Which golfer MOST inspired Fitzgerald's portrayal of Jordan?

• A. Edith Cummings
• B. Babe Didrikson Zaharias
• C. Helen Wills Moody
• D. Glenna Collett-Vare

Answer: (A)

Fitzgerald shapes Jordan Baker by drawing on a real Jazz Age image of a fashionable, accomplished woman athlete who moves confidently in elite social circles. Edith Cummings was a famous golfer of that era and symbolized the blend of athletic skill, poise, and social polish that Gatsby’s world celebrated. That combination—sportiness paired with a cool, self-assured presence in high society—fits Jordan’s portrayal most closely, making Edith Cummings the strongest model for this character.

The other names don’t align as neatly with that same image. One is another top golfer, but not tied as directly to the socialite-golfer persona Fitzgerald captures; another is a tennis star, not a golfer, and thus not as relevant to Jordan’s sport-specific facet. A later multi-sport athlete does not fit the Jazz Age social milieu as tightly as Edith Cummings.