Who is Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby?

Myrtle is George Wilson’s wife, and she lives above his garage in the Valley of Ashes. She is also the woman Tom Buchanan secretly sees.

Myrtle runs out onto the road toward a yellow car and is hit and killed. The driver is Daisy, although Gatsby later says that he would take the blame.

Who is Myrtle’s husband?

Her husband is George Wilson, who runs a small repair garage. Her death leaves him heartbroken and angry.

From The Great Gatsby

Myrtle Wilson

The lively neighbor

A spirited woman from the Valley of Ashes who dreams of a fancy life in the big city.

Who is Myrtle Wilson?

Myrtle Wilson lives above her husband George’s dusty garage in the gray Valley of Ashes. She is bursting with energy, wears a bright red dress and dreams of a fancy life in the big city. Myrtle is Tom Buchanan’s secret friend, and she loves leaving the garage behind for exciting afternoons, even when those afternoons end in loud arguments.

Myrtle Wilson is a character in The Great Gatsby, the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Myrtle Wilson like?

Lively
Restless
Dramatic

Myrtle Wilson’s story

Myrtle Wilson is George’s wife, and the two of them live above his garage in the Valley of Ashes, the gray stretch of land between West Egg and New York. Nick meets her when Tom Buchanan takes him to see her. Myrtle is the woman Tom has been secretly seeing for some time, and he keeps an apartment in New York where they meet.

In Chapter 2 she goes with Tom and Nick on the train to the city, buys a puppy, and throws a party in the apartment with her sister, Catherine, and some neighbors. She is loud and bright and wants to be seen as a person with a better life. When Myrtle says Daisy’s name, Tom becomes angry and hurts her. The scene ends with the party broken up.

George later learns that his wife has a secret and locks her in the upstairs room. Myrtle breaks away and runs toward a yellow car on the road, because she thinks it is Tom’s. It is Gatsby’s car with Daisy at the wheel, and Myrtle is killed. Her death sets off the final events of the book.

“I married him because I thought he was a gentleman”

Myrtle Wilson, talking about her husband, George. From the original 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

A moment to remember

On a busy city sidewalk, Myrtle claps her hands and picks out a sweet brown puppy with floppy ears to bring along in the taxi.

Tom Buchanan: man she secretly sees
George Wilson: husband
Daisy Buchanan: Tom’s wife, whose name Myrtle shouts
Nick Carraway: guest at her New York apartment party

Talk about it

Myrtle always wanted a fancier life than the one she had. What are some everyday things in your life that make you happy just as they are?

Questions about Myrtle Wilson

Who is Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby?: Myrtle is George Wilson’s wife, and she lives above his garage in the Valley of Ashes. She is also the woman Tom Buchanan secretly sees.
How does Myrtle die?: Myrtle runs out onto the road toward a yellow car and is hit and killed. The driver is Daisy, although Gatsby later says that he would take the blame.
Who is Myrtle’s husband?: Her husband is George Wilson, who runs a small repair garage. Her death leaves him heartbroken and angry.