Daisy Miller: Post-Civil War

Daisy is a vain lady. She marries Tom for money and status, and turns her back on true love and happiness, which is represented by Gatsby. Her American Dream is to enjoy a luxurious and comfortable life given to her by, hopefully a man who truly loves her, and whom she also loves. The corruption of her human values begins when she decides not to wait anymore for Gatsby, her real love, but to take the opportunity that Tom Buchanan offers, which are money and status. Her choices reveal her vain and superficial nature hidden beneath her beautiful and innocent look. When Gatsby returns with wealth and status in order

His material world reflects Daisy. Daisy is sometimes a symbol of the American dream. “Her voice is full of money... That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money - that was the inexhaustible

Born Daisy Fay in Louisville, Kentucky, Daisy was always the princess in the tower, the golden girl that every man dreamed of possessing. ?She dressed in white, and had a little white roadster, and all the day long the telephone rang in her house and excited young officers from Camp Taylor demanded the privilege of monopolizing her that night,? (79). Daisy is beautiful, rich, and appears very innocent as a young woman, although it is later

Gender and sexuality – Gender plays a large role in the story of Daisy Miller. In the beginning and at the end, Winterbourne is known to be “studying” in Geneva. What this really means is that he is spending time with older, foreign coquettes. On the other hand, Daisy Miller is heavily looked down upon especially when she is in Rome. When Winterbourne arrives in Rome, his aunt tells him “When she comes to a party she brings with her a gentleman with a good deal of manner and a wonderful mustache.” Also, people continue to question her actions throughout the novella. For example, when Daisy Miller explains that she is going to the Pincio, Mrs. Walker replies with, “Alone, my dear—at this hour?” The carriage scene is another example of this happening. Both Mrs. Walker and Winterbourne tell her that she should go home because they are worried about her reputation being ruined by her walking the streets of Rome. In conclusion, Winterbourne is never confronted about what he does with older foreign ladies whether it is in the beginning or in the end of the novella. However, Daisy Miller’s actions are criticized. Both gender and the attraction between Winterbourne and Daisy Miller play a large theme. Winterbourne’s ultimate desire is to have Daisy Miller to himself to ultimately marry

While Daisy was playing baseball she & her teammates would get scars & bruises from sliding on the bases because the wore short skirts.While being an all american girl Daisy & her teammates also needed to learn how to act like ladies.They learned how to charm a date,sip tea like a lady,& how to wear makeup.While they were traveling they never got to socialize much.They would only stay home for a day or two to spend time with family.Daisy was basically a living suitcase the way that Daisy

Daisy is in love with money, ease, and material luxury, all things a rich Southern Belle grows up with.  After her marriage to Tom, she is whisked away to the east, the symbol of 'old money' and corruption of America.  Here she becomes more comfortable in she and her husband's abundant assets and allows the corruption of the east to take her over- she becomes reckless and even more materialistic.  She treats her own daughter as nothing more than an object to show off and treats Gatsby, the man who dedicated his life to seeking her out, as if he had never existed.  The combination of the Southern Belle stereotype along with that of the corrupt Rich Easterner creates the perfect portrait of Daisy Buchanan.

Catherine Barkley is a young nurse working at a hospital on the front lines of the war. Nursing is a profession that takes skill and compassion. She was a brave woman because it takes true strength to see and take care of the brutal injuries that soldiers suffer with as casualties of war. Catherine was previously engaged to another soldier who was killed in action. Which means that she was mature enough to know what love is and that she was ready for marriage. She meets Frederic in Gorizia, Italy at the hospital she works in. Daisy Buchanan is what they call a socialite. She is wealthy, active in the community she lives in, and a debutante. Daisy is married to Tom and they have a daughter together. When we meet Daisy in the story she is not happy and she seems to be complacent with the difficulties she has in her marriage. Her dear friend Nick even notices the problems and says, “It

Her actions are viewed as foolish, creating the stigma around women, and though Daisy does not see herself as a fool, surprisingly she expresses that “the best thing a girl can be in this world [is] a beautiful little fool (Fitzgerald, pg 17).” Yet, Daisy is not a fool; she is merely a victim of her environment which is influenced by gender, money, and status. This leads to Daisy having no power or control over her own life and feeling as though women can only be “beautiful fools” as stated earlier.

