Daisy's Character and The Roaring Twenties

    The 1920s, often called the Roaring Twenties was the time when society went through a profound transformation, especially with women. In this evolutionary period, women gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment, taking a significant step closer to gender equality. Women started entering the workforce and challenged the gender norms put forth by previous generations. 

    However, as we delve deeper into the Roaring Twenties, we discover that though there was a progression for women, there was also the underlying fact that not all women had the liberty to exercise these rights. We see this when we look at Daisy Buchanan's character in "The Great Gatsby" Her character shows us that despite the era's outward movement, there were many underlying complexities. Daisy's commitment to her marriage with Tom despite his infidelity, and disrespectfulness contrasts with the promise of progression and the reality of oppression. Her toxic relationship with Tom, with his cheating, controlling, and abusive behavior symbolizes that even with women's rights advances, some women are still powerless due to societal expectations, and gender norms. It emphasizes how even though women gained certain rights, they were not universally embraced. It goes to show the paradox that defined the Roaring Twenties. She shows us that though the decade was progressive for some, it was just as frustrating for others. Not to mention, Daisy's need to appear ladylike and pretty to the eye, masking her complexities further emphasizes how women at that time put up facades to meet the gender norms and traditional expectations of society.