Conformity Of Women In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the changing society of the 1920’s the “New Woman” was brought about in which changes in “the family and sexual mores, women’s participation in the work force, and the political activism” (Dumenil) influenced the society that was once ruled by men. This new idea brought skeptics, and those who believed that woman were to nurture and stay at home while the man was to be the provider. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald offers a view into this changing society where varying levels of the “New Woman” are brought to life by Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. These women are seemingly free from there designated gender roles and yet there is prejudice towards them. Daisy’s ability to choose to be with another man in order to be happy is squandered …show more content…
For example through trying to depict Jordan as an independent woman capable of making her own decisions Fitzgerald creates a woman who is masculine, as if being independent and masculine go hand in hand. The Crucible depicts women as weak creatures, who are expected to submit to men, and whose only access to power is solely through corrupt means. Showing the blind following of the social norms in The Crucible furthers the point that the gender roles in these pieces of literature are flawed and do not accurately represent the wide spectrum of gender roles and gender identities that can be seen in everyday society. By trying to portrait the “New Woman” Fitzgerald emphasizes that though women can be independent and stray from their designated gender role, the consequences and perception of those who do steam from the norm are bound to society’s guidelines of what they are expected to be and therefore are punished …show more content…
By using stereotypes and gender constructs, Fitzgerald and Miller limited their characters in their development, making them less complex than the average American in terms of gender roles. Through the process of initiating gender equality, Emma Watson, The UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, gave a speech regarding gender roles in today’s society. She advocated for both women and men in the process of creating gender equality saying “If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled” (Watson). This concept can be applied to everyday actions with one another and if applied to The Great Gatsby or The Crucible could have saved several characters from their downfalls due to restrictions to gender