“They were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house”
Fitzgerald, p.14
Upon the introduction of Daisy and Miss Baker through Nick’s account, I found it quite interesting how they were represented:
The words “rippling” and “fluttering” give a very delicate feel to Nick’s description of Daisy and Miss Baker, like they are fragile creatures, or butterflies in particular, that are susceptible to harm. The word rippling indicates a movement that resembles a series of waves, and fluttering could be used to describe wings in motion. The words’ denotations connote that Daisy and Miss Backer are merely delicate and fragile butterflies.
The description implies ‘creatures’ because to Nick they seemed “as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house”. [S]hort flight goes back to the implication of them resembling butterflies; Nick’s extended metaphor further instigates that the women are gentle creatures that fly and are easily blown off by the wind. To add on, “blown back in” shows that the wind itself has a stronger say in where these women end up being. They did not choose to go to that particular room but were rather ‘blown back in’ by the wind.
Nick’s account of both characters being in white is also interesting: “They were both in white”, it adds onto his portrayal of them. The color white usually connotes purity, nobility, innocence and virginity. Nick’s choice, or perhaps Fitzgerald’s, of including an account of their garments’ color could suggest how he wants to view both characters, or how he wants others to view them; as innocent, pure, fragile, gentle creatures.
Amongst numerous interpretation, It seems that the characters were restricted in a toxically stereotyped frame that pleased the male gaze (reader) or Nicks’/Fitzgerald’s. In order to please the male gaze, the female character was subjected to become submissive; ‘submissive’ to the elements surrounding her, in the case of this particular quote, the mere wind.
This is very interesting and thought provoking post.mBut I wonder could their perceived fragility and innocence be caused by rules mandated by social class and not gender?
From what I understand isn’t this one of the only moments where Jordan is described this way? Jordan for the most part seems to be a grounded, and independent women. Furthermore, it would be really interesting to see how the male gaze is represents this side of Jordan.
I found this really nice source that does a character analysis of Jordan. In this article, Veronica Makowsky argues that Jordan’s gender and class limit her love life, so she has to constantly try to find a balance between them. She also compares Jordan to some of the conmen found in The Great Gatsby it’s a long read but is deffinitly worth it.
Bad Driving: Jordan’s Tantalizing Story in “The Great Gatsby”: https://www-jstor-org.aus.idm.oclc.org/stable/pdf/41608004.pdf?ab_segments=0%252Fbasic_SYC-5055%252Ftest&refreqid=excelsior%3A41e7adcf226a9d63298b21d5d7abaaba
This is a great source, Renad! Yes, Jordan has her own deceptions and fictions of identity that she is dedicated to upholding.
Interesting reading Fatima, but I actually did not perceive the phrase “rippling and fluttering” in such way at all. To me, at least after I read the entire novel, when I read this, I thought about Daisy and Miss Baker jumping from one thing to another without a care in the world. For Daisy, she hovers between Gatsby and her husband and seems torn. For Miss Baker, she hovers in the party and goes from one place to another (and one person to another) within seconds. When I read fluttering, the words that came to mind were “instability” and “speed” and “uncertainty” that does not necessary resonate with weakness or frailty but with society at the time and the way everything was progressing in a fast unsteady pace. To add, by saying that they were “blown back,” this could indicate that they have finally settled back into their place after ‘fluttering’ and being all over the place (as they are in the novel). For Daisy, settling means remaining in the secure relationship with her husband Tom, while for Miss Baker, settling would be marrying a guy instead of dating. Do you think from such perspective, they are still stereotypical?
Shamma I had the same impression that Jordan vanishes at certain times in the novel! Throughout chapters 5 and 6 I was wondering where she was… And even in parties, she appears, disappears and reappears with such velocity, it is hard to keep up with her.
I like your comparison of Daisy and Jordan to butterflies, Fatima, it is an interesting portrayal of their movement in the novel. Similarly, your interpretation of Daisy and Jordan as objectified creatures makes sense. More so with the character of Jordan, who is coming and going with the wind in the novel, and who the reader seems to forget and suddenly remember, just as Nick suddenly forgets and remembers her. Just one instance when she completely vanishes is found on page 130 when she is talking to Nick on the phone and he writes: “We talked like that for a while, and then abruptly we weren’t talking any longer”, as if she had disappeared into thin air.
This was really interesting to read, Fatima. I think Daisy especially is portrayed as fragile and delicate. I feel like Jordan Baker is a bit more independent. She is a successful golf player and even Nick is a bit intimidated by her. I think Jordan represents the new kind of modern career woman that started to appear in the 1920s, that men find intimidating. Daisy, on the other hand, is more delicate and feminine and she is wanted by many men.
Love this, Fatima! This description also caught my eye, how they seem so ‘fleeting’, as if they are just within Nick’s reach but not really. There were a few ways I interpreted it. One, how Nick is an outsider and they symbolized the lavish lifestyle- which will always be out of Nick’s reach. Two, they feel temporary, as if they’ll vanish any moment, which could symbolize the phenomenon of sudden gain and loss of wealth during those times.
Thanks for this thoughtful analysis, Fatima! I also think of how the curtains are described as fluttering in a light breeze — like the two women are accessories to the scene rather than humans in a scene.
There are also a variety of additional interpretations in the comments here. Now that we’ve finished the novel, what different ways might this scene be interpreted? You and classmates are developing different readings based on gender or class norms, on material culture, on character, and on additional socio-cultural critiques.