The Forgotten Tragic Hero in "The Great Gatsby"
The depraved aspects of society effect the demise of Gatsby and Wilson. The "deaths" of both men proceed their physical departures from life. For Gatsby, the end occurs when Daisy admits that he is not her one true love (p.133):
"Oh, you want too much!" she cried to Gatsby. "I love you now - isn't that enough? I can't help what's passed..I did love [Tom] once."
As a product of her society, she is incapable of the devotion which he awards her. Wilson, similarly, is defeated by the knowledge that his wife is unfaithful. His demise, however, does not conform with the Greek definition of tragedy. Unlike Gatsby, and other tragic heroes, Wilson does not engineer his own end. He is the story's only absolute victim, more deserving of sympathy than Gatsby.
However unwittingly, Gatsby casts himself against society. By moving to West Egg and throwing parties, he baits an enemy which his pipedreams cannot match. The pool in which he dies (p. 163) can be thought to symbolize the society which, through Daisy, he worships. Encased in marble, it is beautiful; its waters are alluring. Let he who enters it, however, beware.
Wilson does not make his own entrance. Rather, he is forced into a confrontation with societal ills. This does not occur, however, until the end of the book. Early on, Wilson remains oblivious to his wife's affair. According to Tom, "he's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive." (p. 26) Wilson's naivete may be perceived as a subconscious attempt to avoid an insurmountable enemy. He cannot, however, ward off society's overtures for long. Eventually, he is forced to take a stand in order to save his marriage. Ironically, his attempts to restrain Myrtle precipitate her departure from him forever. In Chapter VII, she attempts to escape. She is subsequently killed by the car she believes is Tom's. Wilson, unfortunately, is perceptive enough to believe that the car belongs to her lover. He is driven to attempt an uncharacteristic act of revenge. Society, manifested in Tom and Myrtle, instills in Wilson its own depraved brutality. This he directs against Gatsby, after Tom again has intervened (p. 164). In this way, society accomplishes its most sinister act. It destroys its victims by pitting them one against the other.
Before Wilson is destroyed, he experiences a revelation that reflects his superior morality. Looking into the "eyes" of Dr. Eckleburg, he perceives the world from the position
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