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Examples Of Patriarchy In The Great Gatsby

1072 Words5 Pages

America’s version of the perfect and traditional women has been present throughout history. Instead of valuing the potential and power of women, their talents have been diminished or seen as less than men. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, he presents his female character’s through the eyes of male characters in order to spread awareness of the differences between men and women’s viewpoints on gender roles. The characters, Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan all receive different treatment from the men due to either their physical appearance or stereotypes that are present in the early twentieth century. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his writing to expose the patriarchy’s misogynistic views by describing the untraditional emotions and opinions of …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald’s descriptions of female characters as inherently sexist, Fitzgerald purposely uses Daisy’s character as a way to educate others on women living under the patriarchy. Fitzgerald depicts Daisy as the perfect young woman living in what others see as the American Dream. Her style and subservient personality alludes to the idea that she is content with her position in society. However, when Daisy explains to Nick that “ [she] hope[s] she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,” she reveals her bitter attitude towards women’s role in society (Fitzgerald 16). Daisy wants her daughter to be oblivious to all the heartbreak and distress she, as a woman, experiences on a daily basis. Instead of raising her daughter to be emotionally intelligent, she wants her to fit society’s expectations of women: simple and obedient. Daisy believes that it is better to conform to what society wants and be content with that, than to have to hide her true self from others. Furthermore, The Lehigh study adds to Fitzgerald descriptions of her by saying, “while Daisy conforms to a shared, patriarchal idea of femininity that values subservient and docile females, she also understands these social standards for women and chooses to play right into them” (Lehigh University). Daisy chooses to maintain her identity as “America’s golden girl” instead of standing up for herself because of fear. Men would perceive her differently if she were to call out Tom for his affair or choose to live her life for herself and not others. Fitzgeral uses Daisy’s fear to display the constraints women have been forced to fit into their whole

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