In Chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby,
Myrtle shows some of her ideas of "the American Dream" through her actions. Myrtle is
clearly having an affair with Tom because she is disappointed that George is not
wealthy. Later in the novel, she berates George for not amounting to her expectations
in life. But in Chapter 2, Myrtle has a party to which Tom brings Nick, and while at
the party, Nick observes that Myrtle changes her looks and behavior when the company
arrives:
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.
Myrtle's
idea of the American Dream is tied to wealth and the impression that wealth supposedly
gives to others. Myrtle tells her friend that George is not "fit to lick [her] shoe"
because she is embarrased by his being of a lower economic class. She totes Tom around,
even though he is abusive towards her, because he is wealthy and serves as a status
symbol to her. So for Myrtle, the American Dream is about wealth and
status.
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