George Wilson

George Wilson is a poor man living in the valley of ashes, an industrial wasteland halfway between West Egg and New York. From a Marxist perspective, George’s lack of wealth identifies him as one of the proletariat, and it is apparent throughout The Great Gatsby that he is at the mercy of the upper class.  

George Wilson runs a meager business buying, selling, repairing, and refueling cars. In chapter two, when Tom threatens to sell his car elsewhere after George complains about the transaction being slow, George gets flustered and is immediately apologetic, saying that “[he] [didn’t] mean that” (Fitzgerald, 25). George cannot afford to anger Tom as he depends on Tom’s visits to his garage to make a living. Like Marx’s proletariat, George only has labour to sell, and must rely on the bourgeoisie to provide him with work.

George Wilson (left)

In accordance with Marxist theories, Wilson’s lack of agency in regards to his work creates a sense of alienation, and this is most manifest in Nick’s descriptions of the people of the valley of ashes – he says they “move dimly” (Fitzgerald, 23) and are “already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald, 23). Wilson in particular is described as “spiritless” (Fitzgerald, 25). Just like how Marx described alienation to weaken mental and physical health, Wilson’s lack of autonomy in The Great Gatsby results in his seeming blandness and insubstantiality.

Myrtle's death

It is not only George’s professional life that is at the mercy of the bourgeoisie – his personal life is as well. Tom Buchanan uses his wealth to buy presents for George’s wife, Myrtle, and it is for this reason that she cheats on George with Tom. Although George tries to retake control when he locks up his wife and plans to take her West, he is ultimately unsuccessful – Myrtle is killed when Daisy accidentally runs her over in a car. In this way, George loses his wife’s fidelity and subsequently her life as a result of the actions of the upper class.

In The Great Gatsby, George Wilson represents the proletariat, and his suffering at the hands of the upper class is synonymous with the Marxist concept of the proletariat continuously being exploited by the bourgeoisie. Through the injustice of George’s life, Fitzgerald establishes a critical view of the bourgeoisie.