Women's Suffrage In The Great Gatsby

Over the course of American history, specifically the era known as the Roaring Twenties, there have been both cultural advancements and moral setbacks. The 1920s brought Americans jazz music and technological advancements, but it also was tinged with the stain of organized crime, bootlegging, and, sadly, racism. Perhaps the most prominent aspect of the Roaring Twenties was the fight for women’s suffrage as women had to gain their right to vote. Not only did women have to fight to vote, they also had to go to bat for their political, economic, and human rights (“Women’s Suffrage Movement” 1). The disparities between men and women during this time period were egregious. F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the most recognized authors in American literature, …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald utilizes the women’s suffrage movement into his writing such as, The Great Gatsby. This is because the reader can recognize the similar characteristics of women to the female characters in the novel. For example, Myrtle represents how women acted before their rights because she does not care how she is treated. On page 37, Fitzgerald highlights, “Some time toward midnight Tom Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face discussing in impassioned voices whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy’s name. ‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai-’” (Fitzgerald 37). This quote allows the reader to see that Myrtle held a resisting type of personality because she kept on speaking out against Tom. Since men during this time period treated women poorly, this exposes to the reader that Myrtle did not care about what men think of her and how she acts arrogantly. While Myrtle represented women that acted unemotionally, Jordan Baker represented a strong and independent woman. Fitzgerald writes, “She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little,” (Fitzgerald 8). The reader can observe that Jordan Baker was more self-reliant and did not have to depend on men. Fitzgerald acknowledged the fact that women changed before the 1920’s and after because before the 1920’s, women had to depend on men financially and had to work in the house and be a housewife. However, after the 1920’s, women became more independent and self-centered after gaining the right to vote. This can be seen through the female characters because they act more defiant, independent, and are not concerned of what men think of