Why Is Daisy Important In The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Daisy Buchanan is not who she first seems to be. She first comes across as a kind, innocent woman—the Daisy that Gatsby had fallen for. We learn Daisy's true colors as we read farther into the book. Readers now perceive Daisy as being consumed with money, notoriety, and her own desires instead of the innocent woman she once seemed to be. She rejects the opportunity for true love, the opportunity to be truly heard and cared for in favor of material success and social standing, which ultimately results in her own sorrow.

Daisy's lifestyle in East Egg is an example of old money and high society. Her decisions and actions are determined by this "East Egg" style of existence. She grew

Daisy was brought up to be exactly the shallow person she is today. Gatsby attempted to persuade Daisy that he was deserving of her love when they first met by lying about his family's wealth and history. She felt the weight of the outside world even though she had agreed to waiting for him until he returned from the war. Future wealth security was important to her. Nick said, “She wanted her life shaped now, immediately-and the decision must be made by some force-of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality-that was close at hand” (F. Scott Fitzgerald 159) and that's when she met Tom, a young man from a respectable, "old money" family who could guarantee her a luxurious existence and who had her parents' backing. Gatsby was still not fully deserving of her despite the fact that she had seen him again after a long absence, rich and powerful. She had a "East Egg" reputation. She and her husband both came from wealthy blue-blood families as children, although Gatsby was "new money" who made his own fortune. Daisy's preference for Gatsby was very evident, but leaving Tom for another man—especially one from a lesser social class—would damage her

She has every quality that Gatsby yearned for: riches and sophistication. His American Dream was her. Yet, readers eventually realized that Daisy doesn't live up to Gatsby's expectations for her. Daisy seemed to be intentionally playing with Gatsby's emotions. Maybe all she wanted was Gatsby's admiration. She wanted his love and adoration for her. She did not anticipate that her own desires would result in a clash with her two lovers. "'Oh you want too much' Daisy cried to Gatsby. 'I love you now-isn't that enough? I can't help what’s past. I did love him once-but I loved you too''" (F. Scott Fitzgerald 139-140). She struggles with her own emotions. She was at a point where she just wanted everything to return to normal. She had once more sided with Tom. She attempts to act as if she did nothing wrong in the beginning, but she doesn't appear to care about Gatsby's feelings anymore. She now perceives it as only a game. She might have done it because she wanted Tom's attention and enjoyed having two males battle for it. She finally realized that she would always turn to Tom because he could provide her with the power, money, and social standing that she truly