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How Did F Scott Fitzgerald Use Feminism In The Great Gatsby

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Benorah Tweh Mrs. Frantzen 11 Honors Block 3A 25 March 2024 The Abstract View of Feminism in The Great Gatsby Feminism is often mistaken for a flat idea. There are the strong independent women and the ones that have confided in the “rules” that society has made for them. Though the concept of feminism is clearly more than just that, society often falls victim to putting women into those two categories, when there is always a middle ground. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, provides a more complex viewpoint on feminism. The women within the novel participate in activities that are seen as slightly rebellious, but on the flip side it is easy to see them as succumbing to the limitations that were put upon women in this time. Through Jordan’s …show more content…

During this time period, most women didn't choose their husbands let alone openly discuss their discomfort and unhappiness within their marriages. Myrtle doesn’t seem fearful about discussing her affair in public or opening up about the issues within her marriage. This solo event shows her rebelling against the social standards and norms that were placed upon them, but in a bigger picture it is clear that Myrtle is helpless. She can’t leave her husband because she has nothing to fall back on. Though the man she married is not the provider she dreams of, he is all she has. If Mr. Wilson wanted, he could leave Myrtle, and he wouldn’t face any financial distress, but she would never have that same pleasure. Daisy, in comparison to Jordan, is not as strong or independent. She is a self-centered housewife who seems to have no control over her life. Though Daisy carried herself as if she is this powerful woman, she truly is not. Fitzgerald writes, “ ‘Toms got some woman in New’”( Fitzgerald15). Jordan makes this comment on the fact that everyone knows about this affair, everyone, including Daisy. Daisy can’t do anything about the affair, it …show more content…

This is an extreme representation of disrespect, the fact that Myrtle had no issue with calling proves that she also knows how powerless Daisy is in this situation. Though she might feel disrespected, she can't do anything about it. She has all this money and “power”, but it is not hers, it belongs to Tom. Since everything she owns belongs to Tom, she can’t do anything about his affairs, so she just stays with him. Daisy finds comfort in the societal standards, she stays and tolerates them because that benefits her. This is not to say that Daisy is completely powerless, she plays into the roles of society for her own benefit, which is slightly empowering. She is completely aware of how society is structured, and uses her “cluelessness and innocence” to her advantage to help her get further in life. Unlike the other women, Daisy is able to be completely careless and selfish, because of her role. In a simple view, Daisy would look like a foolish woman, but in a more abstract view it is clear that she is wiser than it seems. The Great Gatsby, a story of trials and tribulation, filled with dynamic characters depicts

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