Gender Stereotypes In The Great Gatsby - 1135 Words

In his 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, chronicles a story of complicated relationships between a group of men and women as they go about their lives in New York during the â€Å"roaring 20s†. Narrated by character Nick Carraway, the story exposes and endorses gender based stereotypes as the characters attempt to achieve their American dream. In 1920, women were granted the right the vote, which was a substantial step forward in the equal rights movement for women. Yet, even during the twenties, women still struggled to find an equal place in society and were often blocked from having the same chances of achieving the American dream as men. In the novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald not only exposes sexist values of the time, but†¦show more content†¦By implying that Gatsby would have to steal a ring for Daisy, Tom displays his view that Gatsby is significantly lower than himself. In the end, Daisy chooses to stay with Tom and through assembling the pieces th at Fitzgerald provided his readers with, we can infer that it was largely due to Tom’s ‘top of the pyramid’ social status. While both Gatsby and Tom were very wealthy, Tom’s money was the more fashionable ‘old money’ and Gatsby’s was ‘new money’. Even more, Gatsby’s money was acquired through less than respectable ways. Tom informs us â€Å"’I picked [Gatsby] for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn’t far wrong’† (133). Instead of joining Gatsby, with whom she would possibly be happier with, Daisy decides to stay with Tom and continue to reside at the top of the social pyramid. Fitzgerald further complicates the story when he introduces us to Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress, and her attempt to use him to climb the social ladder. Myrtle and her husband, Wilson, live in the valley of ashes, â€Å"a certain desolate area of land† (23). The valley of ashes is a particu larly run down stretch of land between West Egg and New York City, mostly inhabited by people from the lower working class. Tom is good friends with Wilson, but is simultaneously having an affair with his wife. Fitzgerald shows us that Myrtle is unhappy with Wilson and seeks a better life when she cries, â€Å"The only crazy I was was when I married [Wilson]. I knew right away I made a mistake.Show MoreRelatedGender Roles In The Great Gatsby1736 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby Gender Norms Societal ‘norms’ surrounding gender have continuously remained prominent internationally. Although these standards and expectations continue to shift, women still face oppression today. The novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, demonstrates the expectations of women and their relationships to men in 1920’s New York City through one of the main characters, Daisy Buchanan. 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