Examples Of Daisy's Carelessness In The Great Gatsby

Careless Woman
In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a woman named Daisy became entangled in the messy life of a rich man named Tom Buchanan. She married Tom for money, rather than love, and they ended up ruining the lives of others due to their reckless actions. Fitzgerald intended for Tom and Daisy to represent “careless people”, but further analysis shows that Daisy is aware of her carelessness, and most likely resorted to reckless behavior because she is trapped in a way of life that only offers limited choices to women who are intelligent and realistic. (187) The first time the reader is introduced to Daisy, she is described as a very passionate woman who is unhappy with her current situation. (13, 14) She is repeatedly shut down by the others in the room due to her unlady-like attitude, and expresses her feelings to Nick about the situation when they have the chance to speak in private. She tells Nick that she is “cynical about everything,” and that the best thing a woman can be is a ‘“ beautiful little fool”’. (21) Although Nick senses insincerity, much of what Daisy reveals is genuine. When she cries about how sophisticated she is, she doesn’t intend for the reader to take her seriously. She does not want to be sophisticated just for the sake of pleasing others, and she is frustrated that

Even though Daisy does not want to marry Tom, the neck day “she married Tom Buchanan without so much a shiver.” (81) Daisy’s mind changed because she realized that marrying Tom Buchanan was one of her only options. Gatsby wasn’t coming back from the war (in her mind), and Tom Buchanan had enough money to support the both of them.