In the 1920s, women began to retreat from their customary stereotype created by society.
In The Great Gatsby, Daisy ends up conforming to this standard by marrying Tom, and choosing money over her love for Gatsby. The narrator, Nick matches Daisy and Gatsby years later. Daisy ends up “falling back in love” with Gatsby, but her distorted personality continues to be apparent. She ends up staying with Tom to preserve her lavish life. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Daisy and the colors white and gold to illustrate how superficiality leads to corruption in a society. In her youth, Daisy was seen as innocent, popular, and not yet superficial. “She was just eighteen, two years older than me, and by far the most popular of all the …show more content…
“I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool - that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald 17). This gives a glimpse of how Daisy feels about her life. “Daisy is not a fool herself but is the product of a social environment that, to a great extent, does not value intelligence in women” (SparkNotes Editors). Daisy doesn’t value education or intellect, but believes that beauty is more important. During this time, women were valued for their looks. She hopes that her daughter is beautiful and a fool so she doesn’t realize that her looks are what she is valued for. Nick finds out about Daisy being superficial early when he asks about her daughter. “She looked at [Nick] with an absolute smirk on her lovely face, as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged” (Fitzgerald 17). Daisy is able to cover up the problems that exist in her marriage by using her and Tom’s wealth. Later, Jordan provides a flashback to the day of Daisy’s wedding. “[Tom] gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars” (Fitzgerald 76) and she had received a letter from Gatsby. She drank heavily and later said “Take [the pearls] down-stairs and give ’em back to whoever they belong to. Tell ’em Daisy’s change’ her mine” (Fitzgerald 76). “Daisy knows that the fabulously expensive string of pearls …show more content…
It becomes obvious that Daisy’s “love” for Gatsby was purely for personal gain after Tom calls Gatsby out for bootlegging. During their confrontation, Gatsby (confident that Daisy loves him) tries to lure Daisy over to his side. “Just tell him the truth - that you never loved him - and it’s all wiped out forever” (Fitzgerald 132) to which Daisy later responded, “Even alone I can’t say I never loved Tom” (Fitzgerald 133). “Daisy suggests that the character appears pure and wholesome--the white petals--but her core of yellow/gold suggests the essence of her life contains the importance of wealth and position” (SparkNotes Editors). It becomes evident that Daisy would rather play it safe and stay with Tom rather than taking a risk and leaving him for Gatsby where money isn’t guaranteed forever, due to his illegal activity. Gatsby still loves and cares about Daisy despite her confessing to love
In The Great Gatsby, Daisy ends up conforming to this standard by marrying Tom, and choosing money over her love for Gatsby. The narrator, Nick matches Daisy and Gatsby years later. Daisy ends up “falling back in love” with Gatsby, but her distorted personality continues to be apparent. She ends up staying with Tom to preserve her lavish life. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Daisy and the colors white and gold to illustrate how superficiality leads to corruption in a society. In her youth, Daisy was seen as innocent, popular, and not yet superficial. “She was just eighteen, two years older than me, and by far the most popular of all the …show more content…
“I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool - that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald 17). This gives a glimpse of how Daisy feels about her life. “Daisy is not a fool herself but is the product of a social environment that, to a great extent, does not value intelligence in women” (SparkNotes Editors). Daisy doesn’t value education or intellect, but believes that beauty is more important. During this time, women were valued for their looks. She hopes that her daughter is beautiful and a fool so she doesn’t realize that her looks are what she is valued for. Nick finds out about Daisy being superficial early when he asks about her daughter. “She looked at [Nick] with an absolute smirk on her lovely face, as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged” (Fitzgerald 17). Daisy is able to cover up the problems that exist in her marriage by using her and Tom’s wealth. Later, Jordan provides a flashback to the day of Daisy’s wedding. “[Tom] gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars” (Fitzgerald 76) and she had received a letter from Gatsby. She drank heavily and later said “Take [the pearls] down-stairs and give ’em back to whoever they belong to. Tell ’em Daisy’s change’ her mine” (Fitzgerald 76). “Daisy knows that the fabulously expensive string of pearls …show more content…
It becomes obvious that Daisy’s “love” for Gatsby was purely for personal gain after Tom calls Gatsby out for bootlegging. During their confrontation, Gatsby (confident that Daisy loves him) tries to lure Daisy over to his side. “Just tell him the truth - that you never loved him - and it’s all wiped out forever” (Fitzgerald 132) to which Daisy later responded, “Even alone I can’t say I never loved Tom” (Fitzgerald 133). “Daisy suggests that the character appears pure and wholesome--the white petals--but her core of yellow/gold suggests the essence of her life contains the importance of wealth and position” (SparkNotes Editors). It becomes evident that Daisy would rather play it safe and stay with Tom rather than taking a risk and leaving him for Gatsby where money isn’t guaranteed forever, due to his illegal activity. Gatsby still loves and cares about Daisy despite her confessing to love