Wright1

MaddisonWright
EnglishIIIBlended
Norton
April9th2016
WomensTreatmentandRolesinTheGreatGatsby
Inthenovel
TheGreatGatsby,
therearemanyfemalefiguresthataresignificantto
showingtherolesofwomeninthe1920s.Commonalitieswithwomensgenderroleswouldbe
thattheyaresupposedtostandaroundandbekindoflikeatrophyforthemen,wherethe
prettiertheyarethebetterthetrophy.ThroughoutF.ScottFitzgeraldsnovel,
TheGreat
Gatsby,
Fitzgeraldportrayswomenasiftheywereconstantlyinthewayandmessingthingsup
forthemenandasiftheywereonlytheretobeshowcasedbytheirbeauty,socialstatus,and
personalities.
GeorgeWilsonswifeandTomBuchanansmistress,MyrtleWilsonislookeddown
uponthroughoutthenovelbecauseofherlifestyleandsocialclass.MyrtleandGeorgelivein
TheValleyofAshes,whereGeorgerunshisowncarrepaircompanyandgasstation.Although
Myrtleconstantlycheatsonherhusband,shecanbelookedatasasymbolofhopethatthe
AmericanDreamcanbeachievedbyanyone,highorlowclass,andsomeonecanmanageto
trytobehappygivenanycircumstancesthatarethrownatthemintheirlife,orshecanbeseen
assomeonethatisaspiringtoachievetheAmericanDream,butintheprocessoftryingtofind
happiness,sheendsupwithnothingbutheartacheandfindingherselfinabusiverelationships
betweenTomandGeorge,whereTomspecificallylooksatherassimplyanobjectofhisown
desire.


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JordanBakerhasaveryrepresentativepersonalityofthe1920sSheisaprofessional
golferandanunmarriedwoman,whichwasveryuncommoninthatera,andsheluresinmen
withhercharmandalluringpersonalitythroughout
TheGreatGatsby
.Sherepresentsthenew
modernwomanofthe1920sShesverycynical,andboyish,whilealsobeingglamorousand
incurablydishonestwitheveryonearoundher.Jordanisalsoaverysexualizedcharacterinthe
novelaswell.WhenNickdescribedseeingJordanforthefirsttimeonpage11inChapter1,he
perceivedherasbeingaslender,smallbreastedgirl,withanerectcarriage,whichshe
accentuatedbythrowingherbodybackwardattheshoulderslikeayoungcadet.Hergray
sunstrainedeyeslookedbackatmewithpolitereciprocalcuriosityoutofwan,charming,
discontentedface..Hethenproceedstosaythathehadseenhersomewherebefore,giventhat
sheisaprofessionalgolfer.LaterinthenovelwhenMissBakerfindsoutthatNickisoneofthe
onlymennottofallforhercharms,andsheleaveshimandisdistraughtbecauseshecouldnt
trickhim,andhedidntfallforherliesanddeceits.
DaisyBuchanan,thewifeofTomBuchanan,andthelonglostloveinterestofJay
Gatsby,isthestereotypicalaspectofawomanbybeingportrayedasbeautifulandthatshegets
whatshewantsbyusingherlookstoheradvantage,insteadofworkingforwhatshewantslike
intodayssociety.Sheisalsoveryyoung,innocentandnaivewhichisshownbyherbeinginan
abusiverelationship,whereTomisconstantlycheatingonherwithhismistress,Myrtle.Daisy
isportrayedasanobjectoflust,orlikethebeautifulwomanofeverymansdreaminthe1920s,
beingsomewhatofafantasyandoneofthemanyachievementsoftheunachievableAmerican
Dream.InChapter1,onpage9,FitzgeralddescribesDaisyasNickseesherforthefirsttime:
Herfacewassadandlovelywithbrightthingsinit,brighteyesandabrightpassionatemouth,


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buttherewasanexcitementinhervoicethatmenwhocaredaboutherfounddifficultto
forget...ThisquoteshowshowNickperceiveshiscousinDaisyaftermeetingherforthefirst
timeinhislifeanditgivesusarisinginsighttothewaywomenareportrayedinthenovelsolely
asanobjectofbeautyandlust,andnotasanactualpersonthathasvaluebehindtheir
characteristics.
Overall,mentreatedwomeninawayinwhichtheyhadnosignificancewhatsoever.
Theywerejusttheretostandaroundandlookprettyfortheirhusbands.Forexample,Tomonly
lustsafterMyrtlebecausehesimplydoesnotwanttostayfaithfultoDaisy.Daisyalsoonly
marriedTomsoshecouldhavetheluxuriouslifestylethatshealwayswanted,butcouldnt
achieveonherown.
TheGreatGatsby
doesindeedstaytruetohistoryanddoesntnecessarily
strayawayfromtheveryprominentgenderrolesthatwomenhadtofollow.The1920swasan
erainwhichthewomenofthetimebegantoseethattheydidnthavetofollowthenormsand
theycouldstepoutoftheircomfortzoneandbewhotheywantedtobe.
Toconclude,thewomenofthe1920sdefinitelyhadstrictgenderrolestofollowand
specificactionsthatwereexpectedofthem.Backthen,theyweresimplyexpectedtobe
beautiful,haveahighstatusinlife,andhaveapleasantpersonalitythatdidntclashwiththatof
themanthatchoseher.Fitzgeraldportrayedthewomenof
TheGreatGatsby
accuratelytothat
ofthetimeperiodtoshowhowtheyareoneofthemanyobjectsthatmenthataretryingto
achievetheAmericanDream.
(911Words)


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WorksCited
Fitzgerald,F.Scott.
TheGreatGatsby
.NewYork:Scribner,n.d.Print.