The Wars, by Timothy Findley, and The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, are groundbreaking texts that challenged social norms within the Great Wars era, causing a change within preconceived notions about the gender stereotypes of the era. The plot of The Great Gatsby revolves around the love story between the nouveau-riche, Jay Gatsby, and the “old money,” Daisy Buchanan. In contrast, The Wars, by Timothy Findley explores a soldier’s experiences in war as well as the relationships he develops during his service in the military. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald is able to persuade his audience to reexamine their perspectives of women during the post-war 1920’s; from one filled with gender equality, to a more realistic view with an accepted
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His text portrays a society in which women have gained many rights through their continued efforts in the duration of the Great War. It is portrayed that men and women now have the same rights and are able to perform the same tasks. Fitzgerald’s most prominent example of the stereotypical and socially conforming women would be in Jordan Baker. Her posture, described as masculine, highlighted that “she threw her body backwards at the shoulder like a young cadet.” The attention to her posture shows the equality present between the two genders. By portraying Jordan “like a young cadet,” the author portrays women as able to take on male-dominant roles. This idea is further emphasized in her flash of “muscle in her arms” in the presence of Nick Carraway. Muscle is often portrayed as a masculine feature, but in associating it with a female, Fitzgerald again highlights this power shift and increase in social equality. In contrary, Fitzgerald portrays the female lead, Daisy Buchanan, as the adverse. Believing “the best thing a girl can be in this world, (is) a beautiful little fool” (17), Daisy highlights the oblivious and obeying nature of many women during this era. Fitzgerald portrays, through Daisy, that many women were still living in a male-dominant world and that they were content with that lifestyle, as a result, exposing the facade of a gender equal society. Fitzgerald further emphasizes this point revealing that “four girls… never quite the same ones in physical person but they were so identical one with another that it inevitably seemed that they had been there before.” The reader can infer from this line that the individuality of women has been degraded as they are all the same but men are different further exposing the inequalities still present. Lastly, Fitzgerald’s incorporation of Myrtle
His text portrays a society in which women have gained many rights through their continued efforts in the duration of the Great War. It is portrayed that men and women now have the same rights and are able to perform the same tasks. Fitzgerald’s most prominent example of the stereotypical and socially conforming women would be in Jordan Baker. Her posture, described as masculine, highlighted that “she threw her body backwards at the shoulder like a young cadet.” The attention to her posture shows the equality present between the two genders. By portraying Jordan “like a young cadet,” the author portrays women as able to take on male-dominant roles. This idea is further emphasized in her flash of “muscle in her arms” in the presence of Nick Carraway. Muscle is often portrayed as a masculine feature, but in associating it with a female, Fitzgerald again highlights this power shift and increase in social equality. In contrary, Fitzgerald portrays the female lead, Daisy Buchanan, as the adverse. Believing “the best thing a girl can be in this world, (is) a beautiful little fool” (17), Daisy highlights the oblivious and obeying nature of many women during this era. Fitzgerald portrays, through Daisy, that many women were still living in a male-dominant world and that they were content with that lifestyle, as a result, exposing the facade of a gender equal society. Fitzgerald further emphasizes this point revealing that “four girls… never quite the same ones in physical person but they were so identical one with another that it inevitably seemed that they had been there before.” The reader can infer from this line that the individuality of women has been degraded as they are all the same but men are different further exposing the inequalities still present. Lastly, Fitzgerald’s incorporation of Myrtle