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The Role Of Myrtle In The Great Gatsby

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The American Dream- a term coined by the rich and defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative”. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald symbolizes the economic hierarchy imposed upon American civilization through characters such as Myrtle and Daisy. The societal pressures that Daisy and Myrtle deal with causes them to act in an inhumane fashion in order to achieve a highly regarded reputation. When asked about her child, Daisy hints that she is critical of the society she lives in, but refuses to speak out since she does not want to put her respectable status in jeopardy. On the other hand, …show more content…
Daisy has also distorted her personality in order to fit the criteria accepted by East Egg. When Nick and Gatsby go over to the Buchanan’s for lunch, tension is at its highest, so Daisy suggests going down to New York. After suggesting this, Nick could not help but notice that "[Her] voice was full of money…high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl…” (115). The golden girl, whose voice is filled with money, is symbolic of the fact that wealth has overtaken Daisy and her personality. The white palace she hides in can be interpreted as the simulated innocence she uses to hide her greed. In an attempt to avoid the disruptiveness of Tom’s mistress, Daisy takes Nick into their backyard. After describing her cynicism about the subordinate role women play in this society, Daisy goes on to explain that she is “...glad [her child] is a girl. And [she] hope[s] she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (22). Daisy is hopeful that her daughter will replicate the persona she chooses to present herself by, thus demonstrating that Daisy is a disingenuous character. Daisy hides behind a fabricated naivety because she does not want to put her reputation at risk. Although Daisy understands that she would be happier living a life with Gatsby and all the intangible things he has to offer, she ultimately chooses Tom and his wealth because humanity has put a monetary value on the American

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