Introduction
The Great Gatsby is a widely-known piece by Scott Fitzgerald, a prominent American author. The novel is known for its well-developed characters and is regarded a masterpiece by many scholars. The story is primarily focused on an individual named Jay Gatsby and his relationships with Daisy Buchanan. The aim of the paper is to explore the character of a former debutante, and her overall role in the book.
The argument is that the author attempts to describe her as a pure and innocent female to ensure that the reader understands the perspective of Jay, but particular aspects of her true identity are revealed when the story progresses. Fitzgerald shows that in reality she is an opposite during the final chapters, and it was nearly impossible to predict because of her ability to manipulate others.
Discussion
Daisy is a fascinating character because some individuals may feel sympathy towards her because of the way she is described and her actions. The author tries to ensure that her motives are not clear and provides subliminal hints throughout the whole novel. Fitzgerald highlights the girl’s charm when she is introduced to the reader, and he states that she “held my hand for a moment, looking up into my face, promising that there was no one in the world she so much wanted to see” (11). Differently put, she knows how to act to gain sympathy. “Before I could answer her eyes fastened with an awed expression on her little finger” is another quote that supports the argument (Fitzgerald 15).
She proceeds to explain that she was hurt as the result of her husband’s actions. Such comments may seem quite innocent, but the intonation and the situation suggest she wanted to appear as a victim. It is quite clear that Gatsby was quite interested in the girl at this point, and she tried to capture his attention. A girl is quite charismatic, but her statements seem suspicious in some cases. “I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” is the way she speaks about her daughter (Fitzgerald 20).
This quote indicates that she recognizes that women have to deal with numerous difficulties in their lives, and unfair treatment and discrimination were especially prominent at that time. She believes that it would be better for a girl to achieve everything with her beauty, and she should not think about the difficulties that she may face. Her desires may seem reasonable, but the quote also highlights her real character. She was not a fool and understood that this approach is inappropriate, but did not want to challenge the norms of the society.
Her intentions start to get a little more obvious in the middle of the novel. The central character and Daisy know each other much better, and she is no longer as careful with her statements because she knows that he loves her. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before” is a rather interesting quote (Fitzgerald 99). One could think that it is a sign of affection that she has for the central character. However, it highlights the fact that she is much more interested in material things that she may possess if she is in a relationship with the millionaire.
“You always look so cool” is a statement worthy of a discussion (Fitzgerald 126). She does not want to say what she thinks directly and tries to utilize her movements and intonations to ensure that a particular person understands her intentions. Her husband did not see or hear anything inappropriate, but it was still incredibly suspicious, and it is possible to say that she wanted to start drama. “I did love him once – but I loved you too” is one of the most well-known quotes in this piece (Fitzgerald 142).
This phrase is intriguing because it has surprised Jay Gatsby. Daisy was able to manipulate Gatsby to believe that he is the only person that she likes. He made a crucial mistake and did not understand that she only loves money. Moreover, Jay thought that marriage is not a problem, and only feelings are important. However, he failed to realize Daisy’s true intentions, and it has led to severe consequences.
The girl’s identity becomes clear after the incident involving Gatsby’s car, but the central character still does not want to look at the situation from a different perspective. “Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and then she lost her nerve and turned back” is the statement that reveals that she was careless and did not care about the future of ours (Fitzgerald 154). The accident is rather interesting because it is not possible to state if it was accidental or not, but the fact that she tries to avoid the responsibility for her actions reveals her true identity. “I walked away and left him standing there in the moonlight – watching over nothing” is a quote that should not be overlooked (Fitzgerald 156).
The narrator suggests that the central character was waiting for Daisy to show up and discuss their relationships and the problem that has occurred. However, the girl only cared about herself and preferred to stay at home. “He couldn’t possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do” suggests that it may too late for Jay to change his mind (Fitzgerald 158). A girl was in control of the situation and did not want to provide clear answers because she believed that she could exploit central character in the future.
Conclusion
In summary, the analysis of the piece has shown that the primary role of Daisy in the Great Gatsby is to expose the fact that shallowness has affected all areas of society at that time. Individuals with good intentions had to suffer because they were not able to see deeper. Daisy, just like many people during that era, has learned how to fake emotions to gain profits. It is quite evident that Jay was a smart and rational man, but he still became a victim of her charm. It is hard to argue with the fact that it is an outstanding example of masterful writing.
Fitzgerald tries to hide the identity of Daisy to make the work much more interesting and intriguing. It would be reasonable to analyze the techniques utilized by the author to achieve this level of character development. Also, and it may be necessary to read it several times and pay attention to details. The description of the era is quite accurate, and the tone of the work is consistent. Overall, it is an excellent novel that highlights the importance of symbolic devices and narrative.
Works Cited
Fitzgerald, Scott F. (n.d.). The Great Gatsby. Web.