The 1920s was a decade of superficial affluence, poverty, and disillusionment among American society. The Great War of the previous decade caused a lot of distress and made many Americans rethink their role in the world and how they viewed themselves. One of the greatest critics of the decade was a man named F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote many novels that evaluated the decade and many of its societal norms. In his greatest novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald follows the life of a man named Gatsby through the eyes of the narrator, Nick Carraway. Despite the fact that this novel was written in a time long gone where the circumstances of life were very different, Fitzgerald’s novel is very relevant to 2018, and it still should be taught in classes …show more content…
For instance, Daisy Buchanan, the wife of Tom Buchanan, is a supposedly happy woman who has everything that she could possibly want. However, under her facade, she is extremely unhappy in her relationship, and she makes the claim that the best thing that a woman can do is to be a fool. In this moment, Fitzgerald is making an attack upon the prescribed roles of women as he is illustrating how many women are dissatisfied with who they marry as at the time, woman married for comfort rather than love. Similarly, there is also such dissatisfaction with the glass ceiling that many women face today. Although women today are more likely to marry for love, they are still marginalized by society as wage and job discrimination are still common issues. Moreover, with issues such as sexual and physical harassment that occur to women, it still remains an issue that women are expected to remain silent despite the abuses upon them, and this is similar to how Daisy remains publicly quiet regarding her …show more content…
In the novel there is great disparity among the various characters in the novel. The Wilsons live in this run down complex in the middle of a deserted and ash-ridden area, and the narrator lives in this little house that is next door to a marvelous mansion, which provides a clear picture of the disparity in wealth that is being portrayed in the novel. In today’s society, there are similar instances of monetary and social gaps among American citizens. In the United States, there is a massive imbalance between the rich and the poor along with clear evidence of a shrinking middle class due to tax laws, the poverty cycle, and the differing ability of different groups of people to influence the politics of Washington. As a result, the rich own a good portion of the nation’s overall wealth while the poor are left to pick up whatever little wealth is leftover. This has left a certain percentage of the population living near the poverty line, and it’s very difficult for a family to get themselves out of poverty as people who are impoverished are unable to get the edge in job and educational opportunities as those who have greater access to more resources. This notion presented in the novel is nothing new as since America’s inception, there have been many instances in which the rich own too much and own too little, and it’s still a problem today. The novel illustrates to the
Society looks at daisy as if she is weak and deserves to only serve her husband. They believe she should do what she is told and obey her husband and family’s wishes. Daisy is the ideal woman of wealth through society's eyes in
During the 1920’s, women were objectified in society, yet began to show signs of independence by striving for equality between genders. In this time known as the Roaring Twenties, women began to use their voice desiring to live their lives how they chose. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a renowned author, displayed his perception of women attempting to prove their worth through his new book. One of the protagonists in the novel, Daisy Buchanan, challenges the gender barriers and threatens to paint a new image for women by choosing love over wealth. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the modern women’s inability to obtain independence as they were perceived as incapable of making their own decisions and relied on traditional gender
In his film, The Great Gatsby, director Baz Luhrmann explores the differences in society through stark contrast of the decaying ‘American Dream’, and the increasing division between social classes in the 1920s. The presence of race within the society is epitomised through the contrasting roles played by African Americans and Caucasian Americans alike. Jazz music establishes as a motif for the decline of morality present within society, revealing the true nature of the ‘American Dream’, whilst diametrically opposed lifestyles and geographical locations, highlights the social classes present within society. Luhrmann utilises a range of contrasting elements to project the differing social classes in society.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, gender roles are used in a conservative way. The men are to make the money, buy the house, pay the bills and for everything else. The women are there to be the typical “house wife” and have the men buy them things. In the 1920’s men were more dominant over women so the women didn’t really have a high spot in society if they weren’t married to a wealthy man, or if they weren’t a professional athlete or a performer (actress, dancer, etc…). Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, and Daisy Buchanan are an example of women that get dominated by men and prove men had the main role in society but one of them proves that women don’t necessarily need a man. They all prove that women have power, just in a different
Considered as the defining work of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, when America was just coming out of one of the most violent wars in the nation’s history. World War 1 had taken the lives of many young people who fought and sacrificed for our country on another continent. The war left many families without fathers, sons, and husbands. The 1920s is an era filled with rich and dazzling history, where Americans experienced changes in lifestyle from music to rebellion against the United States government. Those that are born into that era grew up in a more carefree, extravagant environment that would affect their interactions with others as well as their attitudes about themselves and societal
Gabriel Duran Mr. Shepard English 3 B2 6 June, 2015 The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby, there are three different kind of women shown. There is Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, and Jordan Baker. Each of them are shown in different ways.
