The Great Gatsby_F. Scott Fitzgerald
1
CHARACTER OF GEORGE WILSON
CHARACTERISTIC
Mild in manner, gentle, though Nick
chooses to describe these qualities
negatively as if Wilson had no drive and
energy
A devoted husband, did Myrtle’s bidding
A trusting husband, some might think
foolish and naïve in not suspecting
Myrtle’s affair with Tom
He was a loner, reserved and friendless,
devoting his attention to making a meagre
living to please his wife.
Had strong faith in an all-powerful being
who would make sure justice is done.
Beneath his mild anaemic manner, Wilson
possessed deep passions as seen in his
decision to kill the person responsible for
Myrtle’s death and then to kill himself.
QUOTE with page number
Spiritless man, anaemic p29
‘He was one of those worn-out men’ p 130
Ran to get chairs for Tom and Nick at
Myrtle’s bidding p 28
Was shattered by her death
‘I heard a low husky sob and saw that the
tears were overflowing down his face’
p135
‘He was his wife’s man and not his own’ p
130
‘He had discovered that Myrtle had some
sort of life apart from him in another world
and the shock had made him physically
sick.’ P 118
‘I’m one of these trusting fellas and I don’t
think harm to nobody….’ P 151
Michaelis ‘was almost sure that Wilson had
no friend: there was not enough of him for
his wife.’ P 151
George told Myrtle
‘God knows hat you’ve been doing,
everything you’ve been doing. You may
fool me, but you can’t fool God’ p 152
‘God sees everything’ p 152
He shot Gatsby having been told by Tom
that Gatsby had run down his wife, then
shot himself.
In Nick’s words ‘and the holocaust was
complete’. P 154
The Great Gatsby_F. Scott Fitzgerald
2
CHARACTER OF MYRTLE WILSON
CHARACTERISTIC
QUOTE with page number
Though no beauty in the
eyes of Nick, she was
vivacious, lively the polar
opposite of her husband.
P 28 she carried her flesh
sensuously
There was an immediately
perceptible vitality about
her.
She was lively, vivacious,
and it explains why Tom
was attracted to her.
From a poor background,
she yearned for high living
and resented the poverty in
her life
P 37
He (George) wasn’t fit to
lick my shoe
The only crazy I was was
when I married him.
She looks down on George
because he was poor.
She reveled in wealth. She
put on airs and behaved
haughtily and showed off
when she was in a rich
setting.
P 33, p 34, p 38
The intense vitality….was
converted into impressive
hauteur.
Her laughter,
gestures…became more
violently affected
The Great Gatsby_F. Scott Fitzgerald
Deeply emotional and
passionate
3
P119
Her eyes wide with jealous
terror
She was insanely jealous of
the woman with Tom