As Myrtle has more and more to drink, she becomes increasingly belligerent, ordering people about and assuming a false sense of social superiority, casually offering derogatory comments about various types of people — in many ways, mirroring Tom’s sense of social superiority. By this point she sees herself not only as superior to her guests, she is Tom’s equal.
All this changes, however, when Tom brutally reminds her of her place in his life. After bringing up Daisy’s name, Tom and Myrtle stand “face to face, discussing in impassioned voices whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy’s name.” Myrtle, made bold by the whiskey, begins to shout Daisy’s name while Tom, exhibiting the brute force Nick has known he was capable of since first meeting him, quickly hits Myrtle with his open hand, breaking her nose.
The shocking violence of this incident is calculated and underscores a nastier side of life that most people would like to ignore. Through Tom’s assault, Fitzgerald not only demonstrates more about Tom and his callousness toward humanity, but also suggests a hidden side to the Jazz Age. Although most people associate good times and carefree abandon with the reverie of the 1920s, Fitzgerald suggests a much darker side. Tom is a decidedly unpleasant man, held in check by very few rules. The reader must wonder, if he is capable of this sort of violence, what else is he capable of? In just the second chapter of the book, Fitzgerald is already showing the seedy side to a supposedly charmed life. The incident piques the reader’s interest, shocking and appalling as it is, making the reader wonder to what depths this society will fall — in the book and in real life, as well.