Societal ‘norms’ surrounding gender have continuously remained prominent internationally. Although these standards and expectations continue to shift, women still face oppression today. The novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, demonstrates the expectations of women and their relationships to men in 1920’s New York City through one of the main characters, Daisy Buchanan. A vast majority of Daisy’s actions are to entice and cater to the superior men of the novel. Through this, I was able to reflect upon the evolution of society’s stereotypes surrounding women from the 1920’s. Initially, from reading the novel, I learned about the period of the roaring twenties and how the aspect of class affects the
Likewise, in the Great Gatsby, we can see traditional gender roles being challenged through the marriage and interactions of Daisy and Tom Buchanan. Tom expresses his scorn for Jordan, the professional golfer who competes internationally, “ “She’s a nice girl, said Tom after a moment. “They oughtn't to let her run around the country this way” “, as he believes that her family is improper
Women were not considered important in the early 1900’s, or weren’t considered a part of a plan. Women were in society only to please men and cook and clean for them, take over the children and do the laundry. They weren’t meant or it wasn’t appropriate for them to have opinions or make an impact on society. Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, and Jordan baker are three distinct sort of women in the Great Gatsby that help see the different views of women and their power and what they choose to do with it. Many argue that women are women, there is nothing special or unalike about them. But these three women separate society into the classes that it has in that day, poor, mediocre, and rich.
In social injustice, there are the oppressors and there are the oppressed. Such is the case in the world of The Great Gatsby, where gender norms shape the dynamic of all romantic relationships. Men/Husbands are expected to be violent and commanding, and their wives are to stay quiet and happy. Male characters see opportunity in this construct -- they use it to their advantage or as a way to establish power and a reputation. Gatsby, born poor, falls in love with Daisy’s money before he falls in love with her- he wants both his fantasy about Daisy and his fantasy about money and glamor to come to fruition. When Daisy marries Tom, her glamour and wealth pass on to him instead of Gatsby, who has to find wealth independently. Daisy’s reputation
The novel The Great Gatsby, written by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald is a story of the thwarted love between a man and a woman. All of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922, set in Long Island, New York. During the 1920’s, the role that women had under men was making a drastic change. Women before the 1920's were seen as worthless and inferior to men. However throughout the 1920's women started to move away from the stereotypes that were placed on them and strived live their lives according to their personal American Dream.
Fitzgerald reflects on societies opposing principles through very different women, Daisy, Jordan and Myrtle, in order to display various aspects of the feminist philosophy. Each represents feminism in contrasting ways. They challenge the roles of pre-WW1 traditional housewives. Before the war, women had limited freedom and were socially compelled to live by male ideals. However, in the 1920s, they demanded more freedom with drinking and smoking like men, which was demonstrated by these female characters. Jordan is direct in her feminism - she is more masculine and is dominant when she is expected to be compliant. Although Jordan is restricted by the social standards women were forced to live in, she
The Great Gatsby was written in 1925 to depict the American Dream. During this time, there was an ideal lifestyle for men and women. Ideally, women were meant to be housewives and men were meant to be the providers. Characters such as Daisy, Myrtle , and Jordan all represent different lifestyles and ways of obtaining the American dream. Daisy Buchanan, who uses her beauty to get what she wants. Myrtle Wilson is the mistress of Tom Buchanan, who is at rich man and she is poor ,but she was still able to use his money. Jordan Baker represents the “new woman” who does not live dependent upon a man and begins to dress in a different style.
Society’s expectations of gender roles in the 1920s impacts men and women’s lives, but the expectations have a much larger impact on women. These gender roles are especially important in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story focuses more on the men which is a direct reflection of the patriarchal society that the characters live in. Daisy, an important female character, is a victim of society’s discrimination against women. Society’s perception of Daisy overlooks her true value. In Daisy’s time, the men, like Tom and Gatsby, have looser morals but are still superior to her. This leads to the creation of stereotypes causing her to be objectified by the men throughout the book. Once readers see the societal norms from the 1920s, they will begin to understand why Daisy is treated unfairly. The patriarchy that drives Daisy’s community creates the social norm of women being subordinate to men making it seem as though she is a possession rather than a loving companion.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, illustrates most women in his novels in a incredibly negative light. He portrays them as dependent upon men, selfish, and completely amoral. Jay Gatsby is in love with the wealthy Mrs. Daisy Buchannan and tries to win her love by proving that he is wealthy. However, no matter how wealthy he becomes, or how many gigantic parties he throws, he is still never good enough for Daisy. The story ends in tragedy as Gatsby is killed and dies utterly alone. Fitzgerald's characterization of Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan in The Great Gatsby demonstrates women who are objectified by men and treated as their trophies, while also