Females are often depicted on the sidelines in American Literature- Daisy, Myrtle and Jordan

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  • Created by: Zaynab
  • Created on: 21-11-19 10:38

Daisy

Myrtle 

  • seen more as a symbol
  • one of the major characters
  • seems not to marry for love but for wealth - Tom's "family were enormously wealthy"
  • introduced as "buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon"-empty and lazy.
  • according to Rena Sanderson in 'Women in Fitzgerald's fiction' (2001), "she represents illusion herself, the illusion of everything admirable, authentic,desirable and unattainable" - Gatsby longs for Daisy as he would a possession.
  • aware daughter will grow up to be a "beautiful little fool"
  • both Daisy and Myrtle are considered as "either commodities to be possessed and discarded by brutish louts" in the words of Linda. C. Pelzer from Women in Literature (2003).
  • Myrtle and Daisy may feel trapped in the 'prison' of their lives.
  • "Tom's got some woman in New York", tells reader that Tom may not regard women as people, more, objects. May assume women are emotionless, in sense he is engaging in extra marital affairs carelessly.
  • often changes clothes to appear wealthier than she is.

Jordan

Partygoers

  • opposite of D and M
  • More masculine name, has a career in golfing.Has more liberty than D and M.
  • "incurably dishonest" may cheat in golf to get attention and be talked about.Wants people to know she exists, does this by cheating.
  • "The bored, haughty face she turned to the world concealed something", She has something to hide, personally, yet deceives the world. Cheating in golf (?)
  • "she narrowed her eyes and shivered. Lucille shivered" Identify these two as one person. Don't think for themselves and replicate each other.
  • "men and girls came and went like moths" shows insignificance of these people. Drawn towards Gatsby's 'light'.
  • "two girls in twin yellow dresses" -mindless. same. considered as one gender, not as individuals. females depicted as inferior.

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