"All right I said, 'I'm glad it’s a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'" (Fitzgerald,17). This quote shows that in Daisy mind the best way for her daughter to succeed in life is to be beautiful to draw the attention of men. “(I’ve heard it said that Daisy’s murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming.) This quote explains that Daisy has found a way to draw people closer because she speaks very quietly. Daisy has many interactions with men throughout the novel that shows just how much influence she has over them.

James' manipulation of appearances in Daisy Miller as well as other character's notions of these appearances provides us with a novella of enigmatic and fascinating characters. Daisy, the most complicated of these ambiguities, is as mysterious as she is flirtatious. James gives her a carefully constructed enigmatic quality that leaves the reader wondering what her motivations were and who she truly was. He structures the novella in such a way as to stress the insights that the supporting characters provide into Daisy's character, weather accurate or erroneous. Despite their questionable reliability, they allow James to make commentary on both European and American cultures and social class.

Daisy also went against the social norms of the society when she began to talk to Winterbourne (472). James is displaying Daisy as a tramp because she is traveling around and talking to Winterbourne when she should be a conservative woman who stays with her mother or only goes out with a chaperone.

Fitzgerald uses women as a foundation of the American dream by showing their beauty, status, personality,and power, Beauty in the novel was an important component which was flaunted by women in the 1920’s which was being shown through Daisy, Jordan,and Myrtle. Daisy is a symbol of beauty and sophistication. She is described as a captivating young woman that leads on others with her personality. Daisy builds the American dream by showing the beauty and happiness that the dream is intended to have. Daisy is the male fantasy of woman, which shows why she was shown to act the way she does, she uses her beauty to her advantages, to get away with things and to live the glamorous life that she intends to live. “ her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes,bright passionate mouth” (Fitzgerald,14). This quote from the novel represents how Daisy is a part of the American dream as beauty,how she catches men’s attention with her attitude. She portrays, personality and Beauty. She portrays the American dream as a happy ending. For jordan her beauty is different from Daisy’s, Jordan beauty is her mysterious features that causes others to be intrigued by it, and her ability to fit in with her neutral attitude. She seems

The socialites in Daisy Miller's world aspire to a perfection, a nobility, and a superlative of character. But character is a misleading word; interiority is important only insofar as it reflects the assumed depths that come with an appearance of refinement, for the relationships in "Daisy Miller: A Study" are formed by observation, not by conversation. Winterbourne's

She believes the Miller’s to be “common” and tells Winterbourne to stay away from them. However, Daisy represents to Winterbourne what he lacks, standing as a metaphor of what all of Europe lacks, as long as Daisy does not go too far with her social freedom.

Daisy Miller" by Henry James, is a study of a young American girl's rebuttal of all things "proper" and refusal to conform to social standards. One can see that realism is apparent throughout the text. The characters utilize free will throughout, are affected by their environment and familial relationships, and ultimately make their own choices. These choices eventually affect the outcome in an unhappy ending. Jame's creates characters that encompass both sides of the social sphere in this work. Winterbourne, Mrs. Costello and Mrs. Walker are all individuals that come from old money, a higher societal background, and expectations of what is deemed right and proper. In contrast, Daisy Miller, Mrs. Miller, Randolph and Eugenio are the opposite in many ways coming from an average societal realm and more realistic, modest lifestyle. Winterbourne has a rather telling conversation with Mrs. Walker and her statement to him upon asking what exactly it is that Daisy does that pushes "too far" sums up the overall reputation Daisy is establishing for herself. "(she does) Everything that is not done here. Flirting with any man she could pick up; sitting in corners with mysterious Italians; dancing all the evening with the same partners; receiving visits at eleven o'clock at night"(James, p. 1537). Daisy's ability to make her own choices and follow her free will are aspects of realism which writers began to utilize. Again, her environment and family most definitely affect her behavior.