Kelsey Kubistal Mr. West American Literature 13 February 2017 Diversity The array of females in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald are unique in their own ways. No two people in the world are the same, but these three women: Jordan Baker, Daisy Buchanan, and Myrtle Wilson are definitely contrasting. Not only are they, in particulars, different from one another, but the way they act and the things they do are also very diverse. Daisy Buchanan is more of a laid back, kind of rich girl who has things handed to her because she has money. Whereas, Myrtle lives with her husband, George Wilson, in a run-down, small house on top of George’s auto-repair shop. Jordan Baker lives with her aunt in an apartment in Manhattan and cheats at golf …show more content…
The setting of her house just proves it. She lives in the ‘valley of the ashes’ right on top of her husband’s auto-repair shop. The way she dresses shows that she wants attention and wants people to notice her. But the only person who really noticed her was Tom Buchanan, whom she was having an affair with. And even he wasn’t who she thought she deserved, considering he hit her right in front of everyone at a get-together. "Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!" shouted Mrs. Wilson. "I 'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai –– " (Fitzgerald 37). Myrtle obviously knew that Tom had a wife, and was expressive with the way she talked about her. That is what caused a fist to her face from Tom. Myrtle is overall very different from Daisy and Jordan. Jordan Baker is a young woman who was involved romantically with Nick Carraway throughout the novel. She is a self-centered woman who was a bit over the top with herself. She was a golfer and occasionally cheated by pushing the golf balls into the hole. She is described as “boyish” and isn’t really as obsessed with her beauty and talent as Daisy and Myrtle are. And she doesn’t have to work as hard as Myrtle did just to get attention from men. Jordan understands that she is a mature woman who should just let things flow to her, rather than forcing it. “But there was Jordan beside me, who, unlike Daisy, was too wise ever to carry well-forgotten dreams from age to age”(Fitzgerald 135). The narrator is
Daisy is Tom’s prized possession throughout the novel because of her wealth and his ability to control her. Daisy is able to give Tom the high status he desires. Though, he describes his relationship with Daisy as, “‘Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself but I always come back…’” (Fitzgerald 131). Tom stays with Daisy because he cannot lose the high position in society that Daisy’s inferiority and riches bring him. His marriage brings him respect in society. As a matter of fact, Tom chooses Daisy over Myrtle when he is about to lose them both. Tom’s desire for high social status is put to the test when Daisy decides to leave him for another man and Myrtle consider leaving town with her husband. In the end, “When Tom's own "property," wife Daisy, disappears around the bend in his car driven by a bootlegger in a pink suit, he makes the decision to pursue what is, at least legally, his” (O’Meara 6-7). Tom chooses Daisy because they are the same blood, both old money. They are both the upper class citizens that Myrtle will never be because of her current status as lower class and lack of wealth. Tom’s possessiveness over Daisy is prioritized over Myrtle and evidently leads to Myrtle’s demise in power and in
F. Scott Fitzgerald constructed his novel, The Great Gatsby, by sculpting numerous situation and character contrasts together through out the novel to create and deliver a magnificent work of art. Although Fitzgerald contrasted numerous characters and situations through out the novel, there are three that are very pungent; the characters Tom Buchanan and George Wilson and Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. Not only were there Character contrasts, there were also situations that Fitzgerald contrasted against each other. One of them was the contrasting of the concept of the Old Money life style and the New Money life style. Tom and George not only have physical
Myrtle Wilson, the wife of George, and the lover of Tom Buchanan, is brutally murdered toward the end of the novel. After an uncivilized afternoon in New York, Daisy and Gatsby head swiftly back to East Egg. Gatsby explains to Nick, “It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were somebody she knew” (Fitzgerald 109). Myrtle ran out toward the car looking for Tom but sadly for her it is not him. Many know about Tom’s affair, but not with whom he is having it, especially Daisy. Daisy never slows the car down, and she never realizes who she hits. This shows that Daisy is oblivious to Myrtles existence. Myrtle is sleeping with her husband, she ruins their marriage, and Daisy kills her. The irony exists in this because Daisy actually saves her marriage by killing
Society’s expectations of women now and in the past cause a huge controversy and conflict amongst women. The main three female characters of the novel The Great Gatsby have many conflicts with society and what is expected of them as a female in the 1920s. They are expected to be the server of man and to not be their own person, but this was a conflict with them. Although Myrtle, Daisy, and Jordan show case their conflict with society, they negotiate that conflict with their personality and their mannerisms.
In the novel, The Great Gatsby, the two central women presented are Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. These two women, although different, have similar personalities. Throughout the novel, there are instances in which the reader feels bad for and dislikes both Daisy and Myrtle. These two women portray that wealth is better than everything else, and they both base their lives on it. Also the novel shows the hardships and difficulties they have in their marriages. They are never satisfied with what they have, and are always longing for more.
Women in the 20th century, while changing, were still unequal and below those of men. In Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, he explores this and many other themes by telling the story of Jay Gatsby and his quest to rekindle past love with Daisy Buchanan, despite her being married with a child. Women throughout the novel are treated as lesser equals who contain no personal ideas or thoughts. Their purpose is to please the men in their lives. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows how women are less than men by being treated as possessions looking through the Feminist literary lens. This is shown through Daisy being a trophy and Myrtle as being mistreated.
