Common Themes In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Waylon Jan/11/2023

In what ways is our current society (North America in 2023) still reflective of the era captured in The Great Gatsby?

The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that is set during the roaring ’20s when, for the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms. The novel follows Nick Carraway and the numerous obstacles he encounters after meeting Jay Gatsby. Despite the many years that have passed since the setting of The Great Gatsby and current North America, there are still many common themes between the two eras. Some common themes include money and its paramount importance, the different gender roles, and the prevalence of affairs. During both our current society and the era of The

For instance, Daisy states that the best thing a girl could be in this world was “a beautiful little fool” (22). Daisy hinted at the fact that it was much harder for women to be independent so they were often left with no future and no education and the only thing they could do to preserve themselves was to be beautiful and rely on their husbands. Even in today’s society, it is much tougher for women to find a job than it is for men as employers typically believe men can do the job better. For example, in athletics, the players who bring in revenue are the ones who will be suited for the job. Most of the time men play at a higher level of competition so they earn more money than their female counterparts. This leaves women with the option of being pretty and a stay-at-home mom, or they are forced to work at “informal” jobs that require minimal skill. According to cnn.com, “thirty-five percent of all those surveyed said physical attractiveness was the trait society valued most in women”. This suggests that Daisy’s outlook expressed in The Great Gatsby still holds true even now, therefore our society is still reflective of the era captured in The Great Gatsby. It is also important to consider that there is a power dynamic in both The Great Gatsby era and our current society. Most of the time, men play a greater role in leadership positions such as being world leaders, politicians, and captains in war. While the difference in power has diminished greatly, there is still some inequality between men and women. In The Great Gatsby, the men attempted to make most of the decisions for the women. For example, Gatsby tried to pressure Daisy into claiming she never once loved Tom (127) and when Daisy refused to listen to Gatsby, he told Tom “Daisy’s leaving you” without Daisy’s permission. Additionally, Nick referred to Daisy and Tom Buchanan as “the Tom Buchanans”, indicating that