The Portrayal Of Women In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Women in the 1920s received more opportunities, but were continued to be objectified as double standards regarding the opposite sexes were still applicable. They found new interests following the end of World War I, gaining a new mentality of independence, individuality, and expression of themselves. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, shows a portrayal of different women in the time period. Fitzgerald depicts the role of women in the 1920s, both directly and indirectly as two vital characters- Daisy and Myrtle- had different social standings, but were both objectified and reduced to their appearances, showing the hollow progress of the women’s movement, despite their newly gained freedom.

Daisy and Myrtle come from vastly different lifestyles, as Daisy lives in East Egg

The area that they live in itself indicates their social standing, as each reside from the opposite ends of the spectrum. East Egg, an island known for its “old money”- where people have been wealthy for generations, is where everyone wants to be in, as Daisy even says she’d be a “God damned fool to live anywhere else” (10). Daisy has always been wealthy, and marries Tom Buchanan in hopes of staying on top of the social ladder. Contrarily, the Valley of Ashes is a place described as “where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke” (23). The area is a wasteland described by dark tones, representing poverty and corruption. People desperately desire money and power which is why Myrtle has an affair with Tom, the same reason as to why Daisy marries him, his class. The two women come from different social standings to show distinct viewpoints based on a person’s