Preview

Character Analysis Of Daisy In The Great Gatsby

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
827 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Character Analysis Of Daisy In The Great Gatsby
Jay Gatsby can be characterized as a war veteran who is simply desperate to regain his young love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby has spent many years changing his life in order to win Daisy back, but when they finally meet again, “… Daisy tumbled short of his dreams” (Fitzgerald 95). Gatsby spent years building up an elaborate imagination of what he thought Daisy would be like when he finally met with her again. Not only does he spend many years thinking about her, he uses his time becoming the man he thinks Daisy wants. The way Gatsby changes his whole life for a woman speaks loudly about his character. Daisy Buchanan is a questionable character who, in ways, lets the reader down. Quickly, the author reveals Daisy’s character when he announces that Tom, Daisy’s husband, has “some woman in New York” (Fitzgerald 15). This news is startling because Daisy knows about the other woman. At this point, the reader can start to wonder what kind of person Daisy is for having knowledge of the affair, but doing absolutely nothing about it. At first the reader could see Daisy as this beautiful, elegant woman, but is then let down given the fact that Daisy is doing nothing about her husband’s affair. Tom Buchanan is undeniably an arrogant, hypocritical, and morally challenged character in The Great Gatsby. Although he had an affair with …show more content…
In order to fulfill her dreams of being wealthy and glamorous, Myrtle “has some sort of life apart from [George] in another world” (Fitzgerald 124). Essentially, Myrtle believes that by having an affair with Tom Buchanan, she is moving up the social ladder. But instead of helping her situation, the affair eventually leads to Myrtle’s fate, death. Furthermore, Myrtle was a character who wanted to achieve the American Dream so badly, but could never fully achieve it because of her social

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    When Gatsby found out that Daisy married Tom Buchanan, he lost himself. Gatsby was only worried about Daisy and what she wanted, for he needed to win her over to reach his goal. He focused so much on Daisy that he lost comprehension of his possible character collapse that could occur if he went too far with her pampering and temptation to take her from Tom. Gatsby has wasted many years trying to live up to the American dream and gain wealth. However, Jay has failed to realize that the so called “American Dream” doesn’t exist, for the society has become selfish and grouped into classes. Because of this and the fact that he was considered “new money”, Jay was powerless in the task of reaching Daisy’s class and rating. Jay was prepared to take the blame for Daisy, when she accidentally hit and killed Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress. Because everyone believed that Gatsby did the bad deed, Nick told him to flee the town, but he stayed, for he couldn’t leave Daisy. After George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, shot and killed Gatsby to gain revenge, Daisy left the town and didn’t attend Jay’s funeral, which led to the end of Jay’s character breakdown. Gatsby’s character downfall and ordeal were negatively impacted by his need to achieve the American dream and Daisy’s…

    • 988 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Daisy had her own view on the world, about a girl’s perspective. “That’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful fool.” (D. Buchanan). She is a blond headed woman from Louisville, she is the wife of Tom Buchanan. Daisy and Myrtle were different in many ways, they also had a few things in common. They both decided to cheat on their husbands. She was a very happy person, “I’m p-paralyzed with happiness.” (D. Buchanan). She tried to hide her feelings from Gatsby, she wasn’t ready to open…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This demonstrates that even Gatsby’s mansion represents his internal emptiness because of Daisy. Even though he has achieved his goals, his longing dream has been just a lost hope in his empty heart. Similarly, to Tom he has wealth, power, and his wife’s love; however, he has a mistress thinking that would be sufficient to cover his emptiness.…

    • 58 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Positioned in the East Egg at the end of Daisy's dock is a green light hardly discernible from Gatsby's whereabouts in the West Egg. The light portrays Gatsby's dreams and ambitions for not only his future, but his future incorporating Daisy. Throughout the first chapter, Gatsby encounters an instant where he extends himself toward the light utilizing it as a beacon leading him to his…

