Fitzgerald and Hartley ‘s Presentation of the Main Female Characters in the Great Gatsby and the Go-Between
In the ‘Great Gatsby ‘ adult females are portrayed by F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizing countless techniques to embrace many subjects and thoughts. The significance of societal category and hierarchy, relationships and their earnestness, hedonism, unrestrained philistinism and idealism, and the degeneracy of society are all depicted through adult females during such a polar point in history. L. P. Hartley ‘s subjects of trust, friendly relationship and treachery are all portrayed through one counter character, Marian. In both novel ‘s, there are female intensions during the most memorable and expressed events, though these intensions are tainted by the storyteller ‘s prejudice, for both storytellers are male – Leo Colston and Nick Caraway. It is questionable whether the storyteller ‘s sentiments and observations reflect the writer ‘s ain feelings, or whether they represent more controversial positions, like Tom Buchanan ‘s undeniable support for white domination.
The gap chapter to ‘The Great Gatsby ‘ includes Nick Caraways ‘ first feeling of Daisy and Jordan, irrespective of his alleged nonsubjective “ reserved opinion ” . The descriptions of Tom ‘s beastly visual aspect and idiosyncrasies contrast with the two immature adult females who were “ buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon ” , as if tethered. The tranquility of the scene is shortly interrupted with a “ roar as Tom Buchanan shuts the rear window ” . This apposition of Tom ‘s mode and the ‘anchored ‘ adult females could either be to expose the place of adult females in society during the 1920s or non merely exposing Tom ‘s high quality over his married woman, but the foreseeable – that Daisy wo n’t remain ‘tethered ‘ everlastingly, and that she will exert her hereafter autonomy with Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald grants us entree to knowledge about Daisy through Nick ‘s eyes. It ‘s non shortly after their meeting that Daisy ‘s girl is introduced, she tells Nick her first words said at her birth. “ I ‘m glad it ‘s a miss. And I hope she ‘ll be a fool – that ‘s the best thing a miss can be in this universe, a beautiful small sap ” . This is said in the position of a adult female who is non a sap herself, but is portion of a society where adult females ‘s intelligence has no value. It appears that the Fitzgerald ‘s focal point in the novel is of the younger coevals of this epoch, where females do n’t expose such docility, and are more unprompted and hedonic. Daisy ‘s quotation mark from her kid ‘s birth appears sardonic, for while she indicates to the expected female values, she alludes that it is best non to dispute them, therefore ensuing in dissatisfaction and debatable desires. Harmonizing to Daisy, it is advisable that misss live contented if they are ecstatic, childlike and hence virtuous. This suggests Fitzgerald has created a fa & A ; ccedil ; fruit drink of character ; Daisy is non as she appears – naive, but far more incredulous and merely conforms to principals in order to hedge the horror of being in a loveless matrimony.
Similarly in ‘The Go-Between ‘ Hartley ‘s character Marian is in a province of discontent due to her pressured battle to Lord Trimingham, functioning the intent of progressing up the societal hierarchy. During the beginning of the twentieth century the rigidness of societal categories and their divisions is undoubtable, rationalizing Mrs Maudsley ‘s overpowering indignation at the find of Marian ‘s explicit relationship with Ted Burges. However there is one huge difference between Marian and Daisy – Marian is affluent and Ted is far lower in societal position. Therefore her desire for Ted must be echt and strictly intrinsic. Her determinations are wholly null of any force per unit area from societal criterions and hence she acts on lecherousness. “ Darling, favorite, darling. Same topographic point, same clip, this eventide ” . However, this suggests that Hartley was besides accurately portraying adult females of the epoch, utilizing the character Marian to incarnate a more resilient, apparently noncompliant female stereotype that was traveling to necessarily replace those the old coevals.
It is possible that Fitzgerald implies adult females serve one sole intent in the novel. They are used and mistreated throughout ; the mode Tom treats Myrtle in is a perfect illustration of this. Myrtle seems to merely be a character destined for a short life of discontent and bad luck, which is finished suddenly. She ever believes that she will have a significant relationship from Tom, for she claims her current hubby “ is n’t fit to cream my shoe ” . Her naivete is displayed by her inability to larn, and her definite weaknesses – to let Tom to return to her whenever he pleases.
The females in ‘The Great Gatsby ‘s behavior seems to be related straight to the ‘American Dream ‘ . The adult females appear to try to run into unattainable criterions demanded by the American Dream. This foolhardiness, rebelliousness and folly are clearly depicted in the novel.
Myrtle Wilson resides in the Valley of Ashes with her hubby George, “ a blonde, spiritless adult male, anemic and faintly fine-looking ” . Fitzgerald uses these elaborate, implicative descriptions to connote extroverted events and therefore add sarcasm. George has absolute trust in his apparently unflawed married woman, though to Nick she appears an alienated adult female in her in-between mid-thirtiess and perceptibly stout. This psychotic belief in visual aspects reflects the full epoch – a clip when beauty and money were a necessity, though this epoch ‘s clip is limited, for it is preceded by the Second World War.
Depicted by every bit lives as defined by the work forces they spouse. The way their lives take depend on whom they marry – for illustration, Daisy, despite her love for Gatsby, wanted to be affluent, so married Tom Buchanan as a immature adult female. Myrtle longs for a glamourous and exciting life, but her destiny is defined by her matrimony to a pump attendant/mechanic, so she ‘ll ne’er be anything but a married woman, and ne’er be able to do the life she wants.
In contrast, the work forces shape the lives they want to. Nick is merely messing around a spot – seeking out a calling, non truly certain who he wants to be. Tom has the ego aplomb that work forces from affluent backgrounds do, and J Gatsby has the chance to do his life what he wants it to be – to be a success, to roll up wealth.
Jordan is a bit different to the other adult females. She has a calling ( as a golf player ) and contrasts good with the privation and dependance on work forces that Daisy and Myrtle have. – End OF CHECK
Fitzgerald conveys sentiments of adult females preponderantly through the eyes of Nick, but Tom and Gatsby besides. The party at Tom and Myrtle ‘s flat in chapter two illiterates the possibility that adult females are get downing to exert a new place in society. As the adult females begin to dissociate themselves from their meticulous outlooks there are new stereotypes created. Women ‘s broad look and behavior is doubtless detailed in the flat. There are many who consume alcohol even during the Prohibition Act and expose in such a manner that they appear far more foolish and bold than the work forces. “ ‘Crazy about him! ‘ cried Myrtle unbelievingly. ‘Who said I was brainsick about him? ‘ ” – Myrtle appears untactful and vocal, act uponing Tom to discontinue her shouting about Daisy with a “ short deft motion ” , interrupting her olfactory organ so she bleeds “ fluently ” ; every bit fluent as her lingua ‘s unreserved sentiments earlier in the eventide. Though there are many illustrations of the two sexes contrasting, the infidelity of males and females in the fresh establishes similarities – “ neither can stand the individual they ‘re married to ” . Daisy symbolises a adult female seeking fulfillment due to being continuously degraded by Tom who commits his ain misbehaviors. However, Daisy ‘s matter with Gatsby reflects Tom ‘s ain actions. In contrast, Hartley explores the breakability of a kid on the threshold of adolescence and the influence of a more mature adult female. He is non every bit inactive as Nick – a bystander – and positions adult females with the topmost regard. Our storyteller in ‘The Go-Between ‘ is a kid who displays both a province of awe and admiration to those who ‘re upper category and relates to those of a lower category, and hence extremely respects Ted. Though would this be so if Leo himself was a occupant in Brandham Hall? The descriptions we are given of adult females are genuinely subjective ; for Leo ‘s emotional fond regard to Marian is significant. “ Now what ‘s the affair? Person ‘s been upsetting you – a adult female, I should n’t inquire ” . Leo is of an age where his control on events is minimum, and the calamity of Ted ‘s decease leaves him with a sense of failure that lasts throughout his life. Hartley appears to afford us a psychological account for why a adult male might make up one’s mind to populate a lone life, unmarried ; the end points of a broken bosom.
