Women’s Representation in The Great Gatsby

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Women were not equal to men during the era of the 1920’s. In “The Great Gatsby,” Fitzgerald represents a negative, misogynistic, stereotypical view of the various types of women during the era of the 1920’s. During the that time, women were not portrayed in a positive light., By writing a book centered around that time period, it causes one to wonder the message Fitzgerald was trying to illustrate about women and what he was saying about society as a whole. Fitzgerald represents the view of women within the 20’s by depicting each character as a representation of the many stereotypes occurring within that era. The main characters Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan each display pertinent roles within the story representing how women’s roles were defined by their relationships, often times they were objectified, and how they were overruled by male dominance. In” The Great Gatsby” the social, cultural, and emotional expectation of women seems to be in contradiction to women who are meant to empower others. The three main women within the story are not given substance; instead they are more defined by their relationships. Women are dependent upon their partners because marriage defined ones social status or success. This dependency stemmed from the idea of success. Unfortunately Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan’s lives are defined by their partners, and are left up to the status of whom they marry. For instance Daisy, despite her love for Gatsby, it is apparent wealth and status overruled her love for him. She eventually wed Tom Buchanan because he ensured prosperity and status, opposed to Gatsby (Fitzgerald, pg 131). Daisy is a superficial, materialistic, yet beautiful woman, but her life is basically ran by Tom. She embodies a common stereotypical... ... middle of paper ... ...mewhat independent, all reoccurring stereotypes of when in the novel. In the 1920’s, specifically 1922, women were not granted equal rights to their male counterparts, instead their only options were being trapped in an oppressive relationship or marriage. Women were not given the opportunity to rise in class, society, or wealth because they were inferior to men. Their roles in the novel are barely given substance and were subjected to a secondary role representing the inferiority. However the values and morals of women and men differed during the story which could lead one to believe it is not solely the female’s fault that they are inferior. Fitzgerald critiques society throughout that time and gives an interesting, but truthful depiction of women throughout the 1920’s. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925.

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