## Myrtle’s Physical Description in The Great Gatsby: A Deep Dive
Myrtle Wilson, a pivotal character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s *The Great Gatsby*, is more than just a mistress; she’s a symbol of the roaring twenties’ social unrest, the yearning for a different life, and the tragic consequences of chasing unattainable dreams. Understanding Myrtle’s physical description is crucial to grasping her character’s significance within the novel’s intricate tapestry. This in-depth analysis will explore every facet of Myrtle’s appearance, connecting it to her desires, social standing, and ultimately, her tragic fate. We’ll delve into the nuances of Fitzgerald’s prose, examining how his word choices paint a vivid picture of a woman caught between worlds, a woman whose physical presence is as telling as her actions. This comprehensive guide aims to provide a deeper understanding of Myrtle’s character and her role in *The Great Gatsby*.
### Unveiling Myrtle: A Comprehensive Look at Her Appearance
Myrtle Wilson’s physical description is not merely a superficial detail in *The Great Gatsby*; it’s a powerful tool used by Fitzgerald to convey her social aspirations, her vitality, and the stark contrast between her reality and her desires. Her appearance is carefully crafted to emphasize both her allure and her limitations, highlighting the complex nature of her character.
#### A Woman of Full Figure and Earthy Sensuality
Fitzgerald repeatedly emphasizes Myrtle’s “thickish figure” and her overall physicality. She’s not the slender, ethereal beauty often associated with the upper class. Instead, she possesses a robust, almost earthy sensuality. Her body is described as being “faintly stout,” hinting at a certain lack of refinement but also suggesting a powerful, untamed energy. This physical presence contrasts sharply with the delicate and often superficial beauty of characters like Daisy Buchanan.
* **The Significance of Stoutness:** Myrtle’s stoutness can be interpreted as a symbol of her working-class background. Unlike the wealthy, who can afford to prioritize leisure and cultivate a more refined appearance, Myrtle’s body reflects the realities of a life of labor and perhaps, a less restrictive attitude towards food and indulgence.
* **Earthy Sensuality:** Her physicality is further emphasized by descriptions of her movements and gestures. She carries herself with a certain confidence and boldness, suggesting a woman comfortable in her own skin, despite her social limitations.
#### The Allure of Artificial Glamour
Myrtle is keenly aware of her physical appearance and actively attempts to enhance it through artifice. She meticulously applies makeup, chooses clothing designed to flatter her figure, and adopts a more sophisticated demeanor when she escapes to New York City with Tom Buchanan. This pursuit of glamour reveals her desire to transcend her social status and be perceived as a woman of wealth and sophistication.
* **The Power of Makeup:** Myrtle’s use of makeup is particularly telling. She uses it to mask her perceived imperfections and to create a more polished, glamorous image. This reflects her belief that outward appearances can be manipulated to achieve social mobility.
* **Clothing as a Social Signifier:** Her clothing choices are equally strategic. She favors bright colors, bold patterns, and revealing silhouettes, all designed to attract attention and project an image of confidence and desirability. However, her attempts at glamour often come across as slightly exaggerated, highlighting the gap between her aspirations and her reality.
#### A Face Marked by Restlessness and Discontent
Beyond her overall figure, Fitzgerald also provides details about Myrtle’s facial features. Her face is described as being “not handsome,” but possessing a certain vitality and expressiveness. Her eyes, in particular, are a focal point, reflecting her inner restlessness and discontent.
* **The Eyes as Windows to the Soul:** Myrtle’s eyes are often described as being “smoldering” or “restless,” hinting at her dissatisfaction with her life and her yearning for something more. They convey a sense of longing and a deep-seated desire for change.
* **A Face Reflecting Hardship:** While she attempts to project an image of glamour, Myrtle’s face also bears the marks of hardship and struggle. The lines around her eyes and mouth suggest a life of worry and perhaps, a lack of genuine happiness.
### Myrtle’s Clothing: A Costume of Aspirations
Myrtle’s wardrobe is a carefully constructed facade, a collection of garments chosen to project an image of wealth and sophistication that belies her true social standing. Her clothing choices are not merely about aesthetics; they are a deliberate attempt to transform herself and to fit into the world of the wealthy elite.
#### The Gaudy Colors and Bold Patterns
Unlike the understated elegance of Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker, Myrtle favors bright colors, bold patterns, and ostentatious accessories. She is drawn to anything that screams wealth and status, even if it lacks genuine taste or refinement. This preference for gaudy colors and bold patterns reflects her lack of understanding of the nuances of upper-class style.
