Chapter Two (p. 23-38)

Summary:
In chapter two, Nick goes to New York with Tom Buchanan. On the way there they stop at a garage and we are introduced to George B. Wilson and his wife, Myrtle. It turns out that Myrtle is the woman with whom Tom is having an affair and she slyly accompanies Nick and Tom to an apartment that Tom owns in New York. At the apartment, their neighbors, the McKees, and Myrtle's sister, Catherine, come over and they drink and have conversations. At the end of the party, Tom slaps Myrtle in the face as a result of an argument and breaks her nose. Nick had had too much to drink and all of the sudden he is waiting for a train at Pennsylvania Station with no idea of how he got there.

Character:
Myrtle Wilson
- "She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can. Her face, above a spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine, contained no facet or gleam of beauty, but there was an immediately perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smouldering." (FITZGERALD 25)
- She's a powerful woman, strongly built, yet she holds herself well.
- She is smart and knows what she wants and how to get it.
- She has a way of making people compliment her by talking negatively about herself or playing something down as a way of actually bringing it to everyone's attention.
-- "'I like your dress,' remarked Mrs. McKee, [...] Mrs. Wilson rejected the compliment by raising her eyebrow in disdain. 'It's just a crazy old thing [...] I just slip it on sometimes when I don't care what I look like." (FITZGERALD 31)

- Myrtle is Tom Buchanan's mistress and she herself is also married. She is a strong woman, not to be taken lightly. When asked why she married George, when she evidently can not stand him, she said that she must have been crazy and describes it as being one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Near the end of the chapter, Tom and Myrtle have an argument regarding whether or not it is appropriate for her to bring up Daisy and Tom slaps her in the face and breaks her nose. This shows the abusive side of Tom and also brings Myrtle down a step because she has been acting so strong and full of herself. I feel that she will be an important character because she is obviously in love with Tom and I feel that she is not going to stand being the "other" woman much longer.

Meaningful Quote:
"We drove over to Fifth Avenue, so warm and soft, almost pastoral, on the summer Sunday afternoon that I wouldn't have been surprised to see a great flock of white sheep turn the corner." (FITZGERALD 28)
- This quote stood out to me because it described the setting and helped me to visualize where the characters where and what they were doing. The use of the word "pastoral" made the setting seem peaceful and relaxing which is why Nick would not be surprised to see "a great flock of white sheep turn the corner".