Steadman 1

Vivian Steadman

Mr. Peterson

English 11

8 March 2024

Presentation Outline

Research question: In The Great Gatsby, are F. Scott Fitzgerald’s misogynistic descriptions of his

female characters part of his general examination and critique of the American dream, or are they

sexist portrayals of women resulting from Fitzgerald’s own internalized patriarchal beliefs?

Source #1. Affroni and Hendrarti. “Analysis on the Issue of Women Oppression in F. Scott

Fitzgerald’s the Great Gatsby.”

Summary

Affroni and Dr. I.M. Hendrarti, M.A. of the English Department, Faculty of Humanity,

Diponegoro University, Semarang introduce their critical essay by stating that they intend to

analyze The Great Gatsby from a Feminist Theory perspective. They state that the novel contains

examples of the oppression of females in the characters of Daisy and Myrtle but that Jordan is an

example of female independence and someone who breaks free of the oppression present around

her. They describe Tom as the main oppressor in the book and that he is a symbol of the

patriarchal construct in society at the time the book was written. The authors suggest that they

intend to examine the effect that patriarchal oppression has on the society depicted in The Great

Gatsby, to describe the kinds of oppression that Daisy and Myrtle encounter, and to show that

Jordon successfully escaped the oppression placed upon women in that society.
 Steadman 2

Direct Quote

Context:

The authors are introducing their paper and naming the characters who embody the

oppressed and the oppressor in the novel.

Quote:
“Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson are two main characters who are oppressed by the

idea and belief applied in the patriarchal society. Meanwhile, Tom Buchanan is described as the

main subject of oppression. His appearances and actions throughout the story become the

representation of the patriarchal domination” (Affroni and Hendrarti 1). (dq)

Direct Quote

Context:

The authors have been elaborating on their claim that there are social constructs

detailed in The Great Gatsby that lead women to feel that they are helpless and that they in turn

must rely on men for money and security. They argue that this leads women to seek husbands

with wealth and status as opposed to seeking partners they love and respect.

Quote:

“The women in The Great Gatsby are unaware that by being dependent on their husband,

they entrap themselves in a ‘cage’. They lost their willingness to explore their personhood and

their full capacity as human beings” (Affroni and Hendrarti 5). (dq)

Direct Quote

Context:

The authors assert that Daisy’s character embodies femininity and also that she is an

example of a woman choosing status and perceived security over love by choosing Tom over

Gatsby.
 Steadman 3

Quote:

“Daisy becomes the character who is oppressed by Tom and the system of patriarchy

itself. She is forced to accept the system without being able to free herself” (Affroni and

Hendrarti 6). (dq)

Source #2. Bozorgimoghaddam, Masomeh, and Naser Moeen. “Representation of Women as the

‘Second Sex’ in the Great Gatsby”

Summary

The authors introduce their journal article as an examination of the ways in which all of

the female characters in The Great Gatsby are experience one form of oppression against women

or another. Within the first paragraph of the article, they reference Simone De Beauvoir, a

renowned French feminist. Utilizing De Beauvoir’s assertion that women are portrayed as

inferior to men, the authors suggest that all of the female characters in the novel are oppressed in

some way, although these ways may look different.

Direct Quote

Context:

The authors are describing the blatant patriarchal nature of The Great Gatsby. They

point out that the book is about a man written by a man narrated by a man in a masculine world.

They reference Simone De Beauvoir’s observation that in society, men are citizens of the world

and the main players while women are simply peripheral figures.

Quote:

Accordingly, Nick Carrawy as the narrator and one of the characters of the novel never

criticizes men as a whole, but several times he criticizes women” (Bozorgimoghaddam and

Naser 517).
 Steadman 4

Direct Quote

Context:

The authors examine the relationship between George and Myrtle Wilson and the

various opinions others have of George. They point to descriptions of him as passive and

ineffectual; that Myrtle is brazenly having an affair with Tom and seemingly is powerful as a

result. They point out that despite the fact that George’s character is weak, and despite the fact

that he appears unable to keep his wife “oppressed,” he is actually subjecting her to another style

of oppression. He is described as keeping her in the apartment above his garage; forcing her to

live a less than lavish life due to his modest earnings. Even in the face of such a powerless, meek

man, he is still far more powerful than Myrtle, simply because she is a woman.

