The Great Gatsby: Chapter II / pages 23-37

Summary:

               The chapter opens up half way between West Egg and New York, the valley of ashes, where ash covers everything and everyone. Above this gray land is a picture of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, whose gigantic blue eyes seem to watch over the valley. Nick and Tom are on their way to New York when Tom decides that Nick should meet his mistress. They get off the train and head to a garage where Nick meets Wilson. In addition, Nick meets Tom’s mistress Myrtle who turns out to be married to Wilson. Afterwards, Tom, Nick and Myrtle head to New York. When they arrive at Tom’s apartment, they have an impromptu party with Myrtle’s sister Catherine and the McKee’s. Gatsby is mentioned by Catherine who says that he’s either a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhem’s. Catherine and Myrtle then have a discussion about their marriages. Myrtle continues the discussion by talking about how she and Tom met. Afterwards, Tom and Myrtle get into a fight which leads to Tom breaking Myrtle’s nose. As a result, both Nick and Mr. McKee decide to leave the party and Nick goes to Pennsylvania Station to wait for the four o’clock train.

Myrtle Wilson:

• “I’m going to give you this dress as soon as I’m through with it. I’ve got to get another one tomorrow. I’m going to make a list of all the things I’ve got to get” (36).
• Myrtle is unfaithful, greedy, self-absorbed, and arrogant. Her unfaithfulness is shown through her affair with Tom behind her husband’s back.  In addition, she even says that marrying Wilson was a mistake because “he wasn’t fit to lick [her] shoe” (34). Her greediness is exemplified when she makes a list of all the things she wants and will get. She is self-absorbed because when she was married to Wilson she still got in a relationship with Tom saying, “You can’t live forever” (36). She only cared about herself and doing the things she wanted to do rather than thinking of her husband. Her arrogance is described by Nick after she changes her clothes. He states, “The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur” (30).
• Similar to Tom, Myrtle is unfaithful and cares only about herself. In addition, she is the complete opposite of Daisy. Nick describes Myrtle as someone with strong vitality; she gives off the feeling as someone who is independent and strong. However, in reality she is highly dependent on Tom. She gives in to what he says and does nothing when he breaks her nose.

Quote:

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life” (35).

             Although Nick dislikes people like Tom and Myrtle, he cannot help but be drawn into the world they live in. He was both drawn to and disgusted by it. In the same way, we are all curious. We are intrigued by both good and bad things; it is our human nature. This curiosity is what keeps us going back to the most ridiculous ways of life. We may dislike certain things, but in the end we are always drawn to them. For example, when we see shows that have kids getting drunk and partying we automatically think to ourselves, “Wow, what idiots,” but in the back of our minds we want to experience it too. It’s a ridiculous notion, but it’s true; we are both drawn and repelled by stupid things.