Analysis Of Daisy Buchanan In The Great Gatsby

In the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many different characters are seen in many different perspectives. Because the narrator is one of the characters in the story, everything the reader hears is from a certain point of view. One of the main characters who could be viewed in many different ways is Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin. When Daisy first comes in she is the picture of perfection and happiness. As the story goes on the reader sees different issues in the life of Daisy that she may be trying to ignore. Daisy seemed to show feelings and love toward certain characters but really she was just in love with the idea of wealth and luxury. The two main victims of Daisy's false love were Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. Daisy drew

them in with her beauty and then let go or just settled.
The very first person introduced as Daisy's husband was Tom Buchanan.

As the story progressed Nick tells of Gatsby and Daisy's relationship before Daisy even knew Tom (80). Gatsby and Daisy fell deeply in love, or at least from Gatsby's point of view they did. Daisy promised to wait for Gatsby while he was in the war but she went back on her word when Tom Buchanan, a rich young man, asked her to marry him. The night before the wedding Daisy was having second thoughts about the wedding until Tom gave her a pearl necklace worth "three hundred and fifty thousand dollars" (80). Due to Daisy's love of wealth she married Tom for his money. Because Daisy was always wanting more there was always a void in their lives. They traveled often, always bought new things, and even had a child to try to fill the emptiness they had. Tom even went as far as to find another woman to have an affair with. Even though Daisy and Tom were married Daisy knew of Tom's affair and she let it go on because she still benefited from Tom's

riches.
Despite Daisy leaving Gatsby in the past and marrying Tom, Gatsby moved across the bay from Daisy's house where he could watch "a single green light, minute and far away" that was at the end of her dock (26).

Somehow this light connected Gatsby to his love, Daisy without her knowing or even thinking of him. Jay Gatsby is a mysterious character but throughout the story he reveals that his ulterior motive is to get back together with Daisy. Gatsby is known to throw gigantic, energy-filled parties with a large number of guests but no one understood why. Gatsby wanted Daisy to come to his party and enjoy them so much that she would fall in love with him all over again (84). Over the years, Gatsby forms this grotesque image of Daisy and how great she will be when they get back together and how their love will be perfect. So eventually Gatsby gets tired of waiting so he asked Nick to invite Daisy over for tea so that him and Daisy can be together. The tea party was quite awkward as it states "for half a minute there wasn't a sound"(92). Following the uncomfortable tea party Gatsby, Nick and Daisy all go to Gatsby's house where he can show of his prosperity to Daisy. Daisy is clearly impressed with everything Gatsby has as she begins crying all the sight of all his beautiful shirts (98). Everything Gatsby had hoped for is finally happening since him and Daisy reunited but Nick knows that something Daisy will do will disappoint him because of his highly elevated view of Daisy. Then

Daisy is invited to Gatsby's party but she looks as though she is not really enjoying herself and this upsets Jay Gatsby. Because of this poor experience, Gatsby stops throwing parties and hires all new house help, mainly because Daisy comes over often and he does not want anyone to gossip about them (120). Daisy and Gatsby grow closer as time progresses, even to the point where Daisy kissed Gatsby and also told him she loved him in front of Tom(125).
After Daisy had told Gatsby she loved him her and Tom were in a bit of an argument as Tom did not appreciate Daisy loving another man. Because Daisy and Tom were fighting Daisy drove with Gatsby in his car. Daisy was driving Gatsby's car while she was angry and she hit Myrtle, Tom's other woman (145). Unfortunately for Gatsby it was his car leaving him with the blame. Daisy felt bad so she went home without stopping after the accident. Gatsby stayed home and took the blame for the accident when "the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete"(170). Gatsby died for Daisy, protecting her because he still had hope that she would choose to love him over Tom. Instead of Daisy taking the blame for what she really did wrong she left with Tom, their child, and all their money with no trace of where they went (172).
Daisy was known as the most popular and well liked girl turned out to be a coward in the end. All she ever wanted was an adventurous life and wealth. Daisy married Tom only because of love for his money and in doing that she betrayed Gatsby. Even as Tom was cheating on her she still stayed with him but she slowly because more attached to Gatsby and the party that his life was. However she ran from the problem she created when she killed Myrtle and left Gatsby to take the blame. This shows Daisy did not really care for either, her husband or Gatsby. If she loved Gatsby she never would have married Tom, or she would have rejected Tom when he came back into her life. Also if she loved Tom she never would have cheated on him with Gatsby. The only thing that Daisy is looking for is happiness and she cannot find it because she is constantly looking for happiness in material things and in men that can never satisfy her. Therefore, the heart of the problem is that Daisy needs to find happiness and content with what she has and not always look for bigger better things to come.