Daisy's Death In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F.S. Fitzgerald, we find the narrator Nick Carraway going back in time to tell us about when he moved to New York City. Nick talks about the different cultures and ways of living based on what part of New York you live in, and we meet many different people who exemplify these cultures. One of the biggest moments of the entire book is when Gatsby is shot and killed by George Wilson. Although George killed Gatsby, it was Daisy Buchanan who set Gatsby up for failure. Not being able to let go of the past is something that Daisy was at fault for, even if she was being pressured by Gatsby. An example of this can be found when Gatsby is trying to influence her to leave Tom. Gatsby is trying to convince her that she

A different example of Daisy holding on to her past with Gatsby is when Gatsby is showering her in shirts. As Daisy is being covered, she states that, “‘It makes [her] sad because [she’s] never seen such beautiful shirts before’”(Fitzgerald 72). Attachment and the memories she holds with Gatsby come back to her now due to the material wealth he has shown her. Reminiscing about her past with Gatsby, Daisy is not aware of the damage she will ultimately cause to him. Another huge reason Daisy is the true cause of Gatsby’s death is her murder of Myrtle Wilson. We see this when Gatsby recounts the drive home. Nick Carraway asks him if Daisy was driving, and Gatsby confirms with a, “‘Yes.’”(Fitzgerald 110). This is directly showing that Daisy is to blame for Myrtle’s death, which the domino effects into George Wilson shooting and killing Gatsby for

The fact the Daisy allows Gatsby to do this for her is incredibly selfish and eventually leads to Gatsby’s death. Striking down Myrtle is an important part of why Daisy caused the death of Gatsby. Although George pulled the trigger and killed Gatsby, he wouldn’t have been in that plight without Daisy’s indecisiveness. The constant battle between Tom and Gatsby in Daisy’s head causes Tom to get jealous. So, Tom takes matters into his own hands and tells George that he thinks Gatsby is a “‘.God damned coward!’”(Fitzgerald 109). Daisy’s inability to decide causes Tom to get George to develop a hatred towards Gatsby. We even see this after Gatsby’s death. At Gatsby’s funeral, Nick Carraway states that Daisy, “.and Tom had gone away.” already (Fitzgerald 126). It seems as if Daisy really didn’t care who she was with, she only cared for the security of her wealth. This led to Gatsby’s demise, even though we don’t see it until after his death. Despite the fact that George physically murdered Gatsby, Daisy is really at fault. Whether it’s her not being able to let go of the past, her reckless actions, or her indecisiveness, she is who to blame for Gatsby’s