A Feminist Critique of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Even if they disagree about other issues, all feminists believe patriarchal ideology works to keep men and women confined to traditional gender roles so male dominance may be maintained. Utilizing the precepts of Feminist criticism, it could be argued “The Great Gatsby” promotes a thinly veiled patriarchal agenda. Through Fitzgerald’s treatment of the three women in “Gatsby”, as well as masking the possible homosexuality of a central character, the novel seems to promote only the traditional gender roles, swaying uncomfortably from any possible variance. This hidden agenda may be uncovered using common tools of Feminist criticism, primarily through the use of psychoanalytic theory, but with elements of Marxist theory and deconstructionism as well.
Psychologically, Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle are obviously quite different from each other. In fact, it could be said they are like three corners of a triangle, supporting each others’ role in the story but entirely separate at the same time. Daisy is portrayed as a classic beauty who uses an innate sex appeal to gather some amount of control over her surroundings. As an athlete Jordan might carry the greatest potential to stray from a typical gender role; she could easily have been characterized as a lesbian because of her detachment from men, her self-centered lifestyle, and her unexplained connection to Daisy. Myrtle seems to be a more earthy woman, possibly possessing a raw sexual energy, but Fitzgerald stops short of portraying her as an independent, sexual being, empowered to pursue her own sexual experiences. In many respects these characters could have been deeper had Fitzgerald felt free to expound upon these possibilities; it seems the story would only have been enriched if he had explored these women deeper. However, the fact that Fitzgerald was not willing to fill out these women to their potential could indicate a desire, either of his own or one he felt society had placed upon him, to keep them within the expected stereotypes of their gender.
A similar opportunity showed itself within the characterization of his narrator, Nick. Nick’s reluctance to enter into a relationship with Jordan was not sufficiently justified by the ol’ “girl back home” routine. No attempt at all was made to explain why Nick found himself at the bedside of an effeminate man, who was in his underwear. Nor did Fitzgerald explore Nick’s admiration for Gatsby on what seemed to be a more physical basis than of friendship; Nick made frequent schoolgirl-like references to Gatsby, but there didn’t seem to be much reason for a friendship. Gatsby’s motivation was clearly to make contact with Daisy, but why did Nick want to be close to Gatsby? These issues could have easily led to some discussion or admittance that Nick might have been gay or at least questioning his gender role. But the author’s unwillingness to breach these subjects seems to indicate he had made himself subject to the established patriarchy. By not saying anything against it, Fitzgerald inadvertently spoke in favor of the established order.
From a purely economic standpoint, the patriarchal agenda is evident in how all three of the major female characters are dependent to varied degrees upon the men in their lives. Even Jordan has some need for a man. Daisy and Myrtle are more obviously and traditionally dependent. The patriarchal agenda is also supported in the way men do “business” and women sit around and gossip. Even Nick, who in some ways is portrayed in a traditionally feminine role because of his financial dependence upon his family, is given a nice “man’s” job in the stock market to remove any anti-patriarchal doubts. Simultaneously, a deconstructionistic dichotomy exists within the novel; the characters live in the decadent and supposedly “free” Jazz age, but at the same time seem unwilling or unable to free themselves from the patriarchal elements of society.
Overall, a Feminist criticism of this novel allows the reader to understand how subtle and pervasive the patriarchal influences are within our society. Through the questions Feminists ask of the text we are able to see a possibility for deeper characterization and a more enriched human experience without the shackles of patriarchal tyranny.
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8 Responses to “A Feminist Critique of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby”
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You present some very interesting observations here, much food for thought for an English course or an evening of old friends sipping Scotch while talking about great books.
If I were present at such a gathering, I might play devil’s advocate in two ways. First, I’m not quite comfortable placing a Jazz Age novel within the differently calibrated lens of today’s feminist thought for this seems somewhat a revisionist approach.
