Myrtle’s Physical Description in The Great Gatsby: A Deep Dive
Myrtle Wilson, a pivotal character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, is far more than just Tom Buchanan’s mistress. Her physical description, meticulously crafted by Fitzgerald, serves as a powerful symbol of her aspirations, her social class, and the tragic flaws that ultimately lead to her demise. Understanding Myrtle’s physical portrayal is crucial to grasping the novel’s complex themes of wealth, social mobility, and the disillusionment of the American Dream. This comprehensive analysis will delve into every aspect of Myrtle’s appearance, exploring its significance within the narrative and offering a deeper understanding of her character. We’ll examine how her physical attributes reflect her desires, her limitations, and the societal forces that shape her destiny. Our goal is to provide the definitive resource on Myrtle’s physical description in The Great Gatsby.
The Significance of Physical Description in Character Development
Authors use physical descriptions to accomplish several key objectives in character development. Physical attributes provide initial impressions, conveying important information about a character’s social status, personality, and inner life. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald masterfully employs physical descriptions to highlight the contrasts between characters like Daisy Buchanan, with her ethereal beauty and delicate demeanor, and Myrtle Wilson, whose vitality and earthiness are emphasized through her more robust and assertive appearance. The physical description of a character is not merely superficial; it’s a carefully constructed element that contributes to the overall meaning and impact of the story. It’s a shorthand way to convey complex ideas about class, desire, and the human condition.
Myrtle Wilson: A Detailed Physical Portrait
Fitzgerald provides a vivid and memorable portrait of Myrtle Wilson. Let’s dissect the key elements of her physical description:
Her Size and Build
Myrtle is described as being “faintly stout,” a descriptor that sets her apart from the slender and graceful women of the upper class, like Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. This stoutness suggests a certain earthiness and physicality, hinting at a life of hard work and a less refined existence. It’s a subtle indicator of her social standing and a contrast to the idealized image of feminine beauty prevalent in the Roaring Twenties.
Her Face and Complexion
Fitzgerald emphasizes Myrtle’s “wide, thick lips” and her “fleshly figure.” These features suggest sensuality and a certain boldness. While not traditionally beautiful in the conventional sense of the era, her face possesses a certain magnetism and vitality. Her complexion, though not explicitly detailed, is implied to be less delicate than that of the wealthy characters, further reinforcing her working-class background.
Her Eyes
Myrtle’s eyes are perhaps her most striking feature. They are described as being filled with a “continually smoldering vitality.” This suggests a passionate and restless nature, a burning desire for something more than her current circumstances. Her eyes reflect her ambition and her yearning for a life of luxury and excitement. They are a window into her soul, revealing her discontent and her determination to escape her mundane existence.
Her Clothing and Style
Myrtle’s attempts to emulate the fashion of the wealthy are both revealing and somewhat comical. She buys expensive clothes and adopts a more sophisticated demeanor when she’s in the city with Tom, but her efforts often come across as forced and artificial. Her clothing choices highlight her desire to transcend her social class, but they also underscore her inability to fully assimilate into the world of the wealthy. The yellow dress, in particular, is a significant detail, symbolizing her garish and somewhat vulgar attempt to appear fashionable. It’s a stark contrast to the understated elegance of Daisy’s wardrobe.
Myrtle’s Physical Description and Social Class
Myrtle’s physical appearance is inextricably linked to her social class. Her stoutness, her less-refined features, and her attempts to imitate the fashion of the wealthy all serve to highlight her working-class background. She is a stark contrast to the slender, graceful, and effortlessly elegant women of the upper class. Fitzgerald uses these physical differences to underscore the vast social divide that separates Myrtle from the world she so desperately wants to be a part of. Her physical description is a constant reminder of her limitations and the barriers that prevent her from achieving her dreams.
Myrtle’s Physical Description as a Symbol of the American Dream’s Corruption
Myrtle’s pursuit of wealth and status is a reflection of the corrupted American Dream. She believes that by associating with Tom Buchanan and adopting the trappings of wealth, she can achieve happiness and fulfillment. However, her pursuit is ultimately futile and destructive. Her physical description, with its emphasis on her earthiness and her attempts to emulate the wealthy, symbolizes the superficiality and the moral decay that lie beneath the glittering surface of the Roaring Twenties. She is a victim of the illusion that wealth can buy happiness and that social mobility is easily attainable.
Myrtle’s Physical Description Compared to Daisy Buchanan’s
The contrast between Myrtle’s physical description and that of Daisy Buchanan is striking. Daisy is portrayed as delicate, ethereal, and almost otherworldly. Her beauty is described in terms of lightness and grace, emphasizing her privileged background and her detachment from the harsh realities of life. Myrtle, on the other hand, is portrayed as more robust, earthy, and sensual. Her physical presence is more grounded and assertive, reflecting her working-class origins and her more immediate connection to the physical world. These contrasting physical descriptions serve to highlight the vast differences in their social standing and their life experiences.
Analyzing Specific Quotes About Myrtle’s Appearance
Let’s examine specific quotes from The Great Gatsby that describe Myrtle’s appearance and analyze their significance:
“She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can.”
This quote establishes Myrtle’s age and her physical build. The phrase “faintly stout” suggests that she is not slender, but the phrase “carried her surplus flesh sensuously” implies that she is still attractive and confident in her own skin. This quote highlights her sensuality and her ability to command attention.
