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Stereotypes In The Great Gatsby

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Gender Stereotypes Common phrases frequently repeated in American households such as, “Girls don’t do that!”, often reflect a cultural and physical distinction between males and females. From the very moment children are born, they are labeled with predisposed gender characteristics— boys receive a blue cloth and are put into a room decorated with cars, and girls receive a pink cloth and are put into a room decorated with flowers. As they mature, many children start to recognize both physical and mental differences thus increasing the fixed gap between genders. In fact, gender has also hindered the progression of America regarding freedom of expression- a right included in the very first amendment of our Constitution. Currently, gender is …show more content…
Daisy Buchanan, the love of Gatsby’s life, represents women who are docile and fragile. She plays the damsel-in-distress, a common role for a woman. Though she is seen as a motherly figure, she is extremely dependent on her husband, Tom. Because Tom is able to support her and their child financially, she chooses him over Gatsby, despite the love they share for one another. In regards to her child, however, she says, “‘I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,’” (Fitzgerald 17). Through this quote, Daisy shows an understanding to how women are viewed in the world, but she advocates conformity towards gender stereotypes. Unlike Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker is represented as a strong and independent woman; she presents herself as a confident, unmarried athlete, who can support herself and be content without a husband. At this time, Jordan rebels against the idea of only men being allowed to play sports. On the other hand, Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress, is shown as the opportunist of the three, who is disloyal to her husband, George Wilson, and seeks money and fortune. Through the use of female characters, Fitzgerald is able to illustrate the different values of women in the 1920’s to later foreshadow these ideas into a modern …show more content…
“The old model of the ‘macho man’ is less acceptable in today’s world than it was even three decades ago, and men are struggling to reinvent themselves,” (Gender 101). In reference to The Great Gatsby, George Wilson is attributed with features of the 1930’s male; it was common to be a dirty car mechanic because he was a man, and men were considered to be responsible for working on cars and dirty jobs, such as construction. However, it was uncommon for men to be nurses, teachers, secretaries, etc. In another instance, when Myrtle becomes frustrated and starts to repeatedly scream Daisy’s name, Tom tells her to stop, but when she does not, he punches her (Lee 50). From this instance, Tom exerts the idea that women are supposed to be submissive and obey demands from men, or otherwise they will suffer the consequences of not doing so. Likewise, A Streetcar Named Desire builds Stanley’s character around the image of a man that existed in the 1940’s. According to Blanche, Stanley’s sister-in-law, “What such a man has to offer is animal force and he gave a wonderful exhibition of that! But the only way to live with such a man is to- go to bed with him! And that’s your job- not mine!” (Williams 52). Provided this description, Blanche criticizes both the male and female stereotype- men are animalistic brutes, and women are submissive pushovers. She also denounces her sister, Stella, for her desire to

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