ipl-logo

Jordan Baker's Representation Of Women In The Great Gatsby

1421 Words6 Pages

The 1920s is a time of technological, economical, and social exploration. Myrtle, Daisy, and Jordan display the full image of what it is like to be a women in New York during the 1920s. They each have a personal struggle with society and the fight between what they want and what is expected of them. Each of these women wants to experience the glamor of the 1920s but has to maintain some of the traditional elegance of a woman. If the neglect to do so, they are treated harshly by society. Daisy shows her struggles with the social status of women through her daughter and relationship with Tom. Jordan proves that being a “new” women of the 1920s comes with a price of judgment and accusations of dishonesty. Myrtle seeks to become a member of the …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald’s depiction of women in The Great Gatsby readers see women are prepared to emerge into the modern way of life, but society is not ready for the new nontraditional image of …show more content…

Even though Jordan Baker represents one of the “new women” of the 1920s she is still subject to levels of disrespect. She manages herself in a forward thinking way which shows that she possesses self-respect and knows her value as a member of society. Jordan “need not be bothered by a mere summer romance while Nick” (Hays). Her independence is what makes her so powerful, but also causes her to be looked down on by society. When Nick says, “And you oughtn 't to drive at all” he shows how he does not believe that women are responsible enough to drive a car or take care of themselves (Fitzgerald 58). This situation shows that even if women are independent, the social hierarchy will keep them below the status of men. Nick’s opinion on Jordan’s life shows that he, along with the rest of society, is not prepared for women to be fully independent. In reference to one of Jordan’s championship games, Nick says, “She wasn 't able to endure being at a disadvantage” (Fitzgerald 58). This quote from Nick shows that he and the rest of society were aware of the gap in respect and social equality between men and women, they just felt it was justified. Regarding the same championship, Nick accuses Jordan of participating in dishonest behavior without evidence. He assumes from her personality and how she presents herself that she is getting herself into trouble. Nick says that “At her first big golf tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers -- a suggestion that she

Show More
Related

Jordan Baker In The Great Gatsby

500 Words | 2 Pages

This is a pure sign of the dishonesty and carelessness that Jordan acquires. It really goes to show that Jordan would ruin someone’s property and then completely lie about it, while with Nick, who was someone she was interested in pursuing a relationship with. It makes one wonder what

Read More

The Great Gatsby Women

1861 Words | 8 Pages

In his works The Great Gatsby, “Winter Dreams”, and “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”, Fitzgerald shows how women 's attempts to gain independence during the 20th century initially fail due to society 's construction. Majority of the drama that occurs in The Great Gatsby is due to one

Read More

Daisy's Treatment Of Women In The Great Gatsby

990 Words | 4 Pages

In both Fitzgerald’s book and Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby the three women’s beauty, social status, and personalities embody the American dream. Daisy’s

Read More

How Does Fitzgerald Treat Women In The Great Gatsby

1447 Words | 6 Pages

As the feminist lifestyle grew, men started to treat women differently, more like objects than people. As such, men in The Great Gatsby try to entice women with materialistic objects. For these reasons, it is important to learn the lifestyle in the 1920s, to realize why author F. Scott Fitzgerald gave Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle certain distinct characteristics. The 1920s were filled with jazz music, illegally obtained alcohol, flappers, and

Read More

Examples Of Daisy In The Great Gatsby

432 Words | 2 Pages

Daisy, like the flower for which she is named, is innocent and “perfect” when she is young, much like the original American Dream. However, once the flower blooms it becomes tainted, withered, and, eventually dies. This process is reflected in Daisy’s character development in The Great Gatsby as well as in real 1920’s America. Literary critic Richard Lehan examines parallels of the zeitgeist of the 1920s in The Great Gatsby in his book Gatsby: The Limits of Wonder: … The Great Gatsby, a novel that evoked both the romance and the sadness of that strange and fascinating era we call the twenties”(Lehan 2).

Read More

Essay On Women In The 1920s

902 Words | 4 Pages

Associating Coke with this perfect impression helps with the commerce of coke, but the impression contradicts with the traditional gender role of a woman. Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby are the ultimate representations of women in the 1920s. Women were in love with money, and husbands with money were great husbands. Under the prosperous environment, upper class women, who

Read More

Boundaries In The Great Gatsby

1398 Words | 6 Pages

At the early 1920’s society’s view on divorce was not good, women who wanted to get away from their husbands would be looked down upon and ignored by the people, not having a job or a place to go the women had no choice to but to bare with the men they lived with. In the case of Daisy and Tom, they were both very attractive and wealthy people, they should had been a perfect couple in the eyes of the public, but the truth was far from it, Tom also explained to his mistress on why he didn’t think Daisy would ever want to get divorced. “You see,” cried Catherine. Triumphantly, she lowered her voice again. “It’s really his wife that’s keeping them apart.

