Examples Of Marginalization Of Men In The Great Gatsby

In an article titled "Black Male Marginalization in Early Twentieth Century American Canonical Novels: The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men" Agnieszka Lobodziec examines the issues of black male marginalization and white supremacy within the novels The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men. Throughout The Great Gatsby, there are several examples of "the nation's historically evolving conceptions of white superiority and black inferiority" (Lobodziec 289). The most obvious illustration of this ideology is clearly shown through the marginalization of black men within the novel. Lobodziec writes "the marginalization of black males bears particular significance in that this phenomenon enunciates the gendered politics of race" (Lobodziec 289). With this

statement, Lobodziec claims that because of the marginalization of black men within the novel, the belief of black inferiority and white superiority is pushed upon the reader, even if it does not appear solely through what Fitzgerald has written.
One way that the reader can see black male marginalization is through the exclusion of black characters in the novel. There is little mention of black characters in the novel, and whenever a black character is mentioned, it is almost always in a derogatory way. In the article, Lobodziec argues that "the spotlessness creates an illusion of moral purity" (Lobodziec 290). With this statement, Lobodziec equates whiteness to an invalid perception of being more "pure" than others who are not white. This idea is similar to the concept of the American Dream, and how the white people seem to have "made it." With all of the extravagant and elegant parties that the white people attend, they are relishing in the fact that they have obtained the American Dream, while there is no mention of any black character whatsoever becoming successful in the novel.
Another example of black male marginalization is shown through the racist comments and the white supremacist mindset of the characters in the novel.

Specifically, Fitzgerald characterizes Tom Buchanan as an extreme racist. This is proven during Tom's conversation with Nick and Daisy when he says that "civilization's going to pieces … the idea is if we don't look out the white race will be … utterly submerged" (Fitzgerald 12-13). Tom is worried that if the white race does not take control now, then the other races will eventually take over and threaten the power balance that the white race has held for so many years. It appears that Tom is very scared to lose this power, and even the thought of not being the dominant race is too much for him to handle. Additionally, Daisy and Nick are not even phased by what Tom is professing to them. As a matter of fact, Daisy admires what Tom is saying, and "considers his suppositions as expressions of true scientific knowledge not pseudo-science" (Lobodziec 292). Both Daisy and Nick are a part of the privileged white aristocracy along with Tom and they all fail to recognize the racism that they are listening to and supporting. This gives the reader an insight as to how the white aristocracy viewed black people and other people of color during that time period. More importantly, this reveals "the systematic, more deeply rooted anti-black racism which advocated multifaceted exclusion from the mainstream American, and supposedly global, community" (Lobodziec 292). With this statement, Lobodziec suggests that due to this denial of recognition of black men that it makes black people as a whole inherently inferior even though Fitzgerald never explicitly writes this. By denying the existence of a whole race of people, specifically black men, Tom and other characters in the novel gain a sense of power over those people by controlling whether or not they have a place in a "perfect" white

society.
Both of these examples of black male marginalization in The Great Gatsby prove the racist mindset of the characters within the novel and the notion that black people, black men specifically, are inferior to white people. A major example of this is shown through "omnipresent whiteness [as] a metaphor for white supremacy, and the lack of blackness signifies the marginalization, and even desirable erasure of black men from mainstream American social reality" (Lobodziec 294). By only showing white characters in the novel, some of who are racist, and completely excluding an entire race of people, one may feel that white people are inherently more superior than their black counterparts. This intentional exclusion can be detrimental to a person's self-confidence or worth, as they do not see themselves, or someone like them, in a role that has power or success. Without representation, a person will most likely feel as if they do not matter, and therefore they will feel inferior to the group of people who are being represented in a positive way.
After reading "Black Male Marginalization in Early Twentieth Century American Canonical Novels: The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men," I have gained a new perspective on how one could read The Great Gatsby. While reading the novel, a person may notice the racist thoughts and ideas presented by Tom, but dismiss them because of all the drama that overshadows the racism. This is similar to how I read the novel: less focused on what the characters were saying and paying more attention to the action that was happening in the story. Now, after reading this article, I am more aware of the racism and the idea of black inferiority that occurs within the novel. From the examples that Lobodziec points out in her article, it is hard to argue that racism does not exist within The Great Gatsby. I especially agree with her argument that the presence of only white characters causes a feeling of superiority and importance towards the white characters and the complete opposite feeling towards black men, or the lack thereof. Without proper or positive representation, a person can feel like they do not matter. Black men were excluded from the novel because they "threatened" the unequal power balance between the races. Characters like Tom display how white Americans at that point in time were scared of black male intrusion into the white male world order. This fear can even be seen today with the election of former U.S. President Barack Obama. After the election of Obama in 2008, "the reports of a 'white backlash' flooded the American press" (Lobodziec 298). This parallel between the novel and America today proves that the fear of black men entering a white-dominated society does not only exist in fictional literature, but in real-life society that chooses to marginalize black men and other black people out of fear of upsetting the racist, unequal power balance that has oppressed black people for centuries within this country.