One of the first characters we meet in The Great Gatsby is Daisy, wife of wealthy, fractious Tom Buchanan. It is interesting to note that many aspects of Daisy’s character actually reflect those of the idolized 1920s flapper: a pleasure-seeking woman full of thoughtless giddiness whose superficial cares revolve primarily around her popularity, self, and beauty.
Nick first describes Daisy’s “absurd, charming little laugh” and “low thrilling voice.” He also draws our attention to her face, “sad and lovely, with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth.” Although these sensual descriptions highlight Daisy’s singular beauty, her speech and actions reveal the immaturity and impetuousness of her inner nature. For instance, when Nick tells her (out of common courtesy) that everyone in Chicago misses her, she emphatically demands to return right away—no doubt to revel in the adoration of her devotees.
When Nick politely enquires about her little daughter, Daisy startles readers by replying, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” While revealing her belief that a girl can have more fun if she is beautiful and simplistic, Daisy's flapper-mom-like wish for her daughter is not so unusual when viewed in light of the fact that she is the product of an age that values women for their sexuality over their intelligence. Just as Daisy conforms to the social standard of American femininity in the 1920s in order to avoid her tension-filled life—such as her strained marriage and tangled love affair with Gatsby—so too does she hope for her daughter to be protected under a shield of lovely naivety.
Nick first describes Daisy’s “absurd, charming little laugh” and “low thrilling voice.” He also draws our attention to her face, “sad and lovely, with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth.” Although these sensual descriptions highlight Daisy’s singular beauty, her speech and actions reveal the immaturity and impetuousness of her inner nature. For instance, when Nick tells her (out of common courtesy) that everyone in Chicago misses her, she emphatically demands to return right away—no doubt to revel in the adoration of her devotees.
When Nick politely enquires about her little daughter, Daisy startles readers by replying, “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” While revealing her belief that a girl can have more fun if she is beautiful and simplistic, Daisy's flapper-mom-like wish for her daughter is not so unusual when viewed in light of the fact that she is the product of an age that values women for their sexuality over their intelligence. Just as Daisy conforms to the social standard of American femininity in the 1920s in order to avoid her tension-filled life—such as her strained marriage and tangled love affair with Gatsby—so too does she hope for her daughter to be protected under a shield of lovely naivety.
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