Second, I’m not convinced the deeper characterisations that this feminist approach might welcome boil down to the an author’s “unwillingness” to address certain issues. One might alternatively suggest that such issues were NOT the story; nor was devoting more time to the secondary characters. To some extent, the mysteries within the story would, I think, be quite compromised by following up on a logical “need” to know why Nick turned down Jordan or why we don’t know more than we know about the three women. (I like your triangle idea here!)
Like most authors, Fitzgerald wrote within his own frame of reference, creating a story within the place he knew. He would have had to have been a futurist in one way or another to accommodate the views of patriarchy that were to arise into our consciousness years after he was long dead and gone.
Malcolm
Malcolm R. Campbell’s last blog post..Book Review: ‘The Frugal Book Promoter’
Malcolm,
First, I think you’re absolutely right about the dangers of imposing a different paradigm on a novel from another era . . . to a point. I was trying to keep the critique within the realm of Feminist theory, attempting to capture how a Feminist might comment how patriarchal views are ingrained within the story.
But part of the idea behind Feminist theory is an author did not need to be aware of patriarchal bias to perpetuate it. You’ll see the same thing if you read my upcoming post with a Marxist view of Gatsby.
New Criticism theory limits such things as reader response or preconceptions to the confines of the text. It would not recognize a Feminist or Marxist viewpoint unless the text directly invited such views. The Biographical-historical criticism which New Criticism temporarily replaced would also reject imposing Feminist views on Gatsby IF you agree Feminism hadn’t yet started . . . but I’m not so sure it wasn’t already in full swing at the time.
Fun stuff though, ain’t it?
It would be interesting to see just how one separates those who are promoting a theory from those who are simply recording a condition as it exists in reality or within the fiction of their characters’ story.
Yes, fun stuff!
Malcolm
Malcolm R. Campbell’s last blog post..Book Review: ‘The Frugal Book Promoter’
I think you raise good issues here, those that would be of real concern to a feminist critic. I, like Malcolm, like your view of the 3 women as a triangle. It gives a nice perspective of their relationship, and foregrounds their place(s) in the novel as a whole.
Like you, I think that feminism was already well under way at the time The Great Gatsby was written, if not yet fully into its heyday. The notion that The Great Gatsby perpetuates the patriarchal power structures, even if only through failure to push the boundaries, seems to me to be on target too. The sexual politics are decidedly repressed in the novel, I think. I agree that there is a layer of the text that seems to scream for the application of Queer Theory. It is apparent to me that there is something to be said here about homosexuality and its place in the world of the novel, and probably (as you note) about how that plays into the gender politics too.
At the same time, I do understand the concern Malcolm raises. It might seem to be imposing an argument on the novel that it really might have preferred not to get involved with. That’s one of the tricky things about Feminism (and Marxism, Queer Theory… any sociological-type theory) — the argument underlying such an approach to the text is that one cannot remain uninvolved in such issues. Everything, to a committed critic, is political. Failure to comment is a comment in itself — a vote for the status quo, so to speak. Not everyone is comfortable with that view of a text. But then, I don’t think those views aim at comfort. Seems to me that their very purpose is to disrupt.
Hi Shelly,
Glad to see you here again and thank you for all the wonderful comments. I’ll get to each individually, but in the meantime I just wanted to say how great it is to have you back!
What of the behavior of other women in the novel? i.e. the ones participating in gatsby’s parties. Also, please explain any other areas that require feminist critique you found in the novel.
Thanks for this critique. I haven’t read a book in at least a year because I have been so busy career wise. Recently I have been thinking about trying to pick something up. I was going to read something I read before, Moonfleet by J. Meade Faulkener. If you haven’t read it I’d highly recommend it, especially if you love strong historical settings. However, after eading this I may plump for Gatsby.
Hi April,
I can certainly relate to being too busy to read much. Moonfleet sounds interesting, so I’ll have to keep that one in mind. Gatsby was an interesting read, probably not one of my favorites but well worth checking out.