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Examples Of Masculinity In The Great Gatsby

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In "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald uses characterization to show the effects of toxic masculinity in his male characters many different ways, One way he does this is by demonstrating how toxic masculinity can lead to destructive behavior. He shows the way that toxic masculinity is showed through societal valuies of what man should be during the 1920’s. It shows the worst of what following those idealistic values of masculinity, money, and wanting to fit the values would lead you to becoming less of a man. Fitzgerald uses characterization in "The Great Gatsby" to demonstrate the destructive effects of toxic masculinity on the lives of his male characters, and to critique the societal norms and mashismo culture that allow this behavior …show more content…

This behavior is a result of his toxic masculinity, which allows him to believe that he is entitled to treat others in this way. He is racist due to him being scared of losing his position in society if things change it’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (Fitzgerald 13. )Another way Fitzgerald uses characterization to show the effects of toxic masculinity is by demonstrating how it can lead to a lack of empathy and a lack of concern for others. He constantly cheats on his wife, Daisy with his mistress Myrtle and doesn't even care for her but would rather use her for a quick escape, and would do anything to keep her from his real life. Even hurting her both pyschhically and mentaalyt in the process. Tom Buchanan broke Myrtle’s in chapter 2 nose with his open hand.Tom is also characterized as being indifferent to the suffering of others, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, …show more content…

He is obsessed with the idea of being seen as powerful and successful, and uses his wealth and status to try and win the affection of Daisy Buchanan, a woman who he is deeply in love with but who does not truly care about him.Throughout the novel, Gatsby is portrayed as a man who is deeply insecure and constantly seeking validation from others, especially women. This is seen in the way he constantly tries to impress and win over Daisy, even going so far as to throw lavish parties and buy extravagant gifts in an attempt to win her affection. He wants to appear to be a bigshot in order to compete with Tom. Gatsby's obsession with Daisy is driven by his desire to be seen as a successful and powerful man, and his toxic masculinity is evident in the way he uses his wealth and status to try and control her and win her over rather than what made them fall in love in the first

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George Wilson is Myrtle’s ideal husband in that he is oblivious to her affairs and focused on his garage business. His unawareness allows Myrtle to take advantage of him, and escape reality through her affair with Tom Buchanan. When Tom visits the Wilson home, both Myrtle and him deceive George into believing Tom’s intentions include business inquiries. Nick describes Myrtle to be “walking through her husband as if he were a ghost” as she tells George to “‘get some chairs … so somebody can sit down”’ (26).

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He falls in love with her because they are young and she's beautiful; but his love increases as he builds this idea of her in his mind that her beauty is inherently connected to her wealthy status. Thus, his initiative to become rich was part of his effort of living up to this conception he had of Daisy. In Gatsby’s mind, he legitimately loves her but truthfully a part of him is only infatuated with the idea of her. In this respect Daisy is not the person he believes her to be, only because in his mind, she is an impossibly perfect girl frozen in the

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1482 Words | 6 Pages

Myrtle, as a woman of the 1920’s, should be a paragon of feminism and independence, however, she is used by Fitzgerald in order to show how unrealistic these ideals truly are. As a lower-class female living in the valley of the ashes, Myrtle has no chance of achieving the goals of the ‘new woman’ of the 1920s, and consequently, must try to gain upward mobility by seducing Tom Buchanan. She believes that as his mistress she will be able to overcome the barriers between her lower-class life and her upper-class dreams, but in the end, Tom only treats her as a glorified pet he can treat however he wants. This is seen when Tom, “[breaks Myrtle’s] nose with his open hand.” P.g.30.

