When Myrtle's sister, Catherine, arrives at the apartment, she acts as if she owns the place. Nick describes her as "worldly" and notes her attempt to resist "nature" by plucking her eyebrows. Her bracelets jingle loudly in what must be, to Nick, an overly extravagant and showy sound. So, she walks in with this air of pride and overconfidence. Nick notes,
"She came in with such a proprietary haste, and looked around so possessively at...
When Myrtle's sister, Catherine, arrives at the apartment, she acts as if she owns the place. Nick describes her as "worldly" and notes her attempt to resist "nature" by plucking her eyebrows. Her bracelets jingle loudly in what must be, to Nick, an overly extravagant and showy sound. So, she walks in with this air of pride and overconfidence. Nick notes,
"She came in with such a proprietary haste, and looked around so possessively at the furniture that I wondered if she lived here. But when I asked her she laughed immoderately, repeated my question aloud, and told me she lived with a girl friend at a hotel."
Nick doesn't have good impressions of the other guests either. This is perhaps why he gets drunk. Mr. McKee is feminine and pale. His wife is "shrill, languid, handsome, and horrible." Mrs. Wilson is also showy and pompous. All in all, this is an annoying and uncomfortable experience for Nick. He only assumes that Catherine owns the apartment because of how possessively she behaves. But this is an apartment that Tom keeps (rents) so that he has a place away from home to be with Myrtle. He even has Myrtle ride to the apartment in a separate car to ensure that Myrtle's husband, Mr. Wilson, will remain totally unaware of their affair.
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