Gatsby feminist post - Eliot

When reading The Great Gatsby and applying a feminist lens to it the dynamic between men and women takes on a new meaning deeper than the easily visible one. One of the scenes from Gatsby, which a feminist lens can be applied most effectively to, is when Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy are together conversing. ‘I want to know what Mr. Gatsby has to tell me.’

‘Your wife doesn’t love you,’ said Gatsby. ‘She’s never loved you. She loves me.’

‘You must be crazy!’ exclaimed Tom automatically. Gatsby sprang to his feet, vivid with excitement. ‘She never loved you, do you hear?’ he cried. ‘She only

married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one except me!’

At this point Jordan and I tried to go but Tom and Gats- by insisted with competitive firmness that we remain—as though neither of them had anything to conceal and it would be a privilege to partake vicariously of their emotions. ‘Sit down Daisy.” (P-139-140)

This is a clear example of a patriarchal society. The men speak for daisy and command her without thought of her own will or opinions.

An example of stereotypical gender rolls and them being assigned is found in the books stated expectations of women.

“She was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage, and given this unwillingness I sup- pose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young in order to keep that cool, insolent smile turned to the world and yet satisfy the demands of her hard jaunty body.

It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply—“(P.64)

This obviously states that women will behave differently from men simply because they are women.

A third passage which a feminist lens might be applied to deals with social expectations again.

When the ‘Jazz History of the World’ was over girls were putting their heads on men’s shoulders in a puppyish, convivial way, girls were swooning backward playfully into men’s arms, even into groups knowing that some one would arrest their falls—but no one swooned backward on Gatsby and no French bob touched Gatsby’s shoulder and no singing quartets were formed with Gatsby’s head for one link. (P.55)

In this passage women play the stereotypical ‘fall into the man’s arms’ role.