* **Symbolism of Color:** The vibrant colors she chooses can be interpreted as a symbol of her vitality and her desire to stand out from the crowd. However, they also betray her lack of sophistication and her inability to grasp the subtle codes of upper-class fashion.
* **The Allure of Brand Names:** Myrtle is particularly drawn to brand names and designer labels, believing that they will automatically elevate her social status. She proudly displays her expensive purchases, hoping to impress those around her.
#### The Ill-Fitting Garments
Despite her best efforts, Myrtle’s clothing often seems to fit her awkwardly, both physically and metaphorically. The garments are often too tight, too revealing, or simply inappropriate for the occasion. This ill-fitting quality reflects her inability to truly inhabit the role of a wealthy socialite.
* **Physical Discomfort:** The physical discomfort she experiences in her clothing mirrors her emotional discomfort in the world of the wealthy. She is constantly trying to force herself into a mold that doesn’t quite fit.
* **Metaphorical Misfit:** Her clothing also serves as a metaphor for her overall social standing. She is an outsider looking in, desperately trying to blend in but ultimately failing to do so.
#### The Green Dress: A Symbol of Envy and Aspiration
One of the most memorable garments associated with Myrtle is the green dress she wears during her affair with Tom Buchanan. The color green is often associated with envy and desire, and in Myrtle’s case, it represents her longing for the wealth and status that she sees embodied in Daisy Buchanan.
* **Envy of Daisy:** The green dress can be interpreted as a symbol of Myrtle’s envy of Daisy’s privileged life. She sees Daisy as having everything she wants – wealth, status, and a seemingly perfect marriage – and she desperately desires to possess those things for herself.
* **Aspiration for a Better Life:** The green dress also represents Myrtle’s aspiration for a better life. She believes that by dressing like a wealthy woman, she can somehow magically transform herself into one.
### The Significance of Myrtle’s Physical Appearance in the Narrative
Myrtle’s physical description isn’t just a matter of aesthetics; it plays a crucial role in shaping the narrative of *The Great Gatsby*. Her appearance highlights the themes of social class, the American Dream, and the destructive nature of illusion.
#### Highlighting Social Class Differences
Myrtle’s physical appearance serves as a stark contrast to the refined elegance of the wealthy characters in the novel, emphasizing the vast gulf that separates the social classes. Her robust figure and her attempts at artificial glamour underscore the limitations of her social mobility.
* **The Body as a Social Marker:** In *The Great Gatsby*, the body becomes a social marker, reflecting a person’s class, status, and access to resources. Myrtle’s physical appearance reveals her working-class background and her inability to fully escape its constraints.
* **The Illusion of Social Mobility:** Myrtle’s attempts to transform herself through clothing and makeup highlight the illusion of social mobility in the roaring twenties. While it may have been possible to acquire wealth, it was much more difficult to acquire the social graces and cultural capital necessary to truly belong in the upper class.
#### The Destructive Nature of Illusion
Myrtle’s pursuit of glamour and her attempts to create a false image of herself ultimately lead to her downfall. Her belief that she can transform herself through outward appearances blinds her to the realities of her situation and leads her to make destructive choices.
* **The Price of Deception:** Myrtle’s deception comes at a high price. She sacrifices her marriage, her reputation, and ultimately, her life in pursuit of an illusion.
* **The Fragility of the American Dream:** Myrtle’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of the American Dream. While it may be possible to achieve material success, it is much more difficult to achieve true happiness and fulfillment.
#### A Victim of Societal Expectations
Ultimately, Myrtle is a victim of societal expectations and the pressures to conform to certain ideals of beauty and success. Her desire to escape her social standing and to be perceived as a woman of wealth and sophistication leads her down a path of self-destruction.
* **The Pressure to Conform:** Myrtle is constantly bombarded with images of the ideal woman – slender, elegant, and wealthy. She internalizes these images and believes that she must transform herself to fit this mold.
* **The Tragedy of Unfulfilled Dreams:** Myrtle’s story is a tragedy of unfulfilled dreams. She is a woman with aspirations and desires, but she lacks the resources and the opportunities to achieve them. Her death is a poignant reminder of the limitations of the American Dream and the destructive power of social inequality.
