Societal Norms In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the novel illustrates the patriarchal society of the 1920s and the oppression of women within it. The novel shows traditional gender roles being strictly enforced through the character of Daisy Buchanan and also presents contrast through Jordan Baker, a strong independent woman challenging the gender roles imposed upon her. This serves to highlight the societal restrictions and traditional expectations faced by women during this era and the emergence of a new generation of women who sought to break free from these constraints. Some critics renounce this, stating that the novel reinforces patriarchal societal norms rather than challenging them. This essay will argue that the novel presents a distinct …show more content…
For example, Daisy’s lack of agency and her role as a passive object of desire for the male characters allowed her to maintain her social status and wealth. At the same time, Jordan’s actions led to her being ostracized by society. While it is true that Daisy maintained her social status and wealth for lack of agency, it is essential to note that Daisy’s lack of agency is not a choice but a reflection of the societal constraints and expectations placed upon women during the 1920s. Daisy herself expressed how “she was appalled by West Egg, this unprecedented ‘place’ that Broadway had begotten upon a Long Island fishing village—appalled by its raw vigor that chafed under the old euphemisms and by the too obtrusive fate that herded its inhabitants along a short-cut from nothing to nothing. She saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand” (Fitzgerald 43). This quote demonstrates that Daisy is not happy with her current situation and that she is not in control of her fate. She is being “herded” by fate and the society she lives in. She is not able to make her own choices. This supports the idea that Daisy’s lack of agency is not a choice but a result of societal expectations and
How Is Women Portrayed In The Great Gatsby
1476 Words | 6 PagesRepresentation of Women in a Patriarchal Society In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the female characters are consistently oppressed by the patriarchal society in which they live. In the novel, women are treated as mere possessions, lacking agency and autonomy. They are also subjected to the expectations and constraints imposed by the male-dominated society in which they live. Gender norms are given high priority and male characters see opportunity, which is used to their advantage or as a way to establish power and a reputation. Despite the societal changes of the time, including the emergence of the flapper lifestyle and the women’s suffrage movement, the women in the novel are still expected to conform to traditional gender roles
Why Is Nick's Car Important In The Great Gatsby
1227 Words | 5 PagesIn addition, when Daisy was a teenager she drove a “little white roadster” (Fitzgerald 74). When Daisy was younger, she was pure, innocent, and beautiful. In actuality, behind the beautiful and pure appearance, “Daisy owns a superficial, hollow, cold and selfish heart inside” (Haibing). Daisy does not take things
Social Class In The Great Gatsby
901 Words | 4 PagesIn The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, characters Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Myrtle Wilson all desperately try to escape their social class. Each character has different desires and dreams which include moving into a different lifestyle and social class. In this novel, we can see each character face different obstacles in trying to achieve their desired lifestyle. Jay Gatsby’s “American dream” revolves around one particular woman; Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is Gatsby’s ex-lover
Why Is The Past Important In The Great Gatsby
1744 Words | 7 PagesThe 1920s was a place to live in the moment. It was also a period where people didn’t care about how dumb they made themselves look, just as long as they had fun. Daisy was a believer that the world couldn't get better from here and that it is at rock bottom. So why should her daughter try to change that? Her values for her family were not the best, but they thought they could get away with it because they are rich.
Pessimism In The Great Gatsby
693 Words | 3 PagesFitzgerald states that it is Daisy’s belief that the “best” way a girl can live in the world is in a state of gorgeous stupidity. Fitzgerald claims through Daisy’s dialogue that she hopes her daughter lacks the intelligence, or is “a fool,” as she would otherwise face condiment, leading her to lack the “best” life, which shows Daisy’s cynical view point, as she cannot see a positive outcome for a smart girl, and she believes that without being both beautiful and foolish, her daughter will not live an ideal life. Fitzgerald uses Daisy’s hopes to aid in the characterization
Examples Of Daisy's Carelessness In The Great Gatsby
626 Words | 3 PagesThe first time the reader is introduced to Daisy, she is described as a very passionate woman who is unhappy with her current situation. (13, 14) She is repeatedly shut down by the others in the room due to her unlady-like attitude, and expresses her feelings to Nick about the situation when they have the chance to speak in private. She tells Nick that she is “cynical about everything,” and that the best thing a woman can be is a ‘“ beautiful little fool”’. (21)
Lack Of Power In The Great Gatsby
871 Words | 4 PagesHistorically, women have had to overcome much harder challenges than men to be recognized. This was no different in the 1920’s where, amongst the glitz and glamor, women still dealt with hypocritical thinking. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald critiques the lack of power that women had by showing hypocritical and harmful thinking towards women like Daisy and Myrtle, and how this mindset is still prevalent within society. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, the character of Daisy Buchanan is used to portray the hypocrisy between women and men during the time period.
