Flappers In The Great Gatsby

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Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote, “Women are the real architects of society.” Throughout history there has been a constant oppression of women, however, the young women in the 1920’s were beginning a revolution. This revolution was supported by Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle Wilson as seen in the famous book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. They, like many other women in the 1920’s, embraced a hedonistic lifestyle by wearing immodest clothing and acting in a presumptuous manner, being sexually promiscuous, and living with a new self confidence. This was in response to the constricting social standards of the previous generation.
These types of women were mostly known as flappers or previously known as vamps. As Stephen Sharot …show more content…
Rather than wearing the old Victorian style dress, they would wear flimsy dresses that ended above the knee. The fact that this left most of the leg exposed was considered very revealing during this time period. They would also act sassy, carefree, and somewhat childish. An example of the image and attitude of a flapper can be seen in The Great Gatsby with Myrtle Wilson. On page 25 of the book, Myrtle was seen by Nick Carraway and Tom Buchanan descending the staircase of her and her husband's house. She was described of being in her mid-thirties, stout, and unalluring. She was also wearing a dark blue dress made of fine silk and had a full face of makeup. A few pages later in the book, Nick, Tom, and Myrtle were seen partying at Morningside Heights Apartment, which was where Tom and Myrtle would “hook up.” Everyone was constantly drinking and everyone, including Nick who was portrayed as the mature one, was drunk. They were all acting carefree and having fun, until Myrtle decided to repeatedly scream Daisy’s name. This caused Tom to get very angry, especially after he told her countlessly to stop saying his wife's name. Myrtle, being drunk, ignored Tom and ended up being punched in the face by him. Myrtle perfectly fits the stereotypical image and attitude of the …show more content…
No longer were these women timid or shy, they were outgoing and fierce. We can see this new self confidence through The Great Gatsby and throughout history. Women always had the heart to stand up for what they believe and on August 18th, 1920, women changed the world. Two women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, organized the rally for Women's Right’s. They and other women stood, joined together, fighting for what the believed. This was when Elizabeth Cady Stanton stated this famous quote modeled from the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thankfully, for these two women and the other women who rallied, the 19th amendment was ratified, allowing women to finally vote. Women were always seen as housemaids that would clean, cook, and watch the children. They were looked down upon by men and men believed that women shouldn't have anything to do with political affairs. The women in the 1920’s thought differently. They wanted to break through these stereotypes that the women in the past were to scared to do. No longer did they want too be viewed as overlooked housemaids, they wanted to have a voice in their community and
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