ipl-logo

Gender Roles In The Great Gatsby

1020 Words5 Pages

Kaitlynn Arendall
1/10/23
Mr. Jefferson
Dominating Gender

In the 1920s, life for women was not as easy as it was for men. Women were restricted by many rules whereas men thrived as the dominating gender. The novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott tells a story about a man named Nick, who gets involved with a millionaire, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby uses Nick to help him achieve his fantasy of reuniting with his former lover, Daisy Buchanon, who happens to be Nick’s cousin. The author uses two female characters known as Jordan and Daisy, individuals cheat and lie, to show how women compete in this male-dominated world.
In The Great Gatsby, Jordan is a character who turned to malicious methods in order to get ahead in this world ruled by men. The …show more content…

Skirts could not be higher than 3 inches above the ankle, nor 6 inches higher than the knee when wearing a bathing suit. Women were constantly checked and put in their place. This fueled their passion to rebel against these rules, and to possess their own political, independent, and social rights. One of it’s rebellious methods was cheating. In chapter 3, Nick recalls a moment when Jordan was involved in a cheating scandal, “At her first big golf tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers- a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round. The thing approached the proportions of a scandal-then died away” (Fitzgerald 62). Women had little opportunities to participate in sports. Jordan makes a place for herself in this male supremacist sport by moving her …show more content…

It was not common for people to cheat on their lover or significant other in the 1920s. The person would either have more wealth, or more to show then the current partner, or simply has something that the current lover does not have. This leads to the individual being unfaithful to their current partner. Daisy cheats on her husband, Tom Buchanon, with Jay Gatsby, who displayed more of his wealth. Near the end of chapter 5, Gatsby invites Daisy and Nick over to his house to show Daisy around.
“‘That huge place there?’” she cried pointing.
“‘Do you like

Show More
Related
289 Words | 2 Pages

The author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, uses Tom Buschan as a symbol of gender roles during the period of Roaring Twenties. Tom is the narrator, Nick's friend from college and they are having a reunion. Nick describes Tom as having, “Two arrogant eyes [that] had established dominance over his face,” (page 14). Fitzgerald chose to include the word “dominance” because men controlled almost everything during this time period. Tom is a prime example of men controlling their women, even with their eyes.

Read More
789 Words | 4 Pages

Even though the 1920s were a time that women had no rights or freedom, Jordan is a dishonest person in general and that is pointed out many times by Nick and Fitz

Read More
598 Words | 3 Pages

Gender Lens Daisy, a high-status woman, is constrained by her position, which influences her actions and choices. Due to her high status, she's constricted from society. In the 1920s, society put pressure on women to behave a certain way. Daisy was under more pressure than those in middle or lower classes due to her high status.

Read More
727 Words | 3 Pages

Erin Danielson Ms. Johnson Literature of the Americas 28 January 2018 Gender Within the Great Gatsby The beginning of the 1920s meant a new decade, and with that came new rights and freedom for the women of this country. Suffrage, prohibition, and cultural freedoms were the three biggest women movements of the 1920s. However, despite the fact that the women of this country were finally starting to fill their shoes, there was still a power struggle between the two genders.

Read More
680 Words | 3 Pages

Her husband Tom is having an affair with another woman Daisy doesnt know but of course, has her ways and knows what happened. Daisy and Gatsby have had a past history of being in love but it doesn't end up working out. But later they came together and showed the love they have for each other hasn't gone away. “Can’t repeat the past?…

Read More
1169 Words | 5 Pages

In today’s duplicitous society, men often pursue the “perfect woman”. This woman is construed to be; fit, provocative and ravishing. However, in greatly distinguished American novel, The Great Gatsby, the men have strayed from stalking women for their looks. Instead, Gatsby chases Daisy to achieve her as a prize of his bounty and any affection Gatsby demonstrates toward her, is simply to appease to her sense of status and wealth. The author F. Scott Fitzgerald, exhibits Gatsby’s these feelings for Daisy through the clever usage of connotation, symbolism and metaphors.

Read More
1746 Words | 7 Pages

The Roaring Twenties Have you ever wondered what the stereotypes of women were in the 1920’s? Well, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, there are three major different types of stereotypes of women. In this book, a man named Nick Carraway moves near a millionaire who goes by the name Gatsby. Gatsby hosts frequent parties which include several different types of people, such as gold diggers, golden girls, and the new women. Throughout this book, Nick gets to meet all three types of these girls, and gets to spend time with them.

