Archetypes Of Women In The Great Gatsby

With the increasing popularity of female-oriented post-secondary education, the growing number of women working outside the home in professional occupations and the newly granted right to suffrage, women directly challenged the traditional notions of American Womanhood in the 1920’s. In just seventy one years since the Seneca Falls Convention, feminists in America accomplished sweeping changes for women politically, economically, and socially. Attempting to reconcile the changing concept of womanhood with more traditional female roles, male writers often included depictions of this “New Woman” in their novels. Frequently, the male writers of the Progressive Era saw the New Woman as challenging the very fabric of society and, subsequently, included

Scott Fitzgerald, in his critically acclaimed The Great Gatsby, examined the role of women in society and the transgressions of the New Women against a patriarchal society. Additionally, Herstory and Daisy Buchanan by Leland S. Person Jr., Bad Driving: Jordan 's Tantalizing Story in "The Great Gatsby" by Veronica Makowsky, and Critical Theory Today by Lois Tyson critique Fitzgerald’s novel through a feminist lens. In The Great Gatsby, Daisy, Jordan and Myrtle represent the three archetypes of women, and their fates and characterizations demonstrate the sexist, patriarchal message of the novel. As the most traditional woman of the novel, Fitzgerald not only depicts Daisy Buchanan as the simple trophy wife of her husband, but also chastises her for rebellious refusal to accept her position in life. Modeled after the historical Gibson Girl, Jordan Baker defies all gender stereotypes and is therefore unfavorably portrayed as androgynous and

Unlike the other two main female characters, Jordan seems uninterested in typical female pursuits and conducts herself in a masculine manner. In fact, Fitzgerald describes Jordan as “a slender, little breasted girl with an erect carriage that she accentuated by throwing her body backwards at the shoulder blades just like a youthful cadet” (Fitzgerald 11). According to Fitzgerald, women who act masculine also look masculine themselves. Since Jordan possesses almost none of the desired feminine qualities in her personality and manner, Fitzgerald declines to give her any physical feminine qualities also. In doing so, Fitzgerald insinuates that women who do not pursue feminine hobbies are not real women, but instead are unattractive, androgynous pseudo-men. In addition to her physical male qualities, Jordan also professionally plays golf which is a traditionally male-dominated sport. Describing a tournament that Jordan played in during the summer, Fitzgerald writes, “There was a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round. The thing approached the proportion of a scandal—then died away” (Fitzgerald 57). Not only does Jordan commit the offense of moving into the male sphere, but she also cheats and lies to get ahead. Clearly, Fitzgerald believes that women are not naturally talented enough to take part in masculine activities, and