The Great Gatsby is often called the great American novel; a timeless commentary on the American dream. A dream that defines success, power, love, status and leisure for the American public. It is worth mentioning that this novel was published in 1925, a time when the American public had recently experienced significant changes, including women's suffrage, which had only occurred 6 years before this novel was published in May 1919. Women of this era had recently gained a voice in politics, but the social world did not always evolve at the same pace as the political world. F. Scott Fitzgerald developed female characters that represented both women in their typical gender roles and their modern counterparts. I will analyze gender roles in the context of this novel, comparing and contrasting Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, and Daisy Buchanan to each other, as well as comparing and contrasting their interactions with the men in the novel. In Leland S. Pearson, Jr.'s "Herstory" and Daisy Buchanan', Pearson explains why Daisy's character is incomplete in the novel. Particularly in this paragraph: "Despite Nick's judgment of his recklessness and his "basic lack of sincerity", his conspiratorial relationship with Tom, Daisy is the victim of a male tendency to project a self-satisfying image onto women, but ultimately dehumanizing. If Gatsby had “wanted to rediscover something, an idea of ​​himself perhaps, which had contributed to loving Daisy” (p. III); if Nick had almost recovered a "fragment of lost words" through the inspiring magic of his voice, then Daisy's potential individuality is ultimately betrayed by the world of the novel. His voice remains a “lost voice” and his words... middle of paper ...... purveyors. One thing is clear, even if it may have been frowned upon, women of the time were undergoing a change by breaking social norms, going to parties alone or with other women, drinking, smoking like men. - although frowned upon, these acts were daring, they were new for women of the time. They marked the beginning of a broader and more defined place for women in the modern world. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996. Print.Person, Leland S., Jr. ““Herstory” and Daisy Buchanan. American Literature 50.2 (1978): 250-57. JSTOR. Internet. May 17, 2014. Pottorf, Michael. “The Great Gatsby: Myrtle's dog and her relationship with the dog – God or Pound and Eliot. » American Notes & Queries 14.6 (1976): 88. Academic research completed. Internet. May 17 2014.