Sexism in 'Great Gatsby' Essay

The story begins with a man, Nick Carraway, who used to serve in the military and moved from Minnesota to West Egg in New York. His mysterious, wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby threw massive parties at his house every night. There were seven major characters. Jay Gatsby, a human example of everything Nick hated about New York and was obsessed with Daisy: a rich and beautiful woman obsessed with money, it is all she cares for. Her husband, Tom Buchanan, was one of Nick’s colleagues back at Yale. He also cheated on Daisy, with many women, one of whom was Myrtle Wilson; his mistress. Myrtle was married to George, an auto repair shop owner who was faithful to his wife. Lastly, Jordan Baker, who was a professional golf player. She was a friend of Daisy’s and became Nick’s love interest. Residents in this town lived in one of three places based on their “richness” level. “The East Egg”, people who live in this area are, “Old Money” because they were born into wealthy. Buchanan’s lived there. “The West Egg”, residents who lived there are called, “New Money”, because they have become rich more recently. Both Gatsby and Nick live in that area. “The Valley of Ashes”, are the residents who lived in poverty. The people who are the lowest rank of the social class in New York, like where the Wilsons live. The conflict of the story is that Gatsby wanted something he could not have: Daisy, and a shot at being in the American upper class. Tom wanted something he could not have: a mistress and a wife who knew nothing about each other. Nick wanted something that he definitely could not have: to have all these crazy people stop being crazy. Nick could not handle the snobby New Yorkers. (connecting piece) In “The Great Gatsby”, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays how women use money as a driving force behind their decisions, highly sexualized, and how dependent women are on men.

In “The Great Gatsby”, when looking for a man, women could care less about love, all they wanted was a high social class and wealth. “In June she married Tom Buchanan of Chicago...and the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars”(75). This quote shows how Daisy was easily swayed by Tom’s money. Daisy did not love him for who he was she just wanted to have loads of money and expensive items. It also ties into the saying, “Money buys happiness”. Daisy was in love with Gatsby but married Tom Buchanan because of his higher status in society and his wealth. An infinite number of women tried to separate him from his money”(99). As stated above, the majority of women just wanted to marry the rich. They did not look at who the man is personality-wise. If the man had money and was successful, then that was how women based their decisions. Historians call the women in the 1920s, the first generation of independent American women. There were two types of women. Rural and farm-related jobs to jobs in cities and factories. Some women were called 'flappers'. These types of women were much bolder and had more freedom in their clothes and manners. Their attire consisted of dresses shorter and lighter due to the rationing of materials. In Gatsby, “flappers” we're different from other women. These women were allowed to party, drive, travel around the country without a man, and have “flings” rather than marry. But men still hold women in their place. Men were allowed to commit adultery, whereas for a woman it is unheard of. In the 1920s, women were supposed to be an accessory to men, used for only their bodies. Although this was how it was, women found a way past it. Women used men for money and their materialistic items.

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Women in Gatsby were highly sexualized. Men only cared about the physical traits a woman had. “Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth-but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget”(22). This quote shows how men only look for what a woman has to offer on the outside. “Miss Baker is a slender, small-breasted girl, with an erect carriage, which she accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet”(11). Personality traits were not something men looked for in the 1920s, as this quote shows they are more interested in features on the body. Men in the 1920s just wanted to marry a woman for pleasure and as an accessory. As said earlier, “flappers” were free spirits. They wore scandalous outfits and went out every night. They were asking men to take advantage of them. Back in the day, men were supposed to do all the hard work and earn money, whereas women stayed at home the housewives. But, the women in Gatsby did not sit at home and do nothing. Men took advantage and took power over women. Women were not allowed to do most things a man could, such as serve on a jury, use degrees to the fullest, etc. therefore, implying women are useless. They were addressed as girls or bitches, rather than being called a woman. In the 1920s, every man had the same lens to see a woman as simple-minded and their inability to do anything but cook, clean, and be there for a man physically.

Throughout the book, Fitzgerald points out how reliant women were on men. “If he left the room for a minute she'd look around uneasily, and say: 'Where's Tom gone?' and wear the most abstracted expression until she saw him coming in the door.”(37). This quote shows how Daisy was very reliant on her husband Tom. She felt like she did not know what to do if he was not there. This shows how women in the 1920s, did not know a life without being “glued” to their husbands all the time. “Through this twilight universe, Daisy began to move again with the season; suddenly she was again keeping half a dozen dates a day with half a dozen men, and drowsing asleep at dawn with the beads and chiffon of an evening dress tangled among dying orchids on the floor beside her bed. And all the time something within her was crying for a decision. She wanted her life shaped now, immediately – and the decision must be made by some force – of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality – that was close at hand” (19). Daisy could not make one simple decision for herself, without a man's input. Daisy needed a man, she felt like she could not make the most logical choice for herself without one. In the 1920s, women were very reliant on men. For shelter, food, money, etc. But, men were very controlling over women. They did not give them any room to breathe, they were always trying to say what they could and could not do. On the other hand, men were allowed to do anything they wanted, which seemed unfair. Back then, women were highly discriminated against and limited in what they could do. As stated previously, women were seen as simple-minded. In society, men were supposed to do everything, and women were supposed to just take care of their men. As a result of that, women became very dependent on men and felt lost if they left for even a second. Even for small things, like figuring out what to eat. Then, women were not independent.

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald related gender roles in the 1920s and “The Great Gatsby” very well. He showed how reliant women are on men, how women are highly sexualized, and how “money crazy” they are. Women were not independent at this point which led to these reasons. The reason to chase after money and are rich, is because they are not allowed to work. Since women were not allowed to work, they were considered useless which led to men taking advantage of them and using them and wearing them around like an accessory. Finally, women not being independent was highly based on the fact that men overpowered them, so women felt lost with them. As time evolved, women got more independent and stuck up for themselves, were allowed to work, vote, and so on. It took time for society to realize women needed the same rights as a man. Although we have gender discrimination problems today, it is certainly not as bad as it was in the 1920s.