Fight Between Tom And Gatsby Over Daisy example essay topic
Although women of the novel were valued for their beauty those characters around them saw them as possessions. Jordan is one of the first examples of the changing women of the 1920's. She cut her self off from the older generation and her family. Jordan embodies what all of the flappers of the 1920's were trying to be. She is not so much of a possession possessed by the men that surround her but she herself reverses that role, and is in control of them men who wish to have relations with her. Nick idolizes her for representing what he wants in a woman.
Even though Nick comments on the fact that he has high morals. "I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known" (64) He disregards the fact that Jordan is a dishonest person. "Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply" (63) Jordan's behaviour is what was one considered a taboo, and Nick who has self proclaimed himself as being of a high moral statue and being a decedent of "prominent, well-to-do people... descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch" (7) But he seems to want to attain Jordan add her to his collection of worldly goods. Jordan is somewhat of a rebel.
She drinks, smokes and has sex because she enjoys it not because some high person above is telling her to or a man is trying to control her. She has set herself out from others she could have a possible source of income with pro-golfing but she is just self-involved dealing with what she wants instead of worrying about a life after he youth. This leads us to another kind of woman of this time. Myrtle is another character that is valued for her beauty as is treated like a possession. She is trying to fit in with another social group much like Gatsby. Trying so hard to mesh with those who surround her.
Tom is the man who is Myrtle's lover. He is trying to reign power over Myrtle, but she is so blind to see what is going on that she forgets he is married and she is trading off her sexuality for his love. Tom is much not from different than Myrtle this is why they connect in the novel. They both need each 'her to co-exist "Neither of them can stand the person they " re married to". (37) Myrtle laments in living the high live and she spends Tom's money and packs the apartment in New York with expensive furniture and clothing.
When the party arrives at the in New York Myrtle immediately metamorphosed into a different person. Forgetting her old life in the Valley of ashes. "It's just a crazy old thing... I just slip it on sometimes when I don't care what I look like" (35) It is like Myrtle wants to be put in the place of a possession. Her self worth is thrown out the window. She hates the fact that her husband is poor and cannot pay for her like Tom can; she even remark on the fact that Georges wedding outfit was borrowed.
Tom, many times comments that Myrtle is HIS mistress. He flaunts this in front of others. Implying the ownership of the woman. He wants to show off what he own this is why he invite Nick to New York.
On the way to the city Tom remarks, "We " re getting off! ... I want you to meet my girl" (28) Tom is just trying to show off what hew "owns". Myrtle is a perfect example of a woman who is dependant on others to make her life what she believes is better.
She needs a man to protect and control her. Not like George is trying to control. For instance after he finds out about the affair and he tries to lock Myrtle up and he wants to move away. Myrtle feels that tome will be the big strong man and come to rescue her, but when she runs into the road to try to grab what she thinks is Tom's attention and she is killed by Daisy's poor driving. This leads us to the last character in the story and the most destructive. Daisy Buchanan is a "golden girl" in the eyes of the characters in the novel.
She represents what woman moments were breaking free of for the past 100 years. She was raised up in a household that taught girls to be uneducated and end up marrying a rich boy. Daisy knows this; this is why she couldn't marry Gatsby before the war. Even though she promised him she would wait, she ended up marrying Tom for security. She is idolized by Gatsby and is put on a pedestal above everyone else. Nick can see that she relishes in all this attention she is getting and he fells that Daisy will fall short of Gatsby's expectations.
He tries to pull Gatsby away from this dream world he is living in about regaining Daisy as his own. "You can't repeat the past" (116) But Gatsby cannot be snapped out of this love he has for her. Tom even though he's been cheating on Daisy He still loves her. We can see this after the fight in New York when Gatsby reveals his true emotions and proclaims his love for Daisy and tells Tom daisy never loved him. "Even alone I can't say I never loved Tom... It wouldn't be true" (140) This shows us that even though Daisy still has feeling for Gatsby she still needs this sadomasochistic relationship.
She knows that Gatsby would put her on a pedestal and worship her as a queen. But she knows that what she has with Tom works, and it is all she knows. Change would be tearing her world apart. The fight between Tom and Gatsby over Daisy was like two fighting over a twenty-dollar bill they spot at the same time.
It's all possessions to these man. All though they would certainly treat their possession differently, that's all they are to these characters possessions.