road risking her life to be with him. Her desire for his money caused her to act and think irrationally. Even if Tom was in the car and stopped would he introduce her to his wife and they all go home together? In conclusion do not let desires make the decisions of life, because
While driving back home from a party in the city, Daisy and Gatsby hit and kill Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s lover. Nick finds Gatsby hiding in the bushes outside of Daisy’s home, and Gatsby reveals that Daisy had been driving when Myrtle was struck down. Despite this revelation, Myrtle’s husband, George, is told that the accident was Gatsby’s fault. George, who had already believed that Gatsby was his wife’s lover, shoots and kills Gatsby as he is floating in his pool, then proceeds ...
Tom wanted the "possession" of Myrtle, Myrtle wanted Tom's "luxuries and wealth," and Daisy wanted Gatsby simply for his wealth. Both Tom and Daisy know each other's affairs, but neither one truly cares. As the story progresses, it seems as though each of them is trying to make the other jealous. Honesty and Love, two words known only by the faithful, George Wilson. George certainly had his flaws, but he loved his wife dearly and couldn't live without her. "He was his wife's man and not his own." When he became aware of Tom and Myrtle's affair, he was "really sick, pale as his own pale hair and shaking all over." He locked her up in fear that she would run away with Tom forever.
The idea of tragedy has been around ever since the Greeks. It has always been a major part of literature, from Shakespeare’s plays to modern works. Thousands of authors have written amazing tragedies including the famous American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby contains many tragic heroes, but the novel is truly the tragedy of George Wilson. The story of George Wilson is truly a tragic because he is a good person, he loses everything and his only part in his downfall is his trust.
Myrtle is, as Daisy, impressed with Tom's wealth and appearance, but, like Jay Gatsby, is stuck in a fantastic, idealized perception of her object of affection. Even when abused and trampled over by Tom, Myrtle continues to adore him, just as Gatsby continues to dote upon Daisy after being obviously rejected by her. As far as ethical considerations, Gatsby tends to prove himself a sincere and caring person, while Daisy and Tom just destroy the lives of two people and then leave town to escape the consequences of their actions.