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Female characters Gatsby and Grapes - Coggle Diagram
Female characters
Gatsby and Grapes
Key themes
victims
strength
morality
gender divide
sisterhood
defined by male relationships
Rose of Sharon
carries hope for next generation "smiled mysteriously" "bared her breast", life-giving, offers ultimate fresh start that her family was denied.
due to the baby's death, Rose of Sharon comes to embody the hope making her intrinsic to the future, their dream. Maternity is key to hope
Baby becomes a warning of atrocity of migrant life, having been put in a box by John
final act is condemned by American contemporary audience suggesting that female characters are sidelined by society
Sairy wilson
integral in Granpa's death, offers her quilt symbol of family very important to american culture
"i" to "we" "crawled westward as a unit" "share the load"
important to wider migrant community about to be formed
Ma Joad
"men jerk, women flow" power of women is clear
"if she swayed the family shook" very much the
head of the family,
links to Steinbeck's own view of ma
the "citadel" the "strong place"
Acts as a role model for Rose of Sharon, ceremonial act of piercing her ears giving her comfort in such a horrific time, ensures stability compared to Daisy as a mother
Succumbs to traditional gender roles in beginning of novel
Patriarchy of the land “born on it, we were killed on it, we died on it” men draw power from land, Jefferson agrarianism whereas women fulfil a domestic role
jobs that are for women: salting the meat “It’s women's work” contesting Jim Casy’s offer to help her
“anybody can break down. It takes a man not to”
Contrast to Matriarchy on the migration: “his spirit was raw from the whipping”.- telling off Pa keeps family in check
“she was the power. She had taken control”- ma diminishes male power
Daisy
"collection of lovely things" describing her face
"voice is full of money", very materialistic has a lack of sense of self, rather than a strong personality
"beautiful little fool" enforces a shallow future on her daughter, centred around appearances
Context- 1920s period of emancipation for women, daisy seems to embody such freedom so greatly that her domestic maternal character is overcome
integral to Gatsby, representing his dream
"incarnation was complete", associated with purity "white"
Tom gives her a $350,000 "string of pearls", shows of wealth before their wedding, she is an object of financial control
lack of innocence "you can time any little irregularity...so that everybody else is so blind" daisy doesn't
Myrtle
Valley of ashes- sidelined by society, associated with the social disparity of New York to this little junkyard strip
"walking through her husband as if he were ghost"- treats George as her inferior, she has corporeal form where he doesn't suggesting she is liberated from valley of ashes
victim of violence
strives to be the woman that daisy is, shouts her name resulting in Tom's violence "broke her nose with his open hand" compared to Daisy's bruised little finger
“left breast swinging loose like a left flap” mutilation of sexuality that Tom preyed upon
Gifted Myrtle a dog stating "It's a bitch" "Go and buy ten more dogs with it" purchase is all a show of power, female dog mirrors his control over Myrtle its another object to be controlled
Jordan Baker
represents 'New Woman', although this liberates her from constraints put on women it ostracises her from narrative adopts a recklessness which displeases Niick
"it takes two to make an accident", with Nick's discarding of her she is cast aside by the novel
takes androgynous quality "young cadet", looked down upon not appealing to male lens