The Great Gatsby’ by Scott Fitzgerald Literature Analysis Essay (Movie Review)

In his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald pays much attention to the behavior and attitudes of women. In particular, the author describes them as subordinate figures whose choices are not fully independent. It is possible to look at such characters as Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle Wilson. Overall, their choices are driven by the desire to belong to the world of elite.

Moreover, men can use and manipulate them by showing that they can bring them into this world. Overall, the author introduces these characters in order to describe the experiences of women during the Roaring Twenties. To some degree, this issue is explored in the film adaptation of this novel. These are the main questions that should be discussed more closely.

First, one can describe the behavior of Daisy Buchanan. This female character wants to shows that she belongs to the higher classes of the society. Nevertheless, this woman is very vulnerable, and she is strongly dependent on the wealth that men can offer to her. This is one of the reasons why she chooses to marry Tom Buchanan.

Moreover, she confesses that she “never loved him” (Fitzgerald 103). On the whole, she understands that her sophistication does not enable her to feel self-sufficient. This issue is also explored in the film adaptation of this novel that was released in 2013 (The Great Gatsby). Overall, this example is important because it shows that many women, who lived during the Roaring Twenties, did not receive liberation that they could crave for.

It is also possible to mention such a character as Jordan Baker who is both cynical and self-centered. This woman enjoys the idea that she can manipulate men. Nevertheless, she does not want to accept that her life has been mostly driven by deception. For example, she chooses to avoid men who attach much importance to the inner world of a woman.

This is one of the reasons why she does not want to continue her relationship with Nick. Overall, this woman wants to demonstrate that she is a successful person, but she understands that her behavior is a form of pretence. Her tragedy is typical of many women who lived during the Roaring Twenties. This is one of the aspects that can be distinguished.

One can also discuss the behavior of Myrtle Wilson since she reflects the values of some women who lived in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. For instance, she wants to gain access to the elite world. This is one of the reasons why she despises her husband. Moreover, she is attracted to Tom because he can enable her to achieve her ambitious goals.

This is one of the details that can be identified. The screen version of the novel demonstrates that this woman is unhappy. One can say that each of these three characters is important for the writer because they enable the viewers to understand the values of many women living at the time when the novel was written. This is one of the issues that can be singled out.

On the whole, these examples show that women in the novel cannot act in an independent way. To some degree, their behavior is a response to the actions of males. However, at the same time, they emphasize that they belong to the elite world. This is one of the reasons why men are able to manipulate them. These are the main arguments that can be put forward.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Print.

The Great Gatsby. Ex. Prod. Lucy Fisher. New York: Warner Brothers, 2013. DVD.