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Objectification Of Women In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has been hailed for its moral significance. The novel’s disdain for corrupted wealth, and its ability to illustrate the “costs of fantasy,” have transformedthe literary work into one of America’s “Great Books.”However, Fitzgerald’s sexist overtones and objectification of women rescind its “great” status and thus its name to merely “The Gatsby.”The moral significance of The Great Gatsby is marred by its treatmentof women. Alone, the objectification of women seen in the novel is not enough to assume Fitzgerald’s view of them, but his own words are. While writing The Great Gatsby,Fitzgerald is quoted to have said that “...the book contains no important woman character” (Turnbull 197).Furthermore, …show more content…

One way I now judge literary fiction is by observing if the characters are complicated and unpredictable, rather than cliché. In the Iliad by Homer, Achilles is a complex character. At first glance he is angry with Agamemnon for stealing one of his brides, which seems like a trivial pursuit for great warlords. However, Achilles is really upset over the abduction of his timê –and the actions he carries out throughout the rest of thenovel reflect that.TheOdysseyhas also taught me that a great book does not necessarily have to contain the story of a smooth journey or adventure. Odysseus’s journey was hindered on several occasions, some of which include Circe, the Cyclops, and the Sirens.Likewise, the Great Gatsby’s plot was also very turbulent. Gatsby lived a rollercoaster of a lifestyle, ultimately crashing, but that did not mean the novel took away from intellectual gain.The Great Gatsbyhas been hailed as one of the greatest works in American literature because of its moral significance, which is derived from the downfalls of the novel’s most corrupt and egregious characters. The objectification and patronization of women hurts thismoral significance, especially as a result of Fitzgerald’s own views.The stories of Jordan Baker and Myrtle Wilson exemplify the author’s intent to present those views in the novel, and detract from the overall message that The Great Gatsby

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