The Great Gatsby

The exploring Fitzgerald’s use of gender roles in the novel requires a certain amount of scholarly research. Including text searches throughout the book, reading scholarly criticisms about the novel and reading articles that present new ideas about Fitzgerald’s work. Gender definition and patriarchal values is the main topic of Bethany Klassen’s article entitled, “Under Control: Patriarchal Gender construction in the Great Gatsby.” The quotes and ideas in this article are profound and bring on a whole new meaning to events, conversations and actions that take place in the book. For example she notes, “ To place Daisy and Myrtle in the passive position necessary to Tom’s ego, Fitzgerald employs imagery that denies them their humanity and transforms them into objects defined by their purpose to display Tom’s wealth and power”( Klassen ). This passage in the article refers to the way in which Tom puts value on women not by personality or his love but as a material trapping. Not showing emotion towards his wife adds to Tom’s persona. The article also includes opinions about the female roles in the novel. Daisy and Myrtle personify the typical female who is basically living to fulfill her husband’s needs instead of getting a degree and making a living. The article continues to explain how during that time period, there was even a consequence for not fitting into gender roles. Referring to the tragic car accident, Klassen writes, “ Because Daisy’s affair with Gatsby places her in the car with him that night and because Myrtle’s rebellion against her husband leads her to run into the road, both incidences of female empowerment structurally precipitates the disaster” ( Klassen ). This quote is extremely interesting because it claims that when women try to overcome being trapped by feminine stereo-types, it ends in disaster. This article is obviously beneficial to any person who is exploring gender roles in the novel.

“That’s what I get for marrying a true brute of a man, a great big hulking physical specimen” (Fitzgerald 16). This phrase is not just a phrase that Daisy uses to describe her husband Tom, it describes the typical man. According to scholar, Bethany Klassen, Fitzgerald presents Tom as the archetypal male figure, a modern prototype of the ancient patriarch residing over his family and property. The typical man is what every boy dreams of being and every father dreams that their son becomes. Tom personifies this ideal to a T. When Fitzgerald breathed life into the character Tom Buchanan, he also awoke his ego and belief in the domination over women. For example when his mistress, Myrtle constantly questions Tom about his wife he decides to take matters and her face into his own hands. Striking Myrtle, as if she were a child being reprimanded for annoyingly question Tom about his wife, re-establishes his lack of respect for women. Only a real hulking brute of a man would strike a woman and show her who is boss. Also interestingly when Myrtle is first described in the novel, there is not one description of her personality, there are only words that describe her figure. This is just another way in which Tom sees women. Tom also uses a vocabulary that reflects his beliefs. For example while shopping for a dog, Mrs. Wilson asks if the dog is a boy or a girl. “It’s a bitch” Tom said decisively (Fitzgerald 32). Tom could have easily said that the dog was a girl but instead he used a word that is commonly used to disrespect women. Men defined the roles of women in society in the first place, definitions belong to the definers and this may be the reason why the world has certain roles for each gender.

“ All right...I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool"