Betrayal in The Great Gatsby Essay

In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays betrayal in all the main characters throughout the book. Betrayal is a major theme of the book and has an underlying meaning to the story that not many people know. All the main characters betray someone in some from, like Tom betrays Daisy, Myrtle betrays George or Daisy betrays Tom and Gatsby. It also shows that if one is high class there is no punishment compared to what the low class gets if they act without morals.

First in The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan betrays his lovely wife Daisy Buchanan by cheating on her with a very luscious woman named Myrtle from Manhattan. Tom would often take the train over to her apartment, while Daisy thinks he is out for work. There is proof of this before she is even introduced in the book when Tom and Nick are on the train and Tom says, Were getting off he insisted. I want you to meet my girl (p 24). This shows that Tom has another woman other than daisy. And just like myrtle, Tom, too, is bored, seeking excitement first in sport, then in infidelity (www.go.galegroup.com). This betrays Daisy because not only is Tom breaking a promise to her when he decided to marry her, he is defiling her trust by making her believe that he is going somewhere else when really he is going to cheat on her.

Next, F. Scott Fitzgerald also shows betrayal in Myrtle and George. George Wilson is being cheated on by his wife Myrtle, with Tom Buchanan as shown. George has put trust in Myrtle from the marriage but Myrtle is not one to trust, when Nick asks about George Tom replies, Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. Hes so dumb he doesnt know hes alive (p 26). This clearly shows that Myrtle is going behind her husbands back and being deceiving by lying to him about where she is going and what she is really doing. Myrtle is unhappy with what she has in her life and wants something new shown by a critic, Myrtle is bored with her husband and looking for a better deal (www.go.galegroup.com). This shows betrayal of matrimony and trust, two major things in a persons life.

Also Daisy Betrays, the main character of the book, Jay Gatsby. By marrying Tom, Daisy has betrayed Gatsby because she is in love with him and was suppose to wait for him but instead married tom. This is shown when Daisy and Gatsby reunite at his house, As she left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down, kissing him on the mouth, murmuring, You know I love you (p 116). Daisy and Gatsby were meant to be but she betrayed him by not waiting for him and marrying tom. A critic expresses this also, She was as shallow as the other hollow people who inhabited Fitzgeralds long island. She could never become a legitimate actualization of Gatsbys illegitimate dream (www.go.galegroup.com). She and Gatsby can never be therefore Daisy has betrayed his love.

The underlying meaning to all this betrayal and to shown throughout the story is that high class people have no punishment compared to low class people. This is shown through the deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby. Daisy Buchanan, driving Gatsbys car, hit Myrtle and killed her. Myrtle was a wrong doer as was Tom and Daisy but Myrtle, a low class girl, referred to by Tom as a dog, was the one killed. Even though she was not the only one that has betrayed Fitzgerald displayed the power the high class has by having Myrtle take the punishment of death. Since Daisy was driving Gatsbys car George Wilson took revenge on another low class man, Jay Gatsby. Wilson shot him to death, yet Daisy committed the crime and Tom cheated on Daisy but nothing happened to them because they are high class. This is shown though the entire story.

In conclusion Fitzgerald made betrayal a major part of this book which shows the hidden meaning that high class people of this time have power over low class people, shown by the death of Myrtle and Gatsby and no punishment for Tom or Daisy.