Quote:
“Despite the fact that George is powerless against other men, he is authoritative toward his wife.

He is the first one and the woman is the second one toward him” (Bozorgimoghaddam and Naser

519).

Direct Quote

Context:

The authors are discussing the character of Jordan and that, despite the fact that some

may see her as liberating herself from patriarchal oppression, she is just experiencing it in a

different way than Daisy and Myrtle are. The authors point out that Nick, the story’s narrator,

has a strong, entitled reaction to Jordan’s refusal to move on from him but that the fact that she is

the one who decides to leave doesn’t mean she’s actually free. They argue instead that she is

looking for better opportunities and is ultimately relegated to the same pursuit as the others –

finding a man with wealth and security.

Quote:
“He expects that only he can make any decision about their relation. To see his obedient
 Steadman 5

and powerless partner, who was voraciously seeking his love and attention, escape from

oppression makes him angry. Jordan’s social activities offer her power. This power gives her the

ability to change. She is not as mute and passive as Daisy and Myrtle, but this does not make any

difference in her position as “the second sex” toward men: she is a woman and is submitted to a

man for a while and when the man disappoints her, she seeks for another man’s territory to

subjugate herself to him” (Bozorgimoghaddam and Naser 520).

Source #3. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. Harlow, Pearson Education, 2008.

Summary
Throughout The Great Gatsby, grown women are referred to as “girls” while men are

referred to as “men” which immediately defines women as children subject to the authority of men.

This is captured in Fitzgerald’s description of the lavish party at Gatsby’s home. Nick, the book’s

narrator, takes in the party and its guests and describes them in detail. Every time he sees a woman,

he refers to her as a “girl” in his description and every time he sees a man, he refers to him as a man.

This takes away from Fitzgerald’s rich, lyrical prose while laying a foundation for a plot where

women behave weakly and impulsively while men have the power.

Direct Quote

Context:

Daisy is walking around the grounds of her home, having a “catching up” conversation with

Nick. They discuss various topics and Nick brings the discussion back to Daisy and Tom’s daughter.

Daisy describes being at the hospital, not knowing where Tom was, and feeling alone when she asks

the nurse the gender of the baby she just gave birth to. When the nurse tells her she had a girl, Daisy

replies with the quote below.

Quote:

"… I turned my head away and wept. 'All right,' I said, '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" (Fitzgerald 16-17).

Direct Quote

Context:

Jordan Baker is reminiscing about her friendship with Daisy and describes the first time

She met Gatsby and her impression of how he reacted to Daisy.

Quote:

“The officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking, in a way that every young girl wants to be

looked at sometime...” (Fitzgerald 75)

Source #4. Khan, Munejah. “GENDER IN DOCTRINATION THROUGH LITERATURE: AN

ANALYSIS OF THE GREAT GATSBY”

Paraphrase

Professor Khan points out that Fitzgerald describes the new 1920s more liberated woman

through his female characters while hinting that this new woman isn’t welcome. Khan argues

that, when viewed through a feminist lens, The Great Gatsby is a study in patriarchal domination

and the portrayal of women as only valid in relation to men. Kahn asserts that Fitzgerald depicts

women as objects for men to enjoy.

Direct Quote

Context:

Professor Kahn lays out her overall perspective in the introductory paragraph of her paper

and makes statements about how women are portrayed throughout the novel.
 Steadman 7

Quote:

“In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald unfolds a plot dominated by patriarchy. The male characters are

staunch patriarchs and the female characters are defined, represented and act out roles

determined by patriarchal discourse. The events in the novel unravel patriarchal suppression of

women and categorize them either as “Madonna” or “whore based on their submission to or

rebellion against patriarchal norms” (Khan 82).

Direct Quote

Context:

Professor Khan provides a general sketch of the main events and characters in The Great

Gatsby, closely examining the misogyny she discovers as she does so. She discusses Daisy’s

character and then Tom’s; referring to Tom as an extension of Daisy instead of the other way around.

In this way, she cleverly subverts a patriarchal construct of the book she is criticizing.

