Examples Of Manipulation In The Great Gatsby

The 1920’s was an era of change and growth with no regard for morality. The novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald written in 1925. Tells the story of a young, wealthy man named Jay Gatsby as he tries to win back his former love Daisy Buchanan, amidst the immoral and chaotic roaring 20’s. This decade presented plenty of challenges for women looking to navigate through a male dominated society. However, characters Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker are able to overcome this challenge through manipulation and Independence.
Society has always painted the picture of a “traditional” woman: stay home, raise the children, keep the house, be nurturing, and in a multitude of ways, contribute to American society. However the 1920’s marked the birth

Daisy Buchanan is a prime representation of a “new woman” through her usage of manipulation. This is evident in chapter When confronted by both her husband Tom, and previous lover Gatsby, Daisy is put into conflict. Daisy is asked by Gatsby, who she is having an affair with, whether she had ever loved Tom and after assuring Gatsby she didn’t Daisy says, “I did love him once — but I loved you too… ‘Even alone I can’t say I never loved Tom,’ she admitted in a pitiful voice. ‘It wouldn’t be true” (102). This demonstrates how Daisy uses her charm to manipulate the men around her. Daisy is conscious of the effect she has on men and utilizes it to take control of them. This is shown in her manipulation of Gatsby, essentially leading him on to believe that she wants to be

They were known to sport short skirts, bob haircuts, and slimming cigarettes. And at many times were viewed as immoral and rebellious. Flappers emerged as a cultural icon in cities during this decade. Jordan Baker can be considered as someone who flawlessly mirrored this ideal by using her independence and utilizing manipulation to compete in a male dominated society. Jordans independence is displayed when Nick is exploring New York and begins to mention bumping into her over the summer, and he reflects upon the times he’s had with her. Nick says, “For a while I lost sight of Jordan Baker… I was flattered to go places with her, because she was a golf champion, and everyone knew her name” (46). This reveals that Jordan is a very strong and assertive person. Jordan, unlike Daisy, rose to the top of the social ladder on her own without the help of a man. Jordan being a very skilled golfer, which for women was not a popular job at the time, shows her confidence and determination to separate herself and question the normalities of civilization. This ultimately puts Jordan in a better stance to compete in society. However, Jordan also manipulates in the form of dishonesty to compete with men. In Chapter 3 Nick continues to think back on his time spent with Baker and as he analyzes her character he