Changing Roles Of Women In The Great Gatsby

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The Changing Role of Women in The Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties marked a period of dramatic social change for women. For centuries, women were subjected to the gender norms of society and perceived as second-class citizens. However, ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 granted women in America the right to vote. This evoked a new sense of liberation and the battle for equal opportunities in the male dominated society became more prominent. Moreover, the notion of independence became a greater possibility, and society was confronted by the surfacing of the flapper phenomenon, that caused many women to question traditional values, and gradually attained a level of social autonomy, which bore resemblance to the new American women. But
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The author highlighted the severe lack of respect men had for women through characters such as Daisy Buchanan, to depict the circumstances of gender oppression that women were accustomed to. Daisy represented a traditional lady who lived under the control of her spouse and conformed to a world in which men were superior. Despite her husband’s affair, she allowed him to justify his wrongful behavior: “...I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time” (Fitzgerald, 138). Evidently, Tom did not respect or love Daisy enough to remain faithful, expecting her to tolerate his extramarital affairs. While women should have been able to take advantage of the unfamiliar thoughts of freedom that emerged from the Flapper influence, they continued to face unfair treatment from men. These insensitive actions stood as barriers that disrupted women in their aim to break away from former