How Does Fitzgerald Use Feminism In The Great Gatsby

Looking Through the Lens of Feminism in The Great Gatsby In the dictionary, feminism is defined as the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes (www.dictionary.com). The concept of feminism gained popularity in the 1920s. For example, the 19th Amendment was passed after a hard fight for women's suffrage by feminists across the nation. During the 20’s, women were expected to marry young, stay home, take care of the house and children, and be submissive to their husbands. Although that was still the expectation of the time, women started slowly rebelling against these beliefs. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, all three of the leading ladies in the novel go against the feminine stereotype of the roaring

Jordan is not described by Nick as reacting to this, or even noticing Owl Eyes inappropriate looks. She is not affected by the attention men give her, and does what she wants without a man’s influence. While Jordan is not impressed by the men’s attention, Myrtle Wilson is constantly looking for it. She wants something better, even if that means being abused and lied to for what she thinks is a “better” life. Myrtle is assertive and gets her way, which is a more masculine trait to hold. In Chapter two, the reader sees the assertiveness that Myrtle has when she asks Tom to buy her a dog. She petulantly demanded, “‘I want to get one of those dogs,’ she said earnestly. I want to get one for the apartment. They’re nice to have — a dog’” (Fitzgerald 23). Women during this time were accustomed to not getting their way and accepting that they needed to learn to like what men like. But Myrtle did not adjust to this standard, showing her dominance with not only Tom, but also her husband, Mr. Wilson. Her actual husband, Mr. Wilson, adored Myrtle. In Myrtle’s relationship with Mr. Wilson, it isn’t the stereotypical relationship of the time

Although Daisy does not appear to be a strong feminist, the novel contains several undertones throughout the novel that show her breaking the feminine standard. She not only stands up for herself against Tom, but also has an affair behind her back. Tom having an affair with Myrtle is known to everyone, even Daisy. Although Daisy still allows it, that does not mean that she does not put up a fight. After Tom leaves the dinner table in Chapter one, Daisy gets up and follows him. They enter into a brief debacle and then return like nothing ever happened. This shows Daisy’s feminist undertones because during this time, it was unusual for women to confront their husband’s affairs, especially in front of company. Daisy goes against the social norms by confronting Tom about his secret woman. This shows that Daisy doesn't care about the female norms of the time period and is not afraid to speak up for herself on the matter. Daisy also has an affair behind Tom’s back for most of the novel. Daisy is responsible for much of the conflict in the novel because of her affair with