The Image of Women as Victims in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the image of women as victims in the male dominant society in America 1920s through critical analysis of Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. The three main female characters in the narrative, Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson and Jordan Baker, are products of oppressive forces and treated by powerful men as objects rather than thoughtful beings. The belief of these characters that marriage to wealthy men is one of the few options available for women to reach success and happiness makes them fall victims to the advances of morally corrupt men who attempt to oppress and control them. The realistic depiction of women in America at that time can be read by feminists as a catalyst for change and the need to resist the patriarchal system and traditional gender roles.

Keywords: The Great Gatsby, feminists, American, patriarchal, women, men.