Read More

Gender Rule In The Great Gatsby

145 Words | 1 Pages

Reading literature like The Great Gatsby is significant to understand many facts such as society level, to develop understanding about the gender rule, and how men sexually abused females. A literature of Gatsby commonly uncovers events and brings out logic related to cause and effect. The traditional gender roles in the twentieth century maintain the expectation that the women did not have any choice other than stay within the given limit of independence. Reading literature like The Great Gatsby is significant to understand many facts such as society level, to develop understanding about the gender rule, and how men sexually abused females. A literature of Gatsby commonly uncovers events and brings out logic related to cause and effect.

Read More

Roles Of Women In The Great Gatsby

778 Words | 4 Pages

Tensions between all people, based on race, religion, and ethnicity, have shaped history and affected all lives. It is very easy to see that gender has affected many people’s lives and caused struggle. Women in history were viewed as an accessory to their spouses instead of being seen as independent individuals. From education to work, women were expected to follow the same path and live in the shadow of their husbands and male relatives. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a significant snapshot of the way women were treated in 1920’s.

Read More

Flappers In The Great Gatsby

1095 Words | 5 Pages

Jordan Baker is the purer depiction of flappers. Young women in the post-war days became more independent and they were achieved in sports such as tennis, golf, and swimming. Jordan Baker is a golfer; she has her own lifestyle and builds up her success independently. Nick’s first impression of Jordan is that “Almost any exhibition of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me.”. Her life experience duplicates financially independent New Women in the 1920s.

Read More

Feminism In The Great Gatsby And Their Eyes Were Watching God

1844 Words | 8 Pages

Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby efficiently depicts the lives of women residing in the East Coast during the 1920’s and makes a clear point of establishing definitive gender roles. Fitzgerald’s work is not an inherently feminist doctrine and focus more on fiscal responsibilities of white individuals, allowing the modern reader to get a more accurate sense of women's roles in society. The Great Gatsby is especially significant in this essay because Fitzgerald is the only male writer discussed and the novel has a male narrator and main character, therefore providing a unique insight on women’s responsibilities and their role at this point in time. The 1920’s were the beginning of a new revolutionary age for women and The Great Gatsby is an iconic piece that is seen as a reflection on this time

Read More

Gatsby Gender Roles

1193 Words | 5 Pages

Exploiting the ideologies of feminist criticism, it could be reasoned that The Great Gatsby promotes an obscured masculine agenda. Through Fitzgerald’s treatment of the fundamental female characters in The Great Gatsby, the novel seems to uphold and corroborate with the traditional gender roles, neglecting any positive alternative view in the process. Fitzgerald himself is said to have been greatly affected by an affair his wife Zelda is supposed to have had, during the time the novel was written. Thus it is somewhat understandable he would write with contempt towards certain female characters and their portrayal (Bruccoli,1994). The author’s unwillingness to change his outlook and worldview seems to indicate he, himself, has become a slave to the established male dominated society.

Read More

Illusion In The Great Gatsby

1001 Words | 5 Pages

In the 1920s, great importance was placed upon maintaining the perfect family dynamic, especially in the upper class. As a result of having been in the elite and viewing its norms first hand, Daisy is well aware of the aforementioned. Consequently, despite challenging situations that may arise, she maintains her metaphorical mask she has built up. After Tom’s phone call with his supposed mistress, Daisy says, “‘There’s a bird on the lawn that I think must be a nightingale come over on the Cunard or White Star Line’”(18). Such a light hearted comment after such a serious event, implicitly shows the illusion of cheerful, ditsy women she has created of herself.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Daisy And Wilson In The Great Gatsby

720 Words | 3 Pages

Finally, these women proved to be fairly similar in their particular role in life to achieve happiness. Myrtle desired to live the same life that Daisy did: she wanted a life full of money. Myrtle lived her dreams in the small apartment that Tom kept for them in New York. When Myrtle changed her dresses, at the same time she was also changing her ‘fake’ characters. In some way, she achieved her goal, she ‘reached her dream’ for an afternoon, a better lifestyle, a life like Daisy 's. There was a big difference between Daisy and Myrtle but one thing was common, their unhappiness.

Read More

Female Characters In The Great Gatsby Essay

1296 Words | 6 Pages

Women in Fitzgerald’s literature cannot achieve their goals; it does not matter if they belong to the “old” or the “new” school, nor the upper or lower stages in the social scale. It is hard to determine if the woman’s question was as Fitzgerald depicts but, anyhow, he is mirroring the society where he lives in many different aspects. As a male author, he probably cannot provide a complete view of this topic. Notwithstanding, he masters the narrative technique to portray 1920s’ American society and his work can be considered as a faithful chronicle of that

Read More

More about Jordan Baker's Representation Of Women In The Great Gatsby

Open Document