Women in the 1920s
The “Roaring 20s”, a great time for many people especially people in wealth. Many new things and opportunities arose throughout this time, especially for women. In the 1920s, the expectations of women were very straight forward; be faithful, listen to your husband, and not be very independent at times. But, in the 1920s the expectations of women would change and go into the other direction. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a story about told by Nick Carraway. In this story he is neighbors with a very rich and known man, Jay Gatsby which later on Nick and Jay get acquainted. Throughout the story Jay tries to get back the love of his life Daisy Buchanan but encounters many problems in the process and eventually …show more content…
When we are introduced to Myrtle in the beginning, you quickly realize something is going on between her and Tom and surely you find out that they are having an affair. “I want to see you. Get on the next train.” “Alright. I’ll meet you by the news-stand on the lower level.” (pg.30). This shows that Tom and Myrtle are having an affair and it could have been going on for a very long time. This completely shows that she is not following her role and being faithful to George. Later on in the story you find out that Myrtle does not make smart decisions and they cost her in the end. During the apartment scene you start seeing a different part of Myrtle that you would never expect her to be, or is that even her? “I told that boy about the ice.” Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders. “These people! You have to keep them all the time.” She looked at me and laughed pointlessly. (pg.36) In this scene Myrtle is trying to be someone she is not, a wealthy flapper. She is acting as if she was born in wealth and dressing as if she was a flapper. She is using Tom as a gateway to the more lavishing life that she has always envied for. Myrtle should be with her husband and stop trying to be someone she is not and continue doing her role that she should be doing. Like I was saying earlier, Myrtle does some very dumb things …show more content…
They just almost are their for the entertainment factor. Throughout the story Daisy does not follow her role of being a mom to her child and a faithful wife to Tom because she is having an affair with Gatsby and being a flapper. Jordan follows her role as being a flapper and just having one night stands with guys but then breaks her role when she starts having a thing for Nick and they sort of become a couple. Nick also expresses that she is a cheater in life and as a professional golfer. Myrtle does not follow her role as well. She may stay at home at times with her husband George, but yet she still has an affair with Tom and tries to become something she is not at all. Even though this is about the women in the “Roaring 20s”, this gives a glimpse of how women were back then compared to the women of today. There is a significant difference but also similarities. These women in The Great Gatsby not only show what was expected by them but also shows how women have developed and have become today’s modern women. This book is known for many things but what I realized that is underestimated in showing and representing women in a very distinct manner and that really makes you think about how it must have been for women back
The “Roaring 20s”, a great time for many people especially people in wealth. Many new things and opportunities arose throughout this time, especially for women. In the 1920s, the expectations of women were very straight forward; be faithful, listen to your husband, and not be very independent at times. But, in the 1920s the expectations of women would change and go into the other direction. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a story about told by Nick Carraway. In this story he is neighbors with a very rich and known man, Jay Gatsby which later on Nick and Jay get acquainted. Throughout the story Jay tries to get back the love of his life Daisy Buchanan but encounters many problems in the process and eventually …show more content…
When we are introduced to Myrtle in the beginning, you quickly realize something is going on between her and Tom and surely you find out that they are having an affair. “I want to see you. Get on the next train.” “Alright. I’ll meet you by the news-stand on the lower level.” (pg.30). This shows that Tom and Myrtle are having an affair and it could have been going on for a very long time. This completely shows that she is not following her role and being faithful to George. Later on in the story you find out that Myrtle does not make smart decisions and they cost her in the end. During the apartment scene you start seeing a different part of Myrtle that you would never expect her to be, or is that even her? “I told that boy about the ice.” Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders. “These people! You have to keep them all the time.” She looked at me and laughed pointlessly. (pg.36) In this scene Myrtle is trying to be someone she is not, a wealthy flapper. She is acting as if she was born in wealth and dressing as if she was a flapper. She is using Tom as a gateway to the more lavishing life that she has always envied for. Myrtle should be with her husband and stop trying to be someone she is not and continue doing her role that she should be doing. Like I was saying earlier, Myrtle does some very dumb things …show more content…
They just almost are their for the entertainment factor. Throughout the story Daisy does not follow her role of being a mom to her child and a faithful wife to Tom because she is having an affair with Gatsby and being a flapper. Jordan follows her role as being a flapper and just having one night stands with guys but then breaks her role when she starts having a thing for Nick and they sort of become a couple. Nick also expresses that she is a cheater in life and as a professional golfer. Myrtle does not follow her role as well. She may stay at home at times with her husband George, but yet she still has an affair with Tom and tries to become something she is not at all. Even though this is about the women in the “Roaring 20s”, this gives a glimpse of how women were back then compared to the women of today. There is a significant difference but also similarities. These women in The Great Gatsby not only show what was expected by them but also shows how women have developed and have become today’s modern women. This book is known for many things but what I realized that is underestimated in showing and representing women in a very distinct manner and that really makes you think about how it must have been for women back