Discuss gender in The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald portrays a male-dominated society where women are either sexualised or idolised in The Great Gatsby. Daisy is presented as a pure, blank canvas for men to project their desires onto, as she is often associated with the colour white; when Gatsby kisses her, she is described as blossoming for him, suggesting that she is dependent on a man. However, she is aware of her position in society as she cynically states that she wishes her daughter to grow up a beautiful little fool as it is all a girl can be in 1920s society. On the other hand, Jordan is a typical 'new woman', with her physicality resembling the manly shape popularised for women in the twenties. She is self-assured and plays sport, unlike the soft Daisy; this provides a useful contrast and reflects the emergence of female suffrage in the early 20th century. Tom's mistress Myrtle represents the 'other' woman; she is not part of the high society the Buchannan's belong to and is too sensual to be labelled as 'pure'. The men in the novel seem to not understand the women they claim to be in love with.