Great Gatsby - Common Traits Shared by the Novel's Women

On its simplest level, The Great Gatsby is Nick Carraway’s narration and recollection of events stemming from his meeting and subsequent interaction with Jay Gatsby during the summer of 1922 in Long Island, New York. Nick Carraway, too, was seeking his piece of the American Dream by moving to New York from the Midwest to take job as a bond salesman “…I decided to go east and learn the bond business. Everyone I knew was in the bond business…” (p. 7). However, Nick is only person pursuing a better and larger life who doesn’t get caught up in the shallow, materialistic notions of most people doing the same thing. For instance, Nick ends up renting a house in West Egg that is “a weather

The responses from the two women above are almost laughable in their ethereality – here are two wealthy women, having achieved portions of the American Dream (through financial wealth, property and stature) who cannot only not speak, but are seemingly paralyzed by their own trappings. Once engaged in conversation, Daisy flightingly moves from one topic to the next, with no apparent connection between them other than what presents itself to her at that moment – e.g., she goes from the candles, to missing the longest day of the year, to planning something with Ms. Baker, to her hurt finger, etc. (p. 16). Ms. Baker mentions that her and Daisy “’…ought to plan something’ yawned Miss Baker, sitting down at the table as if she were getting into bed.” In retort, Daisy asks Nick “[w]hat do people plan?” (p. 16). Daisy and Jordan are so bored and complacent in their “perfect” world that they are completely disconnected from the vitality and meaning of existence.

It is understandable, then, why Fitzgerald created such insipid and vacuous characters like Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Blake – the main female character in Fitzgerald’s own life only became interested in him once he achieved notoriety and ended up being a crazy lady whom Fitzgerald had to personally take care of and financially support, although he received no real companionship in return.

These references to women as somehow incapable of veracity are indicative of the times. The 1920s were the first decade after the World War I where Americans had the opportunity to explore their identities and pursue ideals other than patriotic loyalty and hard work. The Victorian era that immediately preceded the 20th century was one where women were expected to be loyal, innocent, antiseptic, married and dutiful. The sentiment engrained into men during the 19th century carried over into the early 1900s. By the 1920s, although women were being seen and heard more often, men were able to transfer their own inadequacies and doubts about themselves as they pursued, and sometimes failed, at attaining the American Dream, onto the women that surrounded them. Certainly, the drinking party at the apartment demonstrated that not all women wore white dresses and laid about the house like statues, but it still demonstrated Fitzgerald’s, if not all male sentiment at that time,!

While the depiction of women by Fitzgerald may be accurate, it is another question as to its fairness. I found his character portraits of women in The Great Gatsby to go far beyond chauvinism – they were demeaning and sometimes ugly. When social trends change, however, there is always upheaval in customs and traditions. As women had just been given the right to vote in 1920, it is understandable that it would take men some time before considering women equal in nature.

Some topics in this essay:
Myrtle Wilson, American Dream, Myrtle Wilson’s, Jordan Baker, Zelda Fitzgerald, Nick Daisy’s, War Americans, Tom Buchanan, Fitzgerald’s Gatsby, Baker Nick’s, american dream, myrtle wilson, daisy buchanan, jordan baker, daisy buchanan jordan, characters gatsby, tom buchanan, york city, daisy jordan, myrtle wilson’s, nick carraway, buchanan jordan baker, daisy jordan nick, myrtle wilson’s sister,