The Life of Women in the 1920s as Seen Through the Great Gatsby

Women living in the 1920s had little control as well as little independence. Jordan Baker defies the traditional role of women during this time in the novel The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. She is a symbol of the major changes to come in the future in terms of the traditions of women. Jordan Baker is forced to gossip, cheat, and act boldly in order to compete in the shallow world in which she lives.

Jordan uses dishonesty as a way to make her known, thus creating a platform of her own to stand on. Once Nick refers to Jordan’s actions as “incurably dishonest,” (Fitzgerald 58) a reflection of the behavior of progressive women during this period in time. The lies which she tells she uses as a way to prove to others that she is superior to them. If Jordan was a helpless girl, she would be lost and put in the background like many other women in this novel. At one point in the novel Nick recalls an instance when Jordan was dishonest and there was “a suggestion that she had moves her ball… in the semi-final round” of one of her golf tournaments (Fitzgerald 62). Golf is known for having trusted and honored players. However, this form of dishonesty demonstrates what Jordan is doing how she has to compete and stay ahead of the people around her. During the novel readers can tell that Jordan is a strong independent woman who “will stop at nothing to succeed in her world” (Danz 3). All the dishonesty and betrayal is Jordan’s way of being more than just being the weak, helpless girl everyone expects her to be. If Jordan were to get married and do what her husband told her, she would have no identity. Jordan defies tradition and challenges the traditional world in which she lives.

In order to be granted respect Jordan behaves so she...