“There was an immediately perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smouldering.”
This quote emphasizes Myrtle’s energy and her passionate nature. The phrase “continually smouldering” suggests a restless and discontented spirit, a burning desire for something more. This quote reveals her inner turmoil and her yearning for a better life.
“With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur. Her laughter, which before had been full of life, now seemed artificially set. “
This quote highlights the transformative power of clothing and the artificiality of Myrtle’s attempts to imitate the wealthy. The dress changes her personality, making her seem more haughty and less genuine. This quote underscores the superficiality of her aspirations and her inability to truly escape her working-class background.
The Role of Myrtle’s Physicality in Her Tragic Fate
Ultimately, Myrtle’s physical presence contributes to her tragic fate. Her vitality and her sensuality make her attractive to Tom Buchanan, but her lower social class makes her disposable. She is used and abused by Tom, and her dreams of a better life are ultimately crushed. Her death is a direct result of her pursuit of wealth and status, and her physical description serves as a constant reminder of the limitations that ultimately lead to her downfall. Had she not been so driven by her desires, so easily seduced by the allure of wealth, her fate might have been different. Her physical presence, a symbol of her desires and her limitations, becomes a tragic reminder of the destructive power of the American Dream.
Myrtle Wilson’s Enduring Relevance in Literary Analysis
Myrtle Wilson remains a fascinating and complex character in literary analysis. Her physical description, so carefully crafted by Fitzgerald, continues to resonate with readers today. She is a symbol of the social inequalities and the moral decay that characterized the Roaring Twenties. Her tragic story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pursuing wealth and status at the expense of one’s own integrity. Her enduring relevance lies in her ability to provoke thought and discussion about the American Dream, social class, and the human condition.
Q&A: Understanding Myrtle’s Physical Portrayal
Q1: Why does Fitzgerald emphasize Myrtle’s stoutness rather than portraying her as slender?
A: Fitzgerald likely emphasizes Myrtle’s stoutness to contrast her with the more slender and delicate women of the upper class, like Daisy Buchanan. This physical difference underscores the social divide between them and highlights Myrtle’s working-class background.
Q2: What is the significance of Myrtle’s “continually smoldering vitality”?
A: This phrase suggests a passionate and restless nature, a burning desire for something more than her current circumstances. It reflects her ambition and her yearning for a life of luxury and excitement.
Q3: How does Myrtle’s clothing contribute to our understanding of her character?
A: Myrtle’s attempts to emulate the fashion of the wealthy are both revealing and somewhat comical. Her clothing choices highlight her desire to transcend her social class, but they also underscore her inability to fully assimilate into the world of the wealthy.
Q4: In what ways does Myrtle’s physical description symbolize the corruption of the American Dream?
A: Myrtle’s pursuit of wealth and status is a reflection of the corrupted American Dream. Her physical description, with its emphasis on her earthiness and her attempts to emulate the wealthy, symbolizes the superficiality and the moral decay that lie beneath the glittering surface of the Roaring Twenties.
Q5: How does the contrast between Myrtle’s and Daisy’s physical descriptions contribute to the novel’s themes?
A: The contrasting physical descriptions highlight the vast differences in their social standing and their life experiences. Daisy is portrayed as delicate and ethereal, while Myrtle is portrayed as more robust and earthy. This contrast underscores the social inequalities and the moral decay that characterized the Roaring Twenties.
Q6: What does Myrtle’s yellow dress symbolize?
A: The yellow dress symbolizes her garish and somewhat vulgar attempt to appear fashionable. It’s a stark contrast to the understated elegance of Daisy’s wardrobe, further highlighting her inability to truly fit into the upper class.
Q7: How does Myrtle’s physical appearance contribute to her tragic fate?
A: Her vitality and her sensuality make her attractive to Tom Buchanan, but her lower social class makes her disposable. Her physical description serves as a constant reminder of the limitations that ultimately lead to her downfall.
Q8: Is Myrtle aware of how others perceive her attempts to appear wealthy?
A: It’s debatable. She likely has some awareness, but her desire to fit in and her naivete probably blind her to the full extent of how artificial her attempts appear to others.
Q9: Could Myrtle’s physical attributes be considered a form of power in any way?
A: Yes, her vitality and sensuality give her a certain power over men like Tom Buchanan. Her physical presence is undeniably magnetic, even if it’s ultimately a power that is exploited and leads to her destruction.
Q10: What would modern literary critics say about Myrtle’s physical depiction?
A: Modern critics might examine Myrtle’s portrayal through the lens of class and gender, exploring how her physical description reinforces societal biases and power dynamics. They might also analyze how her depiction reflects the limited opportunities available to women of her social class during the Roaring Twenties.
Conclusion: The Enduring Image of Myrtle Wilson
Myrtle Wilson’s physical description in The Great Gatsby is far more than just a superficial detail. It’s a crucial element of her characterization, serving as a symbol of her aspirations, her social class, and the tragic flaws that ultimately lead to her demise. By carefully crafting her physical appearance, Fitzgerald provides a powerful commentary on the social inequalities and the moral decay that characterized the Roaring Twenties. Myrtle’s story continues to resonate with readers today, reminding us of the destructive power of the American Dream and the importance of empathy and understanding. Share your thoughts on Myrtle’s character and her significance in the comments below. Explore further analysis of The Great Gatsby on our website. Contact us if you are interested in diving deeper into literary themes.