Read More
1973 Words | 8 Pages

For a moment, picture having an interest or hobby that you enjoyed, football for instance. But, sadly, almost everyone around you had a strong hatred for football. So, to fit in, you too pretend to both hate it and enjoy what the majority of people around you like; for example, golfing. While they’re both sports, they have numerous differences, so no matter how hard you try, in your heart, you constantly wish you were playing football instead of golfing. This can be used to depict how queer people may feel when oppressed for something that’s out of their control.

Read More
922 Words | 4 Pages

Imagine you get stared at by people that are judging if you are pretty or have a good body, you are controlled by your significant other, and you are blamed for anything. This is the life of a woman in the 1920s. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he illustrates how women are treated poorly and not as human beings. The males in the story control the females because of gender roles in the 1920s. The theme that Fitzgerald developed was, women in the 1920s are objects and to blame for the downfall of everything, which is shown through the characters Myrtle, Daisy, and Ella Kaye.

Read More
1328 Words | 6 Pages

A woman’s main goal in life is to find a husband of great wealth and power that can help support their emotional instability. F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays this goal for women based on the plethora of detailed imagery he uses when describing them. Women are constantly seen, and heard, seeking wealth and wishing they had more; otherwise, they are likely shown crying or acting on impulse. Specifically, Fitzgerald's use of lavish imagery in The Great Gatsby when describing Gatsby's shirts, as well as Daisy’s reaction, reinforces Fitzgerald’s sexist stereotypes about women and their fixation on material wealth and status as well as their inability to control their emotions.

Read More
1009 Words | 5 Pages

Reader’s perception is one of the most essential aspects of a novel, this refers to what the audience brings to the novel and determines whether a book is transcendent. The perception can be affected by several factors such as the format, the language and the message of the novel in general. A book can be interpreted differently according to culture, ideology, and even gender. The novel, The Great Gatsby written and published by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, is faced with reader-response criticism by two different social groups; feminist, that want to achieve equal cultural and social representation for women, question the treatment the women in book receive by the men, yet view the novel as an example of the empowerment of females in during the 1920’s. Then Marxists, who analyse class relations, social conflict and social transformation, interpret the book by analysing the representation of a materialistic elite class and the struggle of the middle class to fit into their world.

Read More
555 Words | 3 Pages

She is a professional golfer who is independent, confident, and assertive. She challenges the traditional gender roles of that time by choosing a career path that men usually do. Jordans position as a successful athlete earned her a level of respect that most women usually don't get in the early 20th century. Her success on the golf course gives her a level of power and influence over those around her. Her independence and self assuredness represents the roles of women changing during the 1920s as more women began to challenge traditional gender roles and pursue careers outside of the

Read More
2439 Words | 10 Pages

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of themes of wealth, love, and tragedy. Also during the time this book was written, women’s suffrage had begun, so women were taking their first steps towards equality with men. The three main women characters in the novel: Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, and Jordan Baker, all have things in common but can be vastly different; they reflect the view of women in the early 20th century. The Great Gatsby portrays the characters Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan as stereotypes of women during the 1920s, seen in their behavior, beliefs, and their ultimate fate.

Read More
1332 Words | 6 Pages

In the up and coming generation, there are various social and controversial topics that are brought up and argued with in our society. These topics vary from Drug legalization to Abortion, to Civil unions. Feminism is one of the more controversial topics among them. Feminism is simply a combination of human rights, individual rights, and equality for all. In the 1920 's, and even now, feminism is a very popular topic that takes a great role in the novel.

Read More
1399 Words | 6 Pages

Golden blonde hair falls on the cheeks of a pure face. A woman so accustomed to money and privilege, yet a hole in her heart prevents her from happiness. Meanwhile, sweat of poverty covers the skin of one who only has eyes for a man already wed to another. Betwixt them all is a dark haired, athletic woman who cares only for her own well-being. All three of these beauties walk down paths as different as lead is from gold, yet their similarities are uncanny.

Read More

More about Gender Roles In The Great Gatsby

Related Topics

Open Document