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Feminism

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Feminism consists of a range of political movements that all have the common goal of establishing opportunities for women that are equal to those for men. Repression of women by men has been a huge part of history and fact of today. In The Great Gatsby, repression of women is present throughout the entire novel. The women in the novel could represent a variety of things: emancipated women, women in transition, and woman who are desperate to be free yet are essentially repressed. From the very beginning, the novel has a sexist agenda which is revealed through the text’s characterizations of women. The view of women as the standard bearers of traditional values is shown mainly in the novel’s representation of main characters Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle Wilson. They all are versions of the New Woman or the new way woman behaved and looked following the period of enormous social change after World War I. This time period consisted of the granting of several rights for wome...
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Reputation

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“It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard-drinking people” (Fitzgerald 144). It is a well known fact that when a person drinks too much they begin to behave like a fool. But what is the consequence of this? A negative effect on their reputation. This quote from The Great Gatsby gives an insight on Daisy. Through Jordan’s observant wit, it is revealed that Daisy’s reputation may not be as squeaky-clean as everyone believes it to be. During this period of time, reputation was of great importance so people often did not drink so they could protect it. Since Daisy was often the only sober one at parties, it was much easier for her to hide not so flattering aspects about herself in order to maintain her reputation. Daisy’s reputation is a part of the illusion created in the novel. Daisy would do anything to maintain her perfect life and pristine reputation. Throughout the novel there were several parties thrown. Her being able to stay away from drinking at these parties may h...
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What Did World War I Really Do For Women?

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“If it is true that men are better than women because they are stronger, why aren’t our sumo wrestlers in the government?” Modernism is defined as a philosophical movement that arose during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The modernist movement allowed for the wartime availability of jobs for women. The photo depicting high school girls learning the art of automobile mechanics is one of great importance in regards to Modernism. The event in the photo occurred during a period of time shortly after World War I. This era included the expectation that women had to work in fields and allow themselves to be male-dominated. However, when the men left to fight in the war, women were forced to take over responsibilities like previously male-dominated jobs that needed to be filled in. The photo of the high school girls working on the automobile is just one of the many jobs they did. As the war ended and the men returned, the women were not willing to give up the responsibilities th...
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Do You Want to Fly?

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“You can be happy if you are willing to let go of your past and leave yourself unencumbered so you can fly freely.” -Chris Prentiss If you ask most people if humans have the ability to fly, they will confidently say no. They may proceed by saying that humans don’t have wings or they aren’t as light as a bird. Though humans may not be able to literally fly, we can still do so figuratively. For example, Pilate was able to fly “without ever leaving the ground” (Morrison 337). Humans can allow themselves to fly just like Pilate if they are willing to let go of their past and maintain positivity. Often, we don't appreciate the small things in life that actually have a huge impact on us. Unlike most of the characters in the Song of Solomon, Pilate was able to fly because she was always able to maintain a good mentality. She was not super rich and never had much, but she always respected and cared about those around her. Taking care of her children and grandchildren, she was a sel...
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Self Identity

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“First off, she cut her hair....Then she tackled the problem of trying to decide how she wanted to live and what was valuable to her” (Morrison 149). Have u ever looked in the mirror or at a photo of yourself and seen someone you don’t identify with? This is true for me. I know exactly what I look like and what I have looked like in the past, but it’s different when I literally look at myself. In other words, I don’t feel the way I look. I would say I am more accepting and loving of my body than many others. I’m very happy with what I look like for the most part, however when I see a reflection or photo of myself I still think, “that person doesn’t look like the person I know I am on the inside." In the Song of Solomon, Pilate is a very mystic character. She delivers herself at birth and does not have a navel which isolates her from society. Additionally, her living condition shows that she lacks dependence on others. She is a very independent person which protects her from...
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The Importance of Love

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“Like the Miller’s daughter- the one who sat at night in a straw-filled room, thrilled with the secret power Rumpelstiltskin had given her: to see golden thread stream from her very own shuttle. And that was the other part of her pleasure, a pleasure she hated to give up” (Morrison 14). In Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, Ruth is trapped in a relationship with no pleasure. Heartbroken and morally deprived, she decides to breastfeed her son, Milkman, well past infancy to gain pleasure. Although he is not old enough to feel uncomfortable in the situation, he is definitely well past the age people expect a child to be done drinking milk from their mothers breast. Ruth’s practice of breastfeeding Milkman raises the question: If Ruth received love from her husband would she use Milkman to satisfy her needs of gaining pleasure? The need to be loved is one of the many needs a human requires. It is necessary as a child and even as an adult. As a child, love from ones parents is what...
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Money vs. Happiness

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"Pragmatic? CHEAP!! IT CAUSES HIM PHYSICAL PAIN TO PART WITH EVEN A NICKEL!" (Spiegelman 131). In Maus, Spiegelman discusses the concept of valuing money over health and happiness. Even though Vladek has enough money to spend on luxuries or even on basic necessities, he behaves like a penny pincher. He is completely opposed to spending money on anything and always tries to spend the least amount possible when he must buy something. In addition to restricting himself, Vladek also doesn't want Art to spend money on things. Spiegelman says it’s understandable why Vladek behaves this way about money even though he doesn’t need to. As a Holocaust survivor, he just wants to be prepared if such a horrific event ever happens again. However, Spiegelman also expresses that Vladek was an extreme case by comparing him to the other survivors. Spiegelman says nobody else was as crazy as Vladek about saving money. Ultimately, Vladek being such a penny pincher is in strong correla...
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