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He is deeply invested in maintaining the social hierarchy of the society in which he lives, believing that his wealth and status entitle him to certain privileges. Tom is also possessive and jealous, particularly when it comes to his wife, Daisy. He becomes threatened by Gatsby's attempts to win Daisy's love, and his jealousy ultimately leads to tragedy. Tom's motivations are ultimately revealed to be selfish and self-serving, as he seeks to maintain his own power and control at the expense of

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Gatsby's obsession with Daisy and his belief that he can win her back fuels his desire

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Gatsby is described as "gorgeous" (Fitzgerald 2), with a "rare smile" (Fitzgerald 48) and a "romantic readiness" (Fitzgerald 6). He is obsessed with the idea of winning back Daisy's love and uses his wealth to create a lavish lifestyle in the hopes of impressing her. However, Gatsby's motivations are not purely selfish; he genuinely loves Daisy and wants to provide for her. Gatsby represents the nouveau riche, who value ambition and individualism over tradition and social

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466 Words | 2 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, "The Great Gatsby," Daisy Buchanan is one of the primary characters, and throughout the story, she remains a static character. Despite experiencing various events and encounters throughout the book, Daisy's personality, beliefs, and behavior remain unchanged, which ultimately contributes to the book's themes and tragic ending. Daisy's lack of development is evident from the beginning of the book. Her introduction is through Nick Carraway's narration, who describes her as "...a beautiful little fool," suggesting that she is not a complex or intellectually curious person. Her primary motivation seems to be her own pleasure and convenience, as seen in her decision to marry Tom Buchanan, a wealthy and socially prominent man, despite her love for Gatsby.

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616 Words | 3 Pages

Fitzgerald writes “Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” 12. In this scene Tom punches Myrtle in the face due to the fact she states his wife Daisy's name. Tom excerpts his

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For many years men have been trying to understand what traits they need to get the girl and the relationship. Men are always looking for ways to impress “the girl” and will do it at any cost, physical or mental. The way that masculinity is represented throughout the novel The Great Gatsby shows throughout the book what the negatives of masculinity are and how they affect relationships and marriages. The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott. Throughout this article i will like to addressing Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby's point of view on relationships and marriage, and compare it to current time.

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825 Words | 4 Pages

Tom is a racist, sexist, man and Fitzgerald does not hide it. In the beginning of the novel when Nick is over at Tom and Daisy’s home Tom begins to speak to Nick of a book he is reading called ‘The Rise of the Colored Empires’ Tom believes that, “ Well, it’s a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be--will be utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proven.” ( Fitzgerald 13).

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Foremost, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses characters to symbolize the diabolical traits within a person. For instance, Daisy 's husband, Tom represented pride. Tom was a despicable character throughout the book, he was conceited and arrogant to everyone around him. For example, Tom tells Nick that he is more masculine then he is and parades his house around boasting about his accomplishments and wealth (Ch 1. Pg 7).

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This is evident in his treatment of his wife Daisy, whom he sees as a trophy to be displayed to others. Tom’s possessiveness and need for control are also evident in his treatment of Myrtle Wilson, whom he keeps as a mistress in a dingy apartment in the city. When Tom discovers Daisy’s affair with Gatsby he reacts with anger and vengefulness, seeking revenge by confronting Gatsby and ultimately causing his death. In chapter two of the novel it says, “Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” (Fitzgerald 37).

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792 Words | 4 Pages

The relationship between Myrtle and Tom is defined by this. Fitzgerald uses this relationship purposefully to emphasize how Tom’s relationships revolve around the power he gains from his socioeconomic

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If his mind is not occupied by his mistress Myrtle, he is drowning in thoughts of Gatsby’s suspected crime-filled life. “Indeed, Tom Buchanan's sources appear most reliable in his characterization of Gatsby's drug store chain as ‘just small change’ compared to his stolen bonds” (Pauly 116). Buchanan is a hypocrite towards Gatsby. He denounces Gatsby’s life actions as being morally evil but Tom’s actions are no different than Gatsby’s in the sense that both men are unfaithful to themselves and their nearest relationships. Tom is competing with Gatsby through deception and treachery, and their dangerous habits wound them

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952 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, what Jay Gatsby feels for Daisy Buchanan is obsession. Gatsby revolves and rearranges his entire life in order to gain her affections. Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy resulted in him buying a mansion across the lake from her, throwing huge parties, and spending years of his life trying to become rich. Gatsby bought mansion intentionally across the lake from Daisy just to be closer to her.

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