Within the two texts, the Great Gatsby and The Awakening, we see vast inequality spread
throughout both novellas, from social class and wealth portrayed within Fitzgerald’s captivating
symbolistic prose, to the debilitating social misogyny portrayed by Chopin within her at the time
radical prose The Awakening; and within both texts, we absolutely see how these politically minded
authors use these inequalities as barriers to relationships through the symbolism in which they are
presented.
This idea of inequality preventing a successful relationship is extremely prevalent within Chopins
work, Chopin highlights the absolute inequality between a man and woman to a contemporary
audience; we see how woman are seen as no more than mere property to be enjoyed by the male
gaze, to an extreme point in which Edna’s husband, Leonce, views her as no more than a “piece of
personal property”. Chopin indeed intends to pose this somewhat radical idea to a contemporary
reader that a woman is not just seen as “property” but are treated as such, a woman must act and
look as her husband demands, “what folly! Too bathe at such an hour in such heat”. Chopin
highlights to her reader that if you are a woman, and you are not perfect, you are “folly This creates
an interesting discussion point as in chapter 9, a cake is described in the same way, although the
cake was a “great success” it is still critiqued as needing to have “little more sugar” or be “ frozen a
degree harder”, this symbolism of the cake completely highlights the societal objectification of a
woman within society. The point Chopin is making, is that how can a woman feel loved, and
comfortable in their relationship, if they are treated so harshly by their partner. It’s also important to
reference Chopin’s upbringing, Chopin was raised by three woman, her mother, grandmother and
great grandmother, and went to an all girls school, it is most definitely possible to make the point
that Chopin noticed how happy these woman all truly were when they were not influenced by the
desires of a male in their life, the three woman who raised her did not have to dress up, look nice,
and act polite at all times all because that’s how the patriarchal society expects them to act, which
once again raises the point, a relationship can only be successful, if it is not influenced by the
inequality that the patriarchy inevitably brings.
Interestingly, Fitzgerald’s work, The Great Gatsby, also raises a similar point to a more modern
audience that inequality inevitably will halter a relationship from being successful, and a perfect
example of this is the relationship between Tom and Daisy. Tom, well aware of his privilege over
Daisy, will act (by modern norms) as completely unacceptable, even to the point in which that Tom
will “go off on a spree” (referring to cheating on Daisy) however due to his “love” he “always comes
back”. If Tom and Daisy were infact equal in their relationship, Tom most definitely would not act so
callously towards his wife. Chopin also raises this point with the Pontillier couple, in which Leonce
feels that he can speak to his wife poorly purely on the basis of the inequality of their relationship, to
the point in which in chapter 3, he treated his wife so poorly that she began to “cry a little”. It is also
important to reference the symbolism of the pearl necklace (which represents class) in which Daisy
chose over the letter that was hinted to be from Gatsby, this of course shows that Daisy chooses
societal status over love. One reason for Fitzgerald doing this is the rising love for symbolism within
throughout both novellas, from social class and wealth portrayed within Fitzgerald’s captivating
symbolistic prose, to the debilitating social misogyny portrayed by Chopin within her at the time
radical prose The Awakening; and within both texts, we absolutely see how these politically minded
authors use these inequalities as barriers to relationships through the symbolism in which they are
presented.
This idea of inequality preventing a successful relationship is extremely prevalent within Chopins
work, Chopin highlights the absolute inequality between a man and woman to a contemporary
audience; we see how woman are seen as no more than mere property to be enjoyed by the male
gaze, to an extreme point in which Edna’s husband, Leonce, views her as no more than a “piece of
personal property”. Chopin indeed intends to pose this somewhat radical idea to a contemporary
reader that a woman is not just seen as “property” but are treated as such, a woman must act and
look as her husband demands, “what folly! Too bathe at such an hour in such heat”. Chopin
highlights to her reader that if you are a woman, and you are not perfect, you are “folly This creates
an interesting discussion point as in chapter 9, a cake is described in the same way, although the
cake was a “great success” it is still critiqued as needing to have “little more sugar” or be “ frozen a
degree harder”, this symbolism of the cake completely highlights the societal objectification of a
woman within society. The point Chopin is making, is that how can a woman feel loved, and
comfortable in their relationship, if they are treated so harshly by their partner. It’s also important to
reference Chopin’s upbringing, Chopin was raised by three woman, her mother, grandmother and
great grandmother, and went to an all girls school, it is most definitely possible to make the point
that Chopin noticed how happy these woman all truly were when they were not influenced by the
desires of a male in their life, the three woman who raised her did not have to dress up, look nice,
and act polite at all times all because that’s how the patriarchal society expects them to act, which
once again raises the point, a relationship can only be successful, if it is not influenced by the
inequality that the patriarchy inevitably brings.
Interestingly, Fitzgerald’s work, The Great Gatsby, also raises a similar point to a more modern
audience that inequality inevitably will halter a relationship from being successful, and a perfect
example of this is the relationship between Tom and Daisy. Tom, well aware of his privilege over
Daisy, will act (by modern norms) as completely unacceptable, even to the point in which that Tom
will “go off on a spree” (referring to cheating on Daisy) however due to his “love” he “always comes
back”. If Tom and Daisy were infact equal in their relationship, Tom most definitely would not act so
callously towards his wife. Chopin also raises this point with the Pontillier couple, in which Leonce
feels that he can speak to his wife poorly purely on the basis of the inequality of their relationship, to
the point in which in chapter 3, he treated his wife so poorly that she began to “cry a little”. It is also
important to reference the symbolism of the pearl necklace (which represents class) in which Daisy
chose over the letter that was hinted to be from Gatsby, this of course shows that Daisy chooses
societal status over love. One reason for Fitzgerald doing this is the rising love for symbolism within
