In the novel The
Great Gatsby, gender is brought up multiple times, and in many different
contexts. It's never implicitly stated, but when Nick talks of the millionaires
he lives around, and the workers he sees, they're all men. This is most likely
due to the fact the book is set in the 20's, and women were only just beginning
to gain the right to vote, and have better jobs. The time period would also
explain the differences in the way Nick describes the way men and women dress
and move at an event such as Gatsby's party, or when Tom takes Nick to the
apartment with Myrtle and the gang, as Tom seems to use and abuse her
because she is a woman.
Women are portrayed in
a good light too though. When speaking of Jordan, Nick says, "Almost any exhibition
of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me" (Fitzgerald
32). It's also worth noting that the cover of the book portrays what seems to
be a woman's face, with two other women in her eyes. So while I don't think gender
plays a huge role in The Great
Gatsby, there are some subtly
differences in the way Nick describes men and women, and how they're treated.
The gender roles are not easy to see in the book, at least for me. It is the little things that happen that make you see the difference in men and women, and also the knowledge that I have on the time period. Tom is rude to women, but it is not clear that it is because he is a rude man and thinks highly of himself because of his money, or if he believes men are superior to women. The time period could explain they way that men act toward women. All women of that time period were not considered equal to the men, so it is not just Tom that sees women like that, it is most likely all men. I think it is possible that if the book took place in a more recent time period that the women in the book would be treatd different. -Olivia Palotay
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I can see where Olivia comes from when she says that it is difficult to see the gender roles in the novel. In my own opinion, I think the book leans more towards women and their roles mainly because of the cover of the book. The cover of the book has to have some deeper meaning than 'just a pretty picture.'
ReplyDelete-Carson Corrick
I agree with Olivia and Carson, the gender roles are very hard to find in this novel thus far. But there are hints such as Nick referring to Tom and Daisy as the "Tom Buchannans". That shows that Daisy was overlooked and not as important as a man in that time period. Which would draw back to the time period for further explanation. Which would tie into Olivia's response with her explanation of the time period.
ReplyDelete_Luke Knollinger on the last response
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