The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This novel features Jay Gatsby, George Wilson, Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker and Tom Buchanan along with many others to show the hopes, the struggles and the romance the characters went through each and every day. Due to the mixing of the two social classes: the rich and the poor, we learn about the causes and effects of what they face. In the book, two major characters that greatly influenced this story were Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. Both of them had difficulties in the way they acted, felt, and where they belonged to. They also have some relatable characteristics that are alike
Though the Great Gatsby is a male dominated book, there are a few women who have great influences. Daisy Buchannan is the main female character, having romantic relations with both Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. Myrtle Wilson is a woman who is married to a hardworking man, but she remained unfaithful throughout the length of the novel. Lastly, Jordan Baker is probably the least mentioned woman but had an equally important role as the others. Fitzgerald used the development of the three women to further the plot and theme of the book and show the treatment and role of women in that society at that time.
While Daisy did not know Myrtle personally, there is a very good possibility that she knew Tom was having an affair with her. She was well aware of Tom's past behavior, and she made no attempts to deny it. She simply accepted it because she had no other choice. After spending the day in New York with the others, she was obviously upset and tense. The day had taxed her to the limit. Gatsby had demanded too much of her, and she just was not strong enough to endure any further argument. She chose to drive him back to East Egg in an attempt to calm her nerves. When they passed Wilson's garage, Myrtle ran into the street toward Gatsby's car, thinking it belonged to Tom. According to Gatsby, Daisy turned the wheel toward the oncoming car in the other lane, but she lost her nerve and hit
F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, illustrates most women in his novels in a incredibly negative light. He portrays them as dependent upon men, selfish, and completely amoral. Jay Gatsby is in love with the wealthy Mrs. Daisy Buchannan and tries to win her love by proving that he is wealthy. However, no matter how wealthy he becomes, or how many gigantic parties he throws, he is still never good enough for Daisy. The story ends in tragedy as Gatsby is killed and dies utterly alone. Fitzgerald's characterization of Daisy, Myrtle, and Jordan in The Great Gatsby demonstrates women who are objectified by men and treated as their trophies, while also
Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is a fascinating work that details the corruptive influence of greed. The main character is a man named Gatsby. The two main female characters are Daisy and Myrtle. These two women provide an interesting contrast while complementing each other at the same time. Daisy is living a life of luxury while Myrtle is struggling to make ends meet. They both play major roles in the novel, and, although their intentions seem pure and promising enough, they both are doomed to succumb to greed which causes eventual death.
Jordan Baker represents the new women in the Great Gatsby, through her appearance, characterization and narrative. Jordan Baker is a perfect example of the modern woman as associated to the Jazz Age. In a world ruled by man, she consistently marks her dominance and place through her ambition. Whilst Jordan’s appearance and behavior is associated to that of the girls of that era, she is markedly different from the other females in the text. Again this is quickly made apparent through a detailed description of her general look.
Throughout history, authors would often write their novels to reflect the world they live in, using their characters and settings to embody their reality, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is no exception. As an author living in the ‘Roaring Twenties’, he lived in a society that was changing quickly, particularly in the aspect of social roles. This characteristic can be found represented in the secondary character of Jordan Baker, as she represents a new emerging woman, and F. Scott Fitzgerald uses this characterization to reflect the changing ways of life in America. It is clear to see that Jordan Baker is significantly different from the other female characters within The Great Gatsby. She stands out compared to her equal, Daisy
As Myrtle’s relationship with George Wilson deteriorates and she is disenchanted with his limited lifestyle, she desires more and thus when she meets Tom he offers her this. In some distorted way, Myrtle thinks that Tom will leave his beautiful wife Daisy and marry her, Tom doesn’t truly see the relationship between Myrtle and himself being a true relationship, he just believes she is someone he can call upon unannounced and use her for a sexual relationship. But Myrtle has other plans for the two of them. This is made clear when he breaks Myrtle’s nose we she mentioned his wife’s name: “‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy Dai-‘Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald, 1926)This harsh action implied by Tom, really puts Mrs. Wilson in her place, making her come to her sense of what she can and cannot say. This reaction from Tom signifies that it is not a pure love existing between them. Further, Myrtle’s desire for the material goods Tom can provide shapes her conception of their alleged love, which is evidently greatly distorted as shown through Tom’s treatment of her.
Jordan Baker is perhaps the most intriguing character within the novel due to the paradox she creates. She is simultaneously free yet held captive by the male society’s concepts. When first introduced to the novel, Jordan is described as floating in the air with Daisy Buchanan next to her. As soon as the men enter the room, and Tom shuts the French windows with a forceful push, the “two young women ballooned to the floor”. The controlling atmosphere that the men within The Great Gatsby create has a dire affect on the women. It is deflating and restricting. As a famous golfer, within the novel, Jordan lives a relatively isolated and free lifestyle, traveling to competitions and living on her own. However, Tom’s view of this provides insight