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The Role Of Jordan Baker In The Great Gatsby

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The eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg appear blue and gigantic with retinas one yard in height, but they look out of no face. (23) As the people of the West egg, and East egg, pass through the Valley of Ashes, they are stared upon by two blue eyes that are no longer brightly glowing. The greasy grime masks the rain-washed sign and value of the people who live in the Valley of Ashes. The theme of using an affectation to hide one's true self is prevalent throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The faceless eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg and grease that mask the Valley of Ashes, are similar to Jordan Baker because she never allows anyone to get close and see her genuine identity. Jordan intentionally uses her body language to appear …show more content…

Helen Hicks was the first female golfer to earn her living as a touring American golfer. Although she was not gay herself, the stereotype of female athletes being gay at the professional level, guided Fitzgerald in his creation of Jordan Baker in this novel. Jordan attempts to appear more feminine because she is the only female in this novel that makes her own living, which she does by playing a professional sport, a career that is typically performed by men. To counter the masculinity she portrays from her career, Jordan adjusts her body language, and flirts with men to appear more feminine. “She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall.” (8) Nick Carraway narrates the story without judgment, and it is clear that he is not buying the story that Jordan is telling with her body language. Nick comments that her intentional body language is something she won’t be able endure for the entirety of her life, which is why he is so interested in her. Jordan is aware that to remain masked, she must lie and convince Nick of her femininity, consequently she flirts with him throughout the novel. Picking up on her intentional body language and knowing about Jordan’s (TA WORD FOR TENDENCY) to cheat at her profession, Nick views Jordan as “incurably dishonest” (58) which confines their relationship to playful and flirtatious, and he realizes that their relationship is not as deep as he initially thought. The mask Jordan wears restricts her from fullying connecting with other characters in the book. We see this in chapter four when Nick says, “I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity.”(57) This demonstrates that while Nick is attracted to Jordan and admires

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