The Role Of Jordan Baker In The Great Gatsby

“The Great Gatsby" begins in 1922 when the roaring twenties had just been set into motion. This jubilant era was a revolutionary time in America’s history as it was an age of social rebellion and domestic reform. Another key event from this time period was the Prohibition which attempted to ban all alcohol consumption and sales, but only succeeded in making alcohol cheaper to the people. Jordan Baker thrived during this era as a pro-golfer and she stood for more than what most women wanted blossoming her way as her own self-sufficient source. In, “The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jordan finds herself in conflict with society’s expectations through characterization of her as an independent young woman and through the theme

In this novel the wealthy are even separated into two classes; old money and new money. Jordan Baker as with the Buchanans all possess old or family money and all live in East Egg. These people look down upon those who live in West Egg because they did not acquire their money the regular path but instead worked for it. At one time Jordan asked Nick presumptuously, “you live in West Egg?” (Fitzgerald 11). This shows the divide even between the top tier of the social hierarchy and conveys Jordan as a strong, isolated character who has earned her spot in society and is not willing to accept anything less. Jordan also only cares about herself and her own affairs. Because she has old money, she was always well off and never had to worry about anyone else. She keeps that idea alive in her character throughout the novel’s entirety. Jordan’s entire life she has been getting accustomed to yes answers so when Nick says something like, “No I don’t think this afternoon”, it severely threatens Jordan’s lifestyle and makes her angry (Fitzgerald 155). Society expects the citizens of East Egg to be above those who live in West Egg and to always assert themselves at the top of the societal food chain. To keep up her persona and to remain an intricate part of the wealthy upper class, Jordan had to stay true to her ideals and fight for her place in the

Scott Fitzgerald’s work, “The Great Gatsby”, Jordan Baker is developed as a female character who undergoes self realization in the face of societal oppression through her independent characterization and through the overall theme of social rankings in the novel. She was born into money and she will accept nothing less than what life owes her. She also is ready to defy societal norms as most of the women Jordan’s age have husbands and children while she shows the world that she can be completely fine on her own. Jordan Baker perseveres through this novel as a wealthy pro-golfer living in the “old money” East Egg side of town and yet she fights for her right to be an individual and defies social traditions. These contradicting characteristics make Ms. Baker the complex character she is and Fitzgerald does this to allow her to truly define herself and her role in the