The Great Gatsby: Pages 157-168

Myrtle Wilson

After reading these pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, my previously proclaimed hopes that this novel would not follow the same path as The House of Mirth were unfortunately crushed. Just as Lily Bart died alone and without many friends, the great Gatsby of Fitzgerald’s imagination also met his end without love, and without friends. Lily began to have problems when she went after what was unattainable, and the same unfortunate thing happened to Jay Gatsby. His everlasting hope that Daisy Buchanan would leave her husband was destroyed, and he died heartbroken, leaving a legacy filled with scandal. Although I did find Gatsby arrogant and insufferable at certain points in the novel, I also do not believe that he deserved what happened to him. The murder of Mrs. Myrtle Wilson was put in his hands in order to protect Daisy, but not only did it lead to his demise, he also never received the love and care of Daisy. In fact, all of those who took advantage of him never repaid him in any way. Once they were done enjoying his parties and alcohol, once Gatsby had nothing left to offer them, they drifted off into the wind. This also happened to the beautiful, troubled Lily Bart. All those who called themselves her “friends” were really taking advantage of her beauty and money, but when that was gone, so was their friendship. Only Lawrence Selden cared about Lily until the end. Similarly, the only person who never tried to deceive Gatsby, who never lied to him, and who never mistreated him was Nick Carraway. He states, “I found myself of Gatsby’s side, and alone,” (Fitzgerald, 164). Although Carraway did not completely agree with all of Gatsby’s actions and choices, he did care about him, which is more than any other character could say.