Character Analysis Of Jordan Baker In The Great Gatsby

Jordan is a representative of future women in the Jazz Age of America. One that personifies the negatives and the positive aspects of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby. Jordan, during the whole summer, tends to dwell on the word “careless” and “carelessness”. “I hate careless people..”(Fitzgerald 58). This shows her not being self-aware of her actions, it’s ironic since she is the very thing she says she despises. Jordan is a woman of power, one that is insecure about how she gained social recognition, shown by her need to feel superior to other people. 

Jordan’s dishonesty intertwines with her wanting to seem superior in the eyes of high-end society, “Jordan Baker instinctively avoided clever, shrewd men, and now I saw that this was because she felt safer on a plane where any divergence from a code would be thought impossible. She was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage and, given this unwillingness, I suppose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young to keep that cool, insolent smile turned to the world and yet satisfy the demands of her hard, jaunty body.” (Fitzgerald 46). Jordan wants to be seen as this masculine woman, one who seeps grace and elegance compared to the standard of women in the 1920s. She wants to be seen as this astounding idol who doesn’t fall for petty men who aren’t worth her time. Jordan knows she is astoundingly beautiful and deserves the best man there is in 1920s society, one who is honest, charming and inferior to her in every way. 

Jordan leads Nick around all night, wanting him to see this vibrant and spirited world of the careless rich. Nick is enticed by Jordan’s potent energetic and dominant aura, one that entices him to be attracted to her grace and masculinity. In this quote, we can see his attention to her social status and elegance, “I thought you might be here,” she responded absently as I came up. “I remembered you lived next door to ——” She held my hand impersonally, as a promise that she’d take care of me in a minute, and gave ear to two girls in twin yellow dresses, who stopped at the foot of the steps.” (Nick 34). We can see her ability to encapture Nick with her charisma and self-sufficient nature. Jordan stands out to the naked eye, as this handsome, charming woman with liberated morals and grace. 

Overall Jordan presents herself as an authoritative figure, with a compelling atmosphere of masculinity and self-reliance. She is this new form of a woman that sets their standards and ideals without the help of men and their superiority. Jordan has a sense of shame of how she achieved social consciousness however, she did it out of necessity. As a woman in the 1920s Jordan in every power gained advantage and prosperity, she wasn’t as inferior as Daisy. Women comparable to Jordan were seen as scandalous because they became less inferior in the eyes of men by wanting to experience their ambition and aspirations. 

Meanwhile, Tom in every way is a white privileged man of high society, whose life is idolized by many men in 1920’s society. Yet this wondrous standard of life has led to a crippled love life intertwining with scandals and murder. Tom’s racist tendencies shine through his dialogue, “Well, it’s a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be — will be utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved.” (Fitzgerald 13). Tom’s eager racist mindset shows his insecurity. The only stable thing in his life is his white privilege, which he profits off of since he was born into wealth and racial stability. 

This leads to Tom’s overwhelming egotistical and narcissistic outlook on society. Tom’s ego is even prevalent in his character description. Nick retorts “Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body — he seemed to fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and you could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his shoulder moved under his thin coat. (Nick ?)