    • 66 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel “The Great Gatsby” Tom Buchanan is a man who has it all. He was an all star footballer in high school, he is wealthy, and is married to a beautiful woman, Daisy. Although Tom has all of these nice things, he also has some downfalls. Tom was selfish with his women, he gets what he wants when he wants it, and he is a hypocrite. Tom Buchanan displays a significant amount of arrogance in this novel.…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fitzgerald begins his commentary in his introduction of the character of Daisy Buchanan, a typical woman of the time. Her very name emphasizes to the reader her fragility and delicate nature while described as, “opening up again in a…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women of the early 1900s were focused on pleasure, beauty, and glamour. Many depended on a spouse and characterized social status with money. Women of this time period were especially materialistic; most of the female characters in The Great Gatsby displayed a value for wealth.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The most despicable in "The Great Gatsby" is Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is a consistent liar throughout the novel. She is having an affair with Gatsby who claims that he loves her but is married to Tom who is a big jerk. She loved Gatsby from a young age but when Gatsby was sent off to war and Daisy said that she would wait for him, she dishonors her word and decides that she is going to marry Tom Buchanan. Tom is the bad guy in the story. He never does anything right and is basically the enemy of Gatsby. Gatsby believes that Daisy should be with him and that she never really loved Tom. Daisy married Tom Buchanan because he was rich and available and that was what beautiful debutantes did in Louisville in 1919.…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Daisy Buchanan is Nick Carraway’s cousin, as a beautiful young women, she was loved by Gatsby and many others before the war in Louisville; they both fell in love with each and promised that they will get married once he returned only because Gatsby lied about his background about being in a wealthy family. Daisy couldn’t wait much longer because of how much she wanted to be loved by someone, she decided to marry a wealthy, young man, Tom Buchanan, once he asked her to marry to him. Daisy now lives with Tom in East Egg district, across from Gatsby. She knows that Gatsby was her first love and always will be, but she’s married to Tom and believes that she should only love him, but little does she know Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson (pg. 26)…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby portrays a variety of realities that happen in everyday life and that are at times not spoken of but need attention called out to, realities such as dishonesty and affairs, are delicate topics that Fitzgerald brings up to the audience. Dishonesty and affair issues are seen through Tom and the involvement he has with another woman while married to Daisy since he openly admits it to Nick, ordering “We’re getting off!’ he insisted ‘I Want you to meet my girl” (928). Of course, when he said ‘girl’ he was not referring to Daisy, he was cynically accepting the affair he was having with her and in way, one might say, proud by the tone he used, almost excitedly saying it. Fitzgerald does not hide the fact that it is an issue that needs some calling out and in the process also breaks the stereotype that it is only men who are disloyal since, Myrtle, Tom’s “girl” is also a married woman having an affair on her husband with…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Myrtle was a very materialistic person. She was very unhappy with her husband. His job owning a mechanic shop had been very slow and wasn't been bringing in very much money. With his lack of money, he was unable to give Myrtle everything she wanted, so she took it upon herself to have an affair with Tom Buchanan. Myrtle didn't even care if George found out about her affair or not.…

    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What are the qualities that make a person achieve greatness? Many of Gatsby’s actions are questionable but when you take all that away he truly is great. In a time of rebellion and corruption, true intentions was a lacking and rare quality that was much needed. Greatness is not always determined by size or actions it’s sometimes determined by intentions. Gatsby is great because he is selfless, he knows what love is and wants to give it away and even though he is corrupt, none of the corruption is personal.…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jay Gatsby, the main character from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a fascinating character who takes on an interesting persona. Gatsby is so “great” because of his unusual nature of dealing with his lifelong problems and his status in society. Gatsby is a man who has many dreams, just like every other American citizen, but he pursues them to an abnormal extent to which many view him as “great.” Gatsby’s ultimate dream is to rekindle his relationship with Daisy, a girl that he viewed as flawless. Gatsby is also viewed as “great” due to his substantial wealth and his notorious parties.…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Buchanan, a rich retired football star, portrays typical hypocrisy throughout the novel. Having no guilty conscience of his own adultery with Myrtle, he becomes outraged when he starts to suspect Daisy and Gatsby of having an affair, and he demands a confrontation. Tom screams at Daisy, “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that 's the idea you can count me out.” (76). Not only does this display his inconsideration of his own wife’s feelings, but also his lack of realization of his…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    <br>The character of Jay Gatsby was a wealthy business man, who the author developed as arrogant and tasteless. Gatsby's love interest, Daisy Buchanan, was a subdued socialite who was married to the dim witted Tom Buchanan. She is the perfect example of how women of her level of society were supposed to act in her day. The circumstances surrounding Gatsby and Daisy's relationship kept them eternally apart. For Daisy to have been with Gatsby would have been forbidden, due to the fact that she was married. That very concept of their love being forbidden, also made it all the more intense, for the idea of having a prohibited love, like William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, made it all the more desirable. Gatsby was remembering back five years to when Daisy was not married and they were together:…

    • 1311 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays