"I married him because I thought he was a gentleman," she said finally. "I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe."
Chapter 2 · Myrtle Wilson
Context
When Catherine asks why Myrtle married George Wilson, Myrtle explains her disillusionment, claiming she mistook him for someone of higher social standing.
Analysis
Myrtle's statement reveals her obsession with class elevation and her belief that marriage should be a vehicle for social climbing. The irony is double: Myrtle herself lacks the 'breeding' she demands, and her attraction to Tom is based on the same superficial class markers (his dress suit, patent leather shoes) she once projected onto Wilson. The vulgar phrase 'wasn't fit to lick my shoe' exposes the gap between her aspirations to refinement and her actual manner, undercutting her pretensions.
How to Use in Essay
Useful for essays on class aspiration, Myrtle's character, the disillusionment theme, or how characters in the novel conflate wealth with worth.