Harlem Renaissance In The Great Gatsby
764 Words | 4 Pages(Fitzgerald 17). Women have to act dumb and have to rely on other men for their success. Many of the women of this time period would likely see the sexism around them, but it was against social norms for them to speak up about it since it was a topic they ‘couldn’t understand’, and sexism was not seen as an issue at all. Since women had to rely on their husbands for their own success, if the woman ever succeeded at anything, that success would not be hers, it would be her husbands’. Daisy is certainly not stupid, however the social environment she originated from did not see a woman’s intelligence.
Society In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
529 Words | 3 PagesThe Roaring Twenties, known as the decade of the 1920s in the Western World, consists of dramatic changes in social values. The cultural differences between the 1920s and the Victorian era changes people's behavior, where they become more free-will, youthful and carefree, despite of being more conservative before. People are more open-minded and found satisfaction through the “open pursuit of sex, money, and booze” (Berman 53) as they suggest their wealth and status in the society. New York City had become one of the cities where materialistic wealth has become the key of happiness and the standard to judge people's success, further leading Americans to pursue each other in a negative, acquisitive way. Through the different scenes and characters of the famous novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores how the society twisted the original idea of
Jordan Baker's Representation Of Women In The Great Gatsby
1421 Words | 6 PagesScott Fitzgerald’s depiction of women in The Great Gatsby readers see women are prepared to emerge into the modern way of life, but society is not ready for the new nontraditional image of
Social Inequality In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
1771 Words | 8 PagesA given text can be comprehended as the author’s attempt to reflect their understandings of the world at large amongst the period of production. Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s didactic novel, The Great Gatsby, offers commentary on the flawed and rigid social dynamics during the Roaring Twenties era from the perspective of Nick Carraway. The novel observes Jay Gatsby, who longs to reunite with his love whom he had lost 5 years prior, Daisy Buchanan. His efforts display the juxtaposed standards between lower and upper classes and the American Dream’s disintegration. Published in 1925, Fitzgerald voices the injustices and power imbalances amongst the context of the Roaring Twenties, a period of unprecedented consumerism and prosperity; criticizing an egregious society fixated upon materialism, greed and false sense of happiness.
Obsession With Social Status In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
288 Words | 2 PagesTom and Gatsby share an obsession with their social status, which can be concluded through the text. For example, Tom Buchanan states, “She is not leaving me, certainly not for a common swindler.” He indulges regularly in boasting about his family's wealth and status, using this as an opportunity to demean others. Jay Gatsby hosts extravagant parties, attended by people of the high class. He does this in hopes of “fitting in” with the higher social classes.
Discursive Essay On The Great Gatsby
1024 Words | 5 PagesAs the novel progressed, his obsession with Daisy became more clear and compelling, consuming his every thought and action. I found it very fascinating to see how obsession could impact someone so eminently. The setting of the book also served as another inspiration for me to express my displeasure with how women were treated in the 1920s. Many people portray Daisy as someone whos selfish, only doing things for her gain and hurting others. Although, there was a need for women to have stable relationships to survive which is why she needed to act in this way.
Daisy Miller Gender Roles
1074 Words | 5 PagesDaisy is an intelligent young woman and self-reliant, doing what she enjoys most of her freedom despite her society’s negative perception of her reputation as an ‘uncivilized’, because the Elizabethan society confined women to marriage. During the 19th century, men first enjoyed the privilege of acquiring a good education and a higher status on the social ladder compared to women, who came in as second-class citizens. Filled with this view in mind, Winterbourne, a Europeanized male is fully convinced that he is culturally more advanced than Daisy, but then his interaction with Daisy proves him wrong, “Daisy confounds and complicates this conception, producing in him doubts which, as we shall see, cut to the heart of his own, and his century’s, assumptions about the relationship between such notions as progress, mortality, and beauty” (Scheiber 3). James portrays Daisy as a very rebellious character, who does not care much about what people say about her. For instance, Mrs. Costello talks bad about Daisy, "She is a young lady,….who
Causes Of Daisy Responsible For The Downfall Of Gatsby
1683 Words | 7 PagesShe is so obsessed with maintaining her lifestyle, and having financial security, that she cannot even wait for someone she supposedly loves to return from war” (Houck). Houck’s analysis of Daisy illustrates that Daisy is a fragile woman who is scared to give up her near perfect
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