Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume some time before, and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-colored chiffon, which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room. With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur.
Chapter 2 · Narrator
Context
At the apartment party, Myrtle changes into an elaborate dress, and Nick observes how her entire manner and personality transform along with her clothing.
Analysis
This passage demonstrates how identity in the novel is performed through material possessions—Myrtle literally becomes a different person through costume change, suggesting that selfhood in this world is constructed through consumption rather than essence. The word 'costume' rather than 'dress' implies theatricality and artifice. The transformation from 'vitality' to 'hauteur' shows Myrtle adopting what she imagines upper-class behavior to be, though the performance is unconvincing to the reader, creating dramatic irony.
How to Use in Essay
Ideal for essays on identity construction, materialism, the performative nature of class, or comparing Myrtle's self-fashioning with Gatsby's.