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Ⅰ.Introduction
Nowadays researches about The Great Gatsby mainly focus on its writing techniques and “the American dream” but rather the feminism in this novel. There are two major female characters in this book， Daisy and Jordan Baker. Daisy is the symbol of women in old society. By contrast， Jordan Baker is the symbol of new era’s women. In this comparison of those two women and from the view of Marxist women-related theory， we can see the differences between Daisy and Jordan Baker. Although they are both from upper class and have something in common in some aspects， but there are obvious differences in them. The image of Jordan Baker is what the Marxist women-related theory advocates and the image of Daisy is what it opposes. At this points we can gain some enlightenment on feminism and the development of females.
Ⅱ.The Comparison of Daisy And Jordan Baker
Daisy and Jordan Baker represent different images of women. Daisy is the typical representative of traditional women. Just as Betty Friedan explains in the feminine Mystique“the highest value and the only commitment for women is the fulfillment of their own femininity.” For Daisy， who was born in a wealthy family， her education is traditional， her family education makes her a traditional woman，and her family education reflect the influence of patriarchal culture. As Friedan says “Sex-directed education is both the direct cause and the effect of the feminine mystique.” In the text， Daisy loves Gatsby so much but she has to marry Tom， because her family require her to do that， she doesn’t have rights to decide which man she would like to marry. She cries and says：“Daisy’s change’ her mine！’” but it makes no sense， she finally marries Tom and gives up Gatsby. After marrying Tom， her life is revolved round Tom， she doesn’t have work， all she has to do is being a ideal wife， she totally depends on Tom.
By contrast， Jordan Baker is more like a man. “She was a slender， small- breasted girl， with an erect carriage， which she accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet.” Jordan，whose appearance is not fit for traditional aesthetic， is more like a man ，especially comparing with Daisy. What makes Jordan different from other women in this novel is that she has his own career， she is more independent， what she owns is by her efforts. And she is a professional golfer， in conventional ideas， more man rather than woman choose to be a golfer， but Jordan is different， she does what man does， and she refuse to meet man’s appetite.
Nowadays researches about The Great Gatsby mainly focus on its writing techniques and “the American dream” but rather the feminism in this novel. There are two major female characters in this book， Daisy and Jordan Baker. Daisy is the symbol of women in old society. By contrast， Jordan Baker is the symbol of new era’s women. In this comparison of those two women and from the view of Marxist women-related theory， we can see the differences between Daisy and Jordan Baker. Although they are both from upper class and have something in common in some aspects， but there are obvious differences in them. The image of Jordan Baker is what the Marxist women-related theory advocates and the image of Daisy is what it opposes. At this points we can gain some enlightenment on feminism and the development of females.
Ⅱ.The Comparison of Daisy And Jordan Baker
Daisy and Jordan Baker represent different images of women. Daisy is the typical representative of traditional women. Just as Betty Friedan explains in the feminine Mystique“the highest value and the only commitment for women is the fulfillment of their own femininity.” For Daisy， who was born in a wealthy family， her education is traditional， her family education makes her a traditional woman，and her family education reflect the influence of patriarchal culture. As Friedan says “Sex-directed education is both the direct cause and the effect of the feminine mystique.” In the text， Daisy loves Gatsby so much but she has to marry Tom， because her family require her to do that， she doesn’t have rights to decide which man she would like to marry. She cries and says：“Daisy’s change’ her mine！’” but it makes no sense， she finally marries Tom and gives up Gatsby. After marrying Tom， her life is revolved round Tom， she doesn’t have work， all she has to do is being a ideal wife， she totally depends on Tom.
By contrast， Jordan Baker is more like a man. “She was a slender， small- breasted girl， with an erect carriage， which she accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet.” Jordan，whose appearance is not fit for traditional aesthetic， is more like a man ，especially comparing with Daisy. What makes Jordan different from other women in this novel is that she has his own career， she is more independent， what she owns is by her efforts. And she is a professional golfer， in conventional ideas， more man rather than woman choose to be a golfer， but Jordan is different， she does what man does， and she refuse to meet man’s appetite.