The Great Gatsby, Chapter 2 - How does the novel present appearances?

How does the novel present appearances?

Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald's use of first person narrative through disarming and honest character Nick, is so reserved in judgement that the tone of 'third person' is taken on, resulting in an omniscient narrator. The lack of judgement against others pursued by Nick provides the reader with confidence and trust in his retrospective view of both the events throughout 'The Great Gatsby' and the character's themselves. Here, in Chapter 2 of the novel, the narrator provides his direct observations on the newly introduced character Myrtle (Mrs Wilson) and Mr Wilson, presenting their physical appearances and the appearance of where they live; the 'valley of ashes'.

Chapter 2 predominantly presents us with the appearance of one of the most important characters in the novel who unknowingly plays a large role in the ultimate death of Jay Gatsby; Tom's 'woman', Myrtle Wilson. Here, we learn more of the woman Tom Buchanan is having an affair with and through Nick's direct observations are provided with her physical appearance. The description of the 'faintly stout' and 'thickish figure of a woman' with 'rather wide hips' and a face which 'contained no facet or gleam of beauty' portrays Myrtle as an unattractive and plain woman, the complete antithesis to Daisy whose described to be 'like a flower' with a face 'sad and lovely' with 'bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth'. The butch description of the character is enhanced through the observation that with her 'continually smouldering' body she took to 'walking through her husband as if he were a ghost'; portraying the character as uncaring and cruel towards her husband, clearly showing her lack of respect and love for Mr Wilson using the simile 'as if he were a ghost' to show how her dominating nature has turned him into a feeble pushover of a man who is fading away.

The ugly presentation of the character is established further through the chapter when it becomes clear that the money Tom has is new and exciting for the 'working class' garage man’s wife. Immediately taking advantage of the wealth he possesses, Nick reveals Myrtle’s childish repetition of the phrase 'I want' to show the character's need for instant gratification, a hedonistic stance towards life which comes with money and lack of morals.

Not only does Fitzgerald present the appearance of people in Chapter 2, but he also uses the description of position to present the large social divide between working class – Myrtle and George Wilson, and upper class – Tom, Daisy and Gatsby. By directly placing the poverty ridden 'Valley of Ashes' - a 'desolate area of land' where 'spasms of bleak dust...drift endlessly over it' - 'about half-way between' the glamorous West Egg, and wealthy bright light of New York, the reader is presented with a huge contrast of surroundings, symbolising the division of classes and the vulnerability of the working class to the whims of the rich. Fitzgerald predominantly exposes the poor and vulnerable ways of the working class to the reader through the introduction of narrator Nick to Mr. Wilson in his garage, situated ‘on the edge of the waste land’.

Here, the reader is exposed to the unjust hierarchy of the 1920’s American system and how the wealthy have the ability to control the fortune of the less wealthy; Nick’s observations of Wilson’s reaction - ‘a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes’, when he and Tom entered the garage, reveals the character’s dependency upon Tom through the false promise of business ‘to sell [him] that car’. Ultimately presenting the naive appearance of Wilson, however also the cruel appearance of Tom who heartlessly takes control of an unimportant comment by threatening Wilson and his work by ‘coldly’ stating ‘maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all’ to maintain his pride and hierarchy revealing his arrogant nature too. This idea is picked up again within the Chapter when 'Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke [Myrtles] nose with his open hand' to enhance the fact that the lower class are vulnerable to the actions of the upper class.

Furthermore, Tom Buchanan's character is continually presented in an ugly light throughout Chapter 2, and through Nick's omniscient tone persuading the reader to make their own judgement on the character. Tom is clearly portrayed to be unashamed about the affair he is having with Myrtle through his flamboyant actions and normal speech to Mr. Wilson calling him ‘old man’ and ‘slapping him jovially on the shoulder’, this along with his blatancy about the affair when he ‘intently’ states ‘I want to see you... Get on the next train’ reveals the characters ugly arrogant and controlling nature. Fitzgerald also presents the character with having double standards, using the antithesis of Daisy and Myrtle previously, but also through the plethora of rumours; the reason he can’t or rather won’t marry Myrtle is because ‘his wife... [is] Catholic, and they don’t believe in divorce’, however established by Nick’s narration and knowledge of Daisy, this is revealed as a lie, resulting in the exposure of Tom’s disloyalty to both women, and also suggesting that Tom is a contradictory character and doesn’t want to leave his wife for someone ‘lower class’ as he fears the gossip which may be spread about him.

(Caitlin Scott)