Character: Jordan Baker (Leaving Cert English): Revision Notes

Character: Jordan Baker

Introduction to Jordan Baker

Jordan Baker serves as a fascinating and complex character in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, representing the changing nature of women in 1920s America. She is a wealthy, professional golfer from Louisville, Kentucky, and an old friend of Daisy Buchanan. Throughout the novel, Jordan functions as both Nick Carraway's romantic interest and a symbol of the privileged, morally ambiguous world of East Egg society.

Nick initially describes Jordan as having a "glamorous" and "captivating" presence, though he quickly recognises her cynical nature and tendency towards dishonesty. Her role in the novel extends beyond mere romantic subplot - she serves as a catalyst for plot development and represents the "New Woman" of the Jazz Age, challenging traditional gender expectations while simultaneously embodying the carelessness and moral emptiness that characterises the wealthy elite.

Historical context: gender and the 1920s

Understanding Jordan Baker requires examining the historical moment she represents. The 1920s marked a pivotal time for American women, particularly following the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. However, despite this legal advancement, women were still largely expected to fulfil traditional domestic roles as wives and mothers.

The decade became known as the "Roaring Twenties", characterised by jazz music, economic prosperity, and the emergence of the "flapper". Flappers represented a new type of young woman who challenged conventional expectations through their behaviour, dress, and attitudes. They wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, smoked, drank alcohol, and engaged with multiple men - behaviours that directly contradicted traditional notions of feminine respectability.

Jordan's independence manifests in her career as a professional golfer, her unmarried status at a time when marriage was expected, and her casual attitude towards relationships. Her gender-ambiguous name itself suggests the blurring of traditional gender boundaries. Unlike Daisy, who represents conventional femininity, Jordan challenges societal norms through her pursuit of masculine activities and her rejection of traditional feminine virtues like dependence and domesticity.

Key characteristics

Physical attractiveness and masculine qualities

Jordan's physical appearance receives considerable attention throughout the novel, with Nick frequently emphasising her unconventional attractiveness. Rather than describing her in traditionally feminine terms, Nick uses language that suggests masculine qualities:

Nick also notes her "grey sun-strained eyes" and describes her hair as having an "autumn-leaf yellow" colour that "glinted along the paper as she turned a page with a flutter of slender muscles in her arms."

The repeated use of "golden" imagery when describing Jordan creates symbolic associations with wealth and privilege, but also with the artificial and potentially corrupt nature of the wealthy world she inhabits. Her athletic build and muscular definition reflect her active lifestyle as a golfer, marking her as a physically capable woman who exists outside traditional feminine passivity.

Confidence masking insecurity

Jordan presents herself as supremely confident and self-assured, qualities that initially attract Nick. She moves through social situations with apparent ease and speaks her mind without hesitation. Nick observes that she carries herself with "jauntiness" and maintains a "contemptuous expression" that suggests superiority over her surroundings.

However, this confidence may serve as a protective facade. Nick eventually recognises that Jordan's apparent self-assurance masks deeper insecurity and a need to maintain her position in society. Her confidence allows her to "freely speak her mind" in ways that other women of her era might not, yet it also creates distance between herself and others.

Dishonesty as protection

One of Jordan's most significant character traits is her fundamental dishonesty, which Nick recognises early in their relationship. He recalls hearing rumours about her cheating in a golf tournament, noting that she had "moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round." While the scandal was quickly covered up, it establishes a pattern of behaviour that defines Jordan throughout the novel.

This protective dishonesty allows Jordan to maintain her "cool, insolent smile turned to the world" while satisfying the demands of her social position. Rather than confronting difficult situations directly, she uses deception to navigate challenges and maintain her status. Nick recognises that she "wasn't able to endure being at a disadvantage" and had "begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young in order to keep that cool, insolent smile."

Social prominence and gossip

Jordan's role as a socialite makes her an important source of information and gossip throughout the novel. She moves easily between the worlds of East and West Egg, attending parties and maintaining connections with both established society and nouveau riche circles. Her social prominence stems from both her athletic fame and her family's "old money" status.

As a professional golfer, Jordan enjoys celebrity status that grants her access to exclusive social circles. Nick notes that he "was flattered to go places with her, because she was a golf champion, and everyone knew her name." This fame provides her with social capital and independence that many women of her era lacked.

Relationship with Nick Carraway

Initial attraction and development

Nick's relationship with Jordan develops gradually throughout the novel, beginning with immediate physical attraction at the Buchanans' dinner party. He is initially drawn to her unconventional appearance and confident demeanour, noting her "contemptuous expression" and "scornful mouth." Her apparent self-sufficiency particularly appeals to him, as he observes that "almost any exhibition of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me."