### Myrtle Wilson’s Enduring Legacy
Myrtle Wilson, though a minor character in *The Great Gatsby*, leaves an indelible mark on the reader. Her physical description, meticulously crafted by Fitzgerald, is a key element in understanding her character’s complexities and her tragic fate. She serves as a powerful reminder of the social inequalities of the roaring twenties and the destructive consequences of chasing unattainable dreams.
### Expert Q&A on Myrtle Wilson’s Physical Portrayal
Here are some frequently asked questions about Myrtle Wilson’s physical description and its significance in *The Great Gatsby*:
**Q1: How does Myrtle’s physical appearance contrast with that of Daisy Buchanan?**
*Answer:* Myrtle is described as having a “thickish figure” and a more robust physicality, while Daisy is portrayed as delicate and ethereal. This contrast highlights the social class differences between the two women. Daisy represents the refined elegance of the wealthy elite, while Myrtle embodies the more earthy sensuality of the working class.
**Q2: What is the significance of Myrtle’s attempts to enhance her appearance through makeup and clothing?**
*Answer:* Myrtle’s attempts to enhance her appearance reveal her desire to transcend her social status and be perceived as a woman of wealth and sophistication. She believes that outward appearances can be manipulated to achieve social mobility.
**Q3: How does Myrtle’s clothing reflect her social aspirations?**
*Answer:* Myrtle favors bright colors, bold patterns, and ostentatious accessories, all designed to attract attention and project an image of confidence and desirability. However, her clothing often seems ill-fitting and inappropriate, highlighting the gap between her aspirations and her reality.
**Q4: What does the green dress symbolize in relation to Myrtle’s character?**
*Answer:* The green dress represents Myrtle’s envy of Daisy’s privileged life and her aspiration for a better life. She believes that by dressing like a wealthy woman, she can somehow magically transform herself into one.
**Q5: How does Myrtle’s physical appearance contribute to the themes of social class in *The Great Gatsby*?**
*Answer:* Myrtle’s physical appearance serves as a stark contrast to the refined elegance of the wealthy characters in the novel, emphasizing the vast gulf that separates the social classes. Her robust figure and her attempts at artificial glamour underscore the limitations of her social mobility.
**Q6: What is the role of Myrtle’s eyes in conveying her character’s inner state?**
*Answer:* Myrtle’s eyes are often described as being “smoldering” or “restless,” hinting at her dissatisfaction with her life and her yearning for something more. They convey a sense of longing and a deep-seated desire for change.
**Q7: How does Myrtle’s physical description relate to the destructive nature of illusion in the novel?**
*Answer:* Myrtle’s pursuit of glamour and her attempts to create a false image of herself ultimately lead to her downfall. Her belief that she can transform herself through outward appearances blinds her to the realities of her situation and leads her to make destructive choices.
**Q8: Is Myrtle a sympathetic character, despite her flaws?**
*Answer:* While Myrtle is flawed and makes questionable choices, she can be seen as a sympathetic character because she is a victim of societal expectations and the pressures to conform to certain ideals of beauty and success. Her desire to escape her social standing is understandable, even if her methods are misguided.
**Q9: How does Myrtle’s death contribute to the overall message of *The Great Gatsby*?**
*Answer:* Myrtle’s death is a tragic consequence of her pursuit of the American Dream and her entanglement in the affairs of the wealthy. It serves as a reminder of the destructive power of social inequality and the fragility of human life.
**Q10: What is Myrtle Wilson’s enduring legacy as a character in American literature?**
*Answer:* Myrtle Wilson remains a compelling and complex character in American literature. She represents the struggles of the working class, the allure of wealth and status, and the tragic consequences of chasing unattainable dreams. Her physical description, meticulously crafted by Fitzgerald, is a key element in understanding her character’s complexities and her tragic fate.
### Conclusion: Myrtle’s Physicality – More Than Meets the Eye
Myrtle Wilson’s physical description in *The Great Gatsby* is far more than just a superficial detail. It is a powerful tool used by Fitzgerald to convey her social aspirations, her vitality, and the stark contrast between her reality and her desires. Her appearance underscores the themes of social class, the American Dream, and the destructive nature of illusion, making her a memorable and tragic figure in American literature. We encourage you to delve deeper into the novel and explore the rich symbolism embedded within Fitzgerald’s masterful prose. Share your thoughts and interpretations of Myrtle’s character in the comments below. Further explore related topics such as the symbolism of colors in *The Great Gatsby* or the role of women in the roaring twenties to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the novel’s themes.