Quote:

“Tom Buchanan represents the patriarchal ideology in totality. Arrogant, dominating and

capable of using force at the slightest provocation he dominates and oppresses both Daisy and

Myrtle. Daisy has no existence of her own and she is defined in reference to her relation with

Tom. The implication is this that once a woman gets married her own identity dissolves and she

is known by the name of the man she is married to. Women are always defined in relation to the

men they are associated with – father, brother, husband, son, etc.” (Khan 83)

Source #5. Yuqing, MAO, and ZOU Jianling. “An Analysis of the Female Characters in the

Great Gatsby from Feminism Perspective.”

Summary/Paraphrase

Yuquing and Jianling begin their article by describing The Great Gatsby as a work that is
 Steadman 8

used all over the world, including China, to explore foundational questions in philosophy,

sociology, literature, and other disciplines. They state that they intend to view the novel from a

feminist perspective and provide their definition of feminism. Their thesis can be summed up by

saying that they argue that Fitzgerald’s internalized sexism clearly shows itself through his

writing.

Direct Quote

Context:

Yuquing and Jianling provide an overview of American society in the 1920s, particularly

what it would have looked like to Fitzgerald, a white, privileged, educated male. They discuss the

Jazz age and the concept of the “New Woman” and how Fitzgerald’s female characters in The

Great Gatsby reflect his (covertly) unfavorable perceptions of the “New Woman.”

Quote:

“The female characters in The Great Gatsby are all very negative, selfish, superficial, and

irresponsible. Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle are different in social class, marriage, appearance, and

personality, but they are all “new women”, who have a modern sense of independence”

(Yuquing and Jianling 309).

Direct Quote

Context:

Yuquing and Jianling structure their article by devoting a section to each of the three main

female characters (Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle). They begin the section devoted to Jordan by

describing Nick’s initial infatuation with her and the fact that her negative qualities begin to

emerge as the book goes on. They are referring to Jordan’s cheating in a game of golf in the

quote below.
 Steadman 9

Quote:

“To be just and fair are not only the most basic professional ethics for an athlete, but also the most

basic requirements for every ordinary person. While for golf player Jordan, whether in the course

of the competition or in the arena of life, these ethics had nothing to do with her. On the contrary,

deception was her magic weapon” (Yuquing and Jianling 312).

Concluding thesis: In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald does succeed in demonstrating some of the

complexities the “New Women” of the 1920s had to grapple with. However, throughout the

book, his overall portrayal of women is consistently negative and denigrating. While Fitzgerald’s

male characters are also depicted as having serious flaws, his overall treatment of them does not

contain the same level of distain and contempt reserved for the females. Consideration of

Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda, as a feminist later in her life is controversial and Fitzgerald was not

thought to be a feminist himself, at least at the time The Great Gatsby was written. For these

reasons, it can be concluded that, regardless of his motives, Fitzgerald’s own misogynistic views

helped shape the main female characters in the novel.

Works Cited

Affroni and Hendrarti. “Analysis on the Issue of Women Oppression in F. Scott

Fitzgerald’s the Great Gatsby.” Www.neliti.com, 2013,

www.neliti.com/publications/145998/analysis-on-the-issue-of-

women-oppresssion-in-f-scott-fitzgeralds-the-great-gats.

Bozorgimoghaddam, Masomeh, and Naser Moeen. “Representation of Women as the “Second

Sex” in the Great Gatsby.” Life Science

Journal, vol. 10, no. 8s, 2014,

www.lifesciencesite.com/lsj/life1108s/111_25962life1108s14_516_521.pdf.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. Harlow, Pearson Education, 2008.

Khan, Munejah. GENDER IN DOCTRINATION THROUGH LITERATURE: AN

ANALYSIS OF THE GREAT GATSBY. Vol. 7, 2019, pp. 81–86,

oaji.net/articles/2019/488-1555410222.pdf.

Yuqing, MAO, and ZOU Jianling. “An Analysis of the Female Characters in

the Great Gatsby from Feminism Perspective.” US-China Foreign

Language, vol. 19, no. 11, 28 Nov. 2021,

https://doi.org/10.17265/1539-8080/202