Pessimism In The Great Gatsby

What makes people unique? People naturally have a multitude of similarities, whether it be their gender, priorities, or their likes, but people also have extreme differences, such as viewpoints or ideologies, and these differences are what make a person who they are. Throughout The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald writes about the lavish way of life in the 1920s, following narrator Nick Carraway, who follows Fitzgerald's two focal female characters, Daisy and Jordan. Both women have lavish relationships with other wealthy men but differ in terms of their worldviews. Both women are in relationships for wealth, as they have monetary priorities, but see the world from contrary viewpoints, Daisy remaining a pessimistic individual,

Fitzgerald uses dialogue to set Daisy and Jordan, both consumeristic women, apart from one another by demonstrating their differentiating worldviews, with Daisy being a pessimist, and Jordan seeing the world through a positive, optimistic lens. Nick and Daisy discuss her daughter as they wait on her porch, recalling the time when Daisy found out that her daughter was a girl. “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 21). Fitzgerald writes that Daisy hopes that her daughter will “be a fool,” proving that Daisy is cynical about women finding joy, as she believes intelligent women cannot be prosperous “in this world.” Fitzgerald states that it is Daisy’s belief that the “best” way a girl can live in the world is in a state of gorgeous stupidity. Fitzgerald claims through Daisy’s dialogue that she hopes her daughter lacks the intelligence, or is “a fool,” as she would otherwise face condiment, leading her to lack the “best” life, which shows Daisy’s cynical view point, as she cannot see a positive outcome for a smart girl, and she believes that without being both beautiful and foolish, her daughter will not live an ideal life. Fitzgerald uses Daisy’s hopes to aid in the characterization

Jordan, on the contrary, is an optimistic individual, unlike the cynical Daisy. Jordan attends a luncheon at Tom’s house with her friends- Daisy, Tom, Nick, and Gatsby- when Daisy starts to complain about the warm weather. “‘What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon,’ cried Daisy, ‘and the day after that, and the next thirty years?’‘Don’t be morbid,’ Jordan said. ‘Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall’” (Fitzgerald 125). Fitzgerald uses the phrase “life starts all over” to symbolize Jordan’s positive outlook on how life does not cease, but continues to change, leading to new, positive experiences. Fitzgerald shows Jordan’s belief that the world will continue offering new opportunities, and they do not need to worry about what they will “do with themselves” in the future, as life simply restarts each year, offering new opportunities, which Jordan mentions, proving her positive viewpoint. Fitzgerald then characterizes Jordan as an open minded woman, showing her contentment with life, and that she need not think negatively, or “be morbid.” Fitzgerald’s dialogue claims that Jordan believes that the world “starts