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The Great Gatsby Daisy's Disappointment

397 Words2 Pages

F. Scott Fitzgerald, in “The Great Gatsby”, is chronicling the Jazz era; its excesses, its disappointments, and the fragility of the American Dream. Daisy stands as a symbol of this as she enjoys the fruits of chasing and finding what, at the time, was considered the American dream, living in luxury, but finding

no real enjoyment or happiness. She is a walking irony. By using such symbolism, Fitzgerald provides the reader with a living, breathing example of his theme regarding the weakness, and ultimate disappointment, inherent in the American dream.

Near the beginning of “The Great Gatsby”, Nick is in the home of Daisy, his cousin, and her husband Tom. An incident has just occurred where, apparently, Tom’s mistress has just called the home and, it also seems, this arrangement is widely known. We see in Daisy’s conversation a cynicism and a disconnected tone as if she is constantly bored, as if life has almost broken her and the only thing that keeps her going is that she has a luxurious life that she has settled into with her husband Tom. She has accepted his affairs and the pain they inflict to keep living the life she knows. Her conversations flit along on the surface of life because there is no depth there. …show more content…

And I know. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.’ Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom’s, and she laughed with thrilling scorn.” She and Tom, her uncaring husband, have the same manner, sharing the same lifestyle. All that she has leaves her with little more than a scornful laugh…and she scorns herself: “’Sophisticated - God, I’m

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