Societal Norms In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the novel illustrates the patriarchal society of the 1920s and the oppression of women within it. The novel shows traditional gender roles being strictly enforced through the character of Daisy Buchanan and also presents contrast through Jordan Baker, a strong independent woman challenging the gender roles imposed upon her. This serves to highlight the societal restrictions and traditional expectations faced by women during this era and the emergence of a new generation of women who sought to break free from these constraints. Some critics renounce this, stating that the novel reinforces patriarchal societal norms rather than challenging them. This essay will argue that the novel presents a distinct

For example, Daisy’s lack of agency and her role as a passive object of desire for the male characters allowed her to maintain her social status and wealth. At the same time, Jordan’s actions led to her being ostracized by society. While it is true that Daisy maintained her social status and wealth for lack of agency, it is essential to note that Daisy’s lack of agency is not a choice but a reflection of the societal constraints and expectations placed upon women during the 1920s. Daisy herself expressed how “she was appalled by West Egg, this unprecedented ‘place’ that Broadway had begotten upon a Long Island fishing village—appalled by its raw vigor that chafed under the old euphemisms and by the too obtrusive fate that herded its inhabitants along a short-cut from nothing to nothing. She saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand” (Fitzgerald 43). This quote demonstrates that Daisy is not happy with her current situation and that she is not in control of her fate. She is being “herded” by fate and the society she lives in. She is not able to make her own choices. This supports the idea that Daisy’s lack of agency is not a choice but a result of societal expectations and