Female Characters In The Great Gatsby

Superior Essays
Although Fitzgerald focuses on the male characters, it is very clear that the female characters are all very important in this novel. All three of the women have a substantial part to play in the shaping of the storyline. Even though they live in the same circumstances, where women are below men, their reactions to it contrast greatly. Each female character in the novel differs greatly from one another. Daisy Buchanan is the “golden girl” of the novel. Daisy is extremely charming and many men fall for her because of the way that she speaks her mind and presents herself to others. She is very charismatic, people just tend to find themselves being drawn towards her. Fitzgerald does much to make her character worthy of Gatsby’s devotion. …show more content…
Daisy likes to rely on her husband’s social standing within the public to gain popularity, as well as his wallet to purchase flashy things like a large house, nice bright clothing, and jewelry. After Tom’s statement in chapter seven, “She’s not leaving me… Certainly not for a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring he’d put on her finger”(Steinbeck ) Daisy avidly leaves Gatsby for the second time to go back to her husband Tom. This statement proves that all Daisy cares about is social standing, and wealth. However, Daisy is not afraid of depending on a man, much like the standard women of the time period. On the other hand, Jordan Baker is the more independent woman of the novel. Jordan is a very bold character for Steinbeck to put in his novel during this time because she is unmarried and does not need a man to support her financially or emotionally. Ms. Baker is also an athlete which is not typical of a woman of this time. Both Jordan Baker and Daisy Buchanan come from wealthy families. They are both equally self-absorbed in their own lives. They are both considered being “careless people” by Nick in chapter nine of The Great Gatsby. (Steinbeck) Both girls love to fabricate stories about their lives and tend to stray far away from the

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