Throughout all of Fitzgerald’s stories, he conveys the sense that women are merely foolish objects. For example, in the Diamond as the Big as the Ritz, Kismine actually gets offended when John called her sophisticated. She even argues to show John she isn’t as intelligent as he thinks she is, “I’m very innocent and girlish. I never smoke, or drink, or read anything except poetry. I know scarcely any mathematics or chemistry. I think sophisticated is the last thing you can say about me”(Fitzgerald 11.) I personally was very shocked to read this because I would be thrilled if someone ever called me sophisticated- not take it as an insult. Kismine lists all of the things she can’t do to “dumb herself down” to John, as if being intelligent is something to be ashamed of.
In Winter Dreams, the only thing Fitzgerald describes about Judy Jones is her “merely beautiful” appearance. Fitzgerald purposely puts emphasis on the grip Judy Jones has over many men saying, “under the magic of her physical splendor the strong as well as the brilliant played her game and not their own.”
Fitzgerald also touches on young girl’s expectations in society in The Great Gatsby, through Daisy’s evident disappointment when she found out her child was a girl, “She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. 'All right,' I said, 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool – that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." Yet again, Fitzgerald conveys the sad standards of the 1920’s- girls are only necessary to become wifes. The only thing that is appreciated in woman is there external appearance.There are two ways a reader could interpret Fitzgerald’s intentions; he is either extremely degrading towards women, or he is trying to reveal the universal truth that women are expected to be nothing more than objects.
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