Male Dominance In The Great Gatsby

Betty Friedan, a prominent feminist and renowned author, once described the American Dream as “The suburban housewife - she was the dream image of the young American women and the envy, it was said, of women all over the world. The American housewife - freed by science and labor-saving appliances from the drudgery, the dangers of childbirth, and the illnesses of her grandmother had found true feminine fulfillment.” Betty Friedan uses the phrase “true feminine fulfillment” to describe how women in America realize the American Dream differently from their male counterparts. The words “American Dream” have, in recent years, become synonymous with ambition and the promise that success will come to those who work hard. This promise encouraged individuals

In the beginning of the book, Nick tells the reader that he is going to “have dinner with the Tom Buchanans” (Fitzgerald, 1925). From this quote, it is immediately evident that women are the lesser sex in their relationships in the eyes of other individuals. Nick does not acknowledge Daisy’s presence in the marriage and overshadows her by filing her under her husband’s name. Referring to the couple as the “Tom Buchanans” implies that women are not their own separate beings without their husbands, further insinuating that men have power over women. This power can drastically limit the American Dream for Daisy, as being married to Tom may cause others to overlook her in the professional world. Similar to the way he dominates Daisy, Tom also seems to do the same to his mistress, Myrtle. As he and Nick arrive at the car shop owned by Myrtle’s husband, he asserts to Myrtle, “I want to see you … Get on the next train” (Fitzgerald, 1925). This statement to his girlfriend was more along the lines of a demand, leaving little to no room for any disagreement on Myrtle’s behalf. Yet, she boards the train without any hesitation, signifying that she accepts his controlling persona. Faramarzi, in the study “A comparison of abused and non-abused women 's definitions of domestic violence and attitudes to acceptance of male dominance”, states that “the strongest predictor for physical abuse [is] women 's attitude to the acceptance of male dominance. The high prevalence of wife abuse in some societies and studies is related to inequalities between men and women, rigid gender roles, cultural norms that support men 's right regardless of women 's feelings, and strong ideologies of male dominance” (Faramarzi, 2005). Consequently, a woman’s feelings play a large role in potential abuse: if a woman is intolerant of male dominance, she is less