Jordan Baker's Dishonesty In The Great Gatsby

In the 1920s, the ubiquitous access to media, such as print and radio, unified the American people as it fostered the homogeneity of their culture and values. However, the economic growth on the East Coast from industries profiting off of WWI caused the population’s morality to deviate from commonly held beliefs from before the war. The American Dream blossomed from the equal opportunity for success and honest work; nonetheless, people living in the East (Easterners) turned this model into a corrupted equivalent, one of greed and temptation due to the influx of wealth and opportunity. The errant values Easterners find themselves holding in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby signify the loss of identity and the social constraints individuals

In focusing on the purposeful development of Jordan Baker in ‘The Great Gatsby,’ we can understand the purposeful progression of her characterization and apply it in it’s relation to the novel’s overall literary theme in compliance with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s narrative intent. One of the most important parts of understanding a character is understanding their character and personality. The Merrill and Reid personality types display such personalities. In viewing a character’s (in this case Jordan Baker’s) response to conflict, we can understand which of the four personalities they have the most tendencies for.

The American Dream suggests that every American citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work. One of the major ways that Fitzgerald portrays this is by alluding to outside events or works of literature specifically from that time period. Another major relationship that develops in The Great Gatsby is between Tom and Daisy. F. Scott Fitzgerald alludes to things such as the World’s Fair and “The Love Nest” to display the eventual dismantling of Tom and Daisy’s relationship. Both of these separate plots consolidate under the idea of Gatsby trying to become the epitome of the American Dream, as seen through his strive for a “perfect life.”

The American Dream is what many set their goals in life to be based upon, money, family, peace, and love. Every character in The Great Gatsby is selfish, but the four main characters that present themselves as the most selfish are, Daisy, Tom, Jordan, and Gatsby. In the Great Gatsby, the American Dream is present, but is overshadowed because of all the selfish people only wanting to become a higher class or show that they are of a higher class than everyone else around them. The Character that has the least amount significance to the story, but the most selfish is Jordan Baker. Jordan is described as an attractive, slender woman, small breasted and has a grey sun-strained eyes.

Between World War I and the Great Depression, the 1920’s were unique and special years in American history. The best way to represent that time would be by historian Frederick Lewis Allen providing the historical account of America in the 20’s in Only Yesterday and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famed novel, The Great Gatsby. Both of them reflect America in the Twenties by showing lifestyles and behaviors of people who lived in that time. We can follow their beliefs, actions, and morality through the works. While Allen was seeking to capture a decade, F. Scott Fitzgerald did a good job by pointing to the main issues during that time.

Honesty’s Effects Honesty can be a major factor determining one’s future. A criminal’s sentence is almost solely based on honesty. A family’s relationship is often built on a foundation of honesty. In the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the theme of honesty affects the characters mostly negatively but also occasionally positively through the lies and truths they tell and the secrets they hide.

An important theme in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the corruption of morals because of wealth. It doesn’t matter if one comes from old or new money, wealth will corrupt the morality of even the humblest. The first example of wealth corrupting morals is in the indifference to infidelity between the married Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. The next example of wealth corrupting morals is seen in Jordan Baker’s actions to keep her luxurious lifestyle. Third, Jim Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth lead to the corruption of his morals.

Francis Scott Fitzgerald once stated, “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart and all they can do is stare blankly.” Throughout his famous work, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrayed the American Dream. Contrary to the ideology of the “Roaring Twenties” society, he described the American Dream as a delusion. People of the era focused on materialism in order to boost their wealth and status and forgot the importance of their relationships. Several characters within the novel sought to gain a higher status in society.

In the article “Is there a Cheaters High,” Romeo Vitelli argues that acting unethically can come with an unpredictable feeling of “cheater's high.” He states that rather than feeling guilt or shame after cheating the more common result they faced was the positive emotions people had after getting away with it. Throughout the book, “Great Gatsby,” main characters Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker start to develop a relationship and help build this idea of the “cheaters high.” Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker come from opposite ends of what they believe is morally right. Carraway prides himself in being careful and believing he is “one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”

Characters throughout The Great Gatsby present themselves with mysterious and questionable morals. Affairs, dishonest morals, criminal professions, weak boundaries and hypocritical views are all examples of immorality portrayed in The Great Gatsby. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, lies and mischief fill the lives of many and significantly damage numerous relationships. First, Jay Gatsby's whole life is consumed into a massive lie. His personality traits set him apart from others and the attention he accumulates motivates him to falsely portray his life.

“The Great Gatsby" begins in 1922 when the roaring twenties had just been set into motion. This jubilant era was a revolutionary time in America’s history as it was an age of social rebellion and domestic reform. Another key event from this time period was the Prohibition which attempted to ban all alcohol consumption and sales, but only succeeded in making alcohol cheaper to the people. Jordan Baker thrived during this era as a pro-golfer and she stood for more than what most women wanted blossoming her way as her own self-sufficient source. In, “The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jordan finds herself in conflict with society’s expectations through characterization of her as an independent young woman and through the theme

The American dream states that any individual can achieve success regardless of family history, race, and/or religion simply by working hard. The 1920’s were a time of corruption and demise of moral values in society. The first World War had passed, and people were reveling in the materialism that came at the end of it, such as advanced technology and innovative inventions. The novel The Great Gatsby exploits the theme of the American Dream as it takes place in a corrupt period in history. Although the American Dream seemed more attainable than ever in the 1920’s, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby demonstrates how materialism and the demise of moral values in society leads to the corruption and impossibility of the American Dream.

If one is honest, they are to be free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere. The quality of being honest is honesty. Although characters in The Great Gatsby are quite sincere, they fall short in the possession of honesty. The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which depicts how American life was during the Roaring Twenties.

F.Scott Fitzgerald is an American novelist and a short story writer. He is the author of the famous novel “ The Great Gatsby”, which is written in the 1920’s. The period of the 1920’s is well known as the roaring twenties due to lack of morales and the lowering of standards and expectations, people intended just to have a good time not caring about the outcomes of their and how they will effect their lives. Fitzgerald wants to prove in his novel the death of “The American Dream” it’s just a myth. The author of this novel shows the death of the american dream through the events surrounding Gatsby, and Daisy.

The Great Gatsby presents its characters as having living the American Dream. However, it is only a belief; the behaviors they have and decisions they take only leave them with a false perception of life and lifestyle. The Great Gatsby relates to the corruption of the American Dream for those materialistic people who were after money. Fitzgerald reveals the idea of corruption in the American Dream through conditions such as wealth and materialism, power and social status, and relationships involving family and affairs. He uses examples of this corruption to show the reader that people are willing to lie, betray others, and commit crime to be able to live a ‘better and fuller’ life.