Jordan Baker: Deceit for the Win In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses techniques such as characterization and tone with Jordan Baker to criticize the difference between appearance and reality, as well as the corruption inherent in upper-class society during the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald characterizes Jordan as seemingly-innocent and honest, when in reality she is immoral. Nick narrates, “At first I was flattered to go places with her, because she was a golf champion, and everyone knew her name…” (Fitzgerald 57). Fitzgerald characterizes Jordan as having a good reputation due to her fame as a sports champion. He even uses the diction that Nick was “flattered” to be with this popular girl. However, he only felt this way “at first.”
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Nick describes, “Her gray sun-strained eyes looked back at me with polite reciprocal curiosity of a wan, charming, discontented face” (Fitzgerald 11). Fitzgerald describes Jordan’s eyes as “gray,” expressing her boredom, as if she does not expect much from the West Egger Nick. It also shows her discontent perspective on life, as she sees everything through dull, gray lenses. She continues: “‘You live in West Egg’ she remarked contemptuously” (Fitzgerald 11). Fitzgerald also includes the color archetype of Jordan’s gray eyes representing a separation of classes; he characterizes Jordan as being condescending towards West Egg, reflecting the tension between those born wealthy and those who built up their wealth from a poor …show more content…
Nick says, “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…” (Fitzgerald 58). Fitzgerald uses a didactic tone to describe Jordan’s character: she feels more secure around men who are not very intelligent. As a partygoer, Jordan appreciates company but is careful to choose the right people to be around – she attaches herself to those who are not intelligent to feel confident about herself. Fitzgerald expresses Jordan’s intent as a modern independent woman to stay away from clever males who could try to establish dominance over her. Fitzgerald uses the diction “incurably dishonest” to describe Jordan, who always likes to be on top of the situation at hand, and will go about dishonest ways in order to get what she wants.
Jordan’s selfishness represents the attitudes of wealthy Roaring Twenties people. She intends to main control over her life and to have her own way. She tells Nick, “‘Well, I met another bad driver, didn’t I? I mean it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person’” (Fitzgerald 177). Jordan’s accusatory tone in this analogy
Nick describes, “Her gray sun-strained eyes looked back at me with polite reciprocal curiosity of a wan, charming, discontented face” (Fitzgerald 11). Fitzgerald describes Jordan’s eyes as “gray,” expressing her boredom, as if she does not expect much from the West Egger Nick. It also shows her discontent perspective on life, as she sees everything through dull, gray lenses. She continues: “‘You live in West Egg’ she remarked contemptuously” (Fitzgerald 11). Fitzgerald also includes the color archetype of Jordan’s gray eyes representing a separation of classes; he characterizes Jordan as being condescending towards West Egg, reflecting the tension between those born wealthy and those who built up their wealth from a poor …show more content…
Nick says, “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…” (Fitzgerald 58). Fitzgerald uses a didactic tone to describe Jordan’s character: she feels more secure around men who are not very intelligent. As a partygoer, Jordan appreciates company but is careful to choose the right people to be around – she attaches herself to those who are not intelligent to feel confident about herself. Fitzgerald expresses Jordan’s intent as a modern independent woman to stay away from clever males who could try to establish dominance over her. Fitzgerald uses the diction “incurably dishonest” to describe Jordan, who always likes to be on top of the situation at hand, and will go about dishonest ways in order to get what she wants.
Jordan’s selfishness represents the attitudes of wealthy Roaring Twenties people. She intends to main control over her life and to have her own way. She tells Nick, “‘Well, I met another bad driver, didn’t I? I mean it was careless of me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person’” (Fitzgerald 177). Jordan’s accusatory tone in this analogy