The relationship serves multiple purposes in the novel's structure. It provides Nick with a romantic subplot while also giving him access to insider information about the wealthy social circles he observes. Jordan's connections allow Nick to understand the complex relationships between Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom, positioning him as both participant and observer in their drama.

Their relationship develops through shared social activities and conversations, with Jordan often serving as Nick's guide to the customs and expectations of East Egg society. She introduces him to the casual attitudes towards marriage, fidelity, and responsibility that characterise their social class. Through Jordan, Nick experiences both the appeal and the moral emptiness of the wealthy lifestyle.

Gender dynamics and power

The relationship between Jordan and Nick reveals interesting gender dynamics that reflect changing roles in 1920s America. Unlike traditional romantic relationships where men held dominant positions, Jordan often appears to have equal or greater power in their interactions. She initiates many of their meetings, makes demands on Nick's time, and generally controls the pace of their relationship.

Nick appears somewhat intimidated by Jordan's self-assurance and social status. Her wealth and connections make her an attractive but somewhat unattainable figure who exists in a world of privilege that he can observe but never fully join. This dynamic reflects broader tensions about changing gender roles and the challenge that "New Women" posed to traditional masculine authority.

Deterioration and final confrontation

As the novel progresses, Nick's initial attraction to Jordan gives way to moral discomfort with her carelessness and dishonesty. The relationship begins to deteriorate as Nick develops a clearer understanding of the moral emptiness that characterises the wealthy society Jordan represents. The tragic events surrounding Myrtle's death serve as a catalyst for Nick's disillusionment with Jordan and the entire East Egg world.

Their final confrontation reveals the fundamental incompatibility between Nick's developing moral consciousness and Jordan's continued attachment to privilege and carelessness. When Jordan calls Nick to arrange a meeting after Gatsby's death, he recognises that her voice sounds "harsh and dry" rather than its usual "fresh and cool" quality, symbolising his changed perception of her.

Comparisons with other female characters

Jordan's character gains additional depth when compared to the other significant women in the novel, particularly Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. These comparisons reveal different approaches to navigating the constraints and opportunities available to women in 1920s America.

Jordan and Daisy: old wealth and different choices

Both Jordan and Daisy come from privileged backgrounds and share the advantages of "old wealth" and established social position. They grew up together in Louisville and maintain their friendship as adults, often appearing together in scenes that emphasise their similar social status. Both women dress in white clothing that symbolises their privileged position and apparent purity, though this imagery becomes increasingly ironic as their moral shortcomings become apparent.

However, their life choices reveal fundamental differences in their approaches to gender expectations. Daisy has chosen the traditional path of marriage and motherhood, becoming dependent on Tom's wealth and status for her identity. Jordan, by contrast, has remained unmarried and pursued a career as a professional golfer, maintaining greater independence and control over her life.

The novel suggests that both women are ultimately products of their privileged environment, sharing a fundamental carelessness about the consequences of their actions. However, Jordan's independence makes her somewhat less sympathetic than Daisy, whose dependence on others creates the illusion of victimhood.

Jordan and Myrtle: class and agency

The contrast between Jordan and Myrtle Wilson highlights the impact of social class on women's choices and opportunities. While Jordan enjoys the freedom that comes with wealth and social position, Myrtle faces the constraints of poverty and lower-class status. Both women are described as proactive in pursuing what they want, but their different circumstances shape their strategies and options.

Myrtle's attempts to escape her circumstances through her affair with Tom reflect desperation and limited options, while Jordan's choices appear to stem from preference rather than necessity. Myrtle's pursuit of wealth and status through relationships contrasts with Jordan's existing financial independence, which allows her to engage in relationships for personal satisfaction rather than economic survival.

Critical interpretations

Theories about Jordan's sexuality

Some literary critics have proposed theories about Jordan Baker's sexuality that go beyond her relationship with Nick. Maggie Gordon Frohlich argues that Jordan may be a lesbian, pointing to her masculine characteristics, her avoidance of serious relationships with men, and her apparent preference for maintaining independence. This interpretation suggests that Jordan's dishonesty serves partly to conceal her true sexual orientation in an era when homosexuality was heavily stigmatised.

Racial passing theories

Another critical interpretation suggests that Jordan may be a "light-skinned, mixed-race person 'passing for white'". This theory, proposed by Tom Phillips, considers the historical context of the 1920s when some African Americans with light skin attempted to pass as white to access better opportunities and social mobility.

The evidence for this interpretation includes Jordan's ambiguous physical description, her outsider status despite her wealth, and her need for constant vigilance about social codes and expectations. The theory suggests that Jordan's dishonesty and careful navigation of social situations reflect the precarious position of someone living with a hidden identity that could destroy her social standing if revealed.

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