The Great Gatsby Daisy's Marriage Quotes

Daisy’s reactions to certain events show how she makes decisions based off of what will give her the most money, rather than what will be the best option for her. Daisy was in love with Gatsby, but he was poor and he had to go to war, so she decided to wait for him. However, it took too long for him to return, so Daisy got impatient, and she married Tom instead. Tom was rich, and Daisy knew he would bring her an old money status. When Gatsby finally meets with Daisy again, she sees how rich he is and she regrets her decison to marry Tom. Gatsby shows her his house, and his fancy shirts, which makes Daisy say that “They’re such beautiful shirts… It makes me sad because

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is filled with many characters with different personalities. Jay Gatsby one of the main characters, though mysterious, he is determined to live his “American Dream”. The relationship Gatsby has with Daisy also affects the way he is. There are many different layers to Gatsby, and as we learn more about him everything starts to make more sense and fall into place. Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a mysterious figure in the beginning of the novel.

Daisy throughout the novel was part of a failing marriage, specifically her husband affair with Myrtle. In the beginning of the novel, Daisy did not know she had an option to get out of her marriage, and could live a happier life with Gatsby. When Daisy first learned of Tom’s affair, she seemed embarrassed not for him but herself, considering this was not the first time Tom has had an affair and

finding happiness with another man, Gatsby (Fitzgerald 114). Then, later on in the novel, Daisy

Oftentimes, when a being is raised in a restrictive society, they learn to adapt to what said society desires of them as a means to survive. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Daisy Fay Buchanan is a master adapter. She hides her true, conniving nature from those around her as a way to achieve success in her life. Her society requires that she appears to be the perfect, kind woman, when in actuality, she is far from it. However, she is able to disguise the negative traits she possesses, such as manipulation, selfishness, and spitefulness in order to keep the reputation and image that society has taught her to uphold.

When Tom claims that Daisy actually does love him, he suppresses her opinion by putting words in her mouth to aid his argument. Tom perceives the need that he must speak for his wife as if she can not speak for herself. Also, Tom claims that Daisy obtains “foolish ideas,” and that she “doesn’t know what she’s doing.” He implies that she is crazy and it is understandable that she fools around because of that. This reflects the misogynistic views men had towards women in this time period as they silenced women with their opinions to prove their

Tom’s infidelity in his marriage clearly expresses his views about his wife, Daisy. In seeking an affair, he conveys that Daisy is deficient and not worthy of devotion. Daisy knows of his affairs, but because of the time period and their social class, she is helpless to do anything. As a woman in the 20th century, it would destroy Daisy to divorce Tom, even though the entirety of New York knows about Tom’s affair.

Daisy is actually a very weak person. This is probably due to all the physical and mental abuse she has suffered by her husband. She allows him to have complete control over her and order her around as if she were a small child. In a way, she seems to like that Tom is in control because she never has the burden of making decisions. Because of Tom?s finances, Daisy never is in need of anything. She likes living a life of luxury and appears to be quite happy with her situation. While she may not like the concept of her husband cheating on her, she would never consider leaving him or getting a divorce because of what society would think of her. It is Daisy herself that chooses to remain in a loveless marriage.

Gatsby’s dream of being with Daisy is completely shattered by Tom’s words and Daisy’s demeanor and actions. Tom reveals the truth about the persona that Gatsby had created, known as “Jay Gatsby.” Tom tells them all that Gatsby is a “common swindler” and a “bootlegger…and [he] wasn’t far from wrong” to assume; consequently, Daisy was “drawing further into herself,” for learning how Gatsby obtained his affluence changed her mind about wanting to be with him. Her intentions of leaving Tom vanished within her, as she told Gatsby that he demanded too much of her. When it all becomes too much to bear, Daisy resorts to calling to Tom to take her away demonstrating to Gatsby that she picks Tom over him. This was Gatsby worst nightmare: to have Daisy

When someone comes off too eager for something they desire, sometimes the satisfaction won’t meet the expectations they primarily had. The thrill to chase that dream has vanished and has now turned into a bland, dull thought. Gatsby’s memory of Daisy had changed and then builds her up to more than she actually is. He then proceeds to market Daisy as something completely different. The tendency for Gatsby trying to lie to himself about his memory of Daisy has faded and is now trying hopelessly to revive his past feelings about Daisy. “He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end, waited with his teeth set, so to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity”(Fitzgerald 92). The cumbersome attitude of Gatsby towards

Gatsby: Oh Jesus,you just hit that girl we should go back and help pick up her body and bury her

Fitzgerald characterizes Daisy as a stereotypical stay-at-home mother who is soft and submissive in her relationship with her wealthy husband. However, on further examination, Daisy also rebels in her own way, primarily within her marriage to Tom. From the start, it is apparent how Daisy’s marriage to Tom is not based on love, as Fitzgerald describes their relationship as “impersonal eyes in the absence of all desire,” (Fitzgerald 10) which shows how their relationship is comforting and convenient but not loving. Tom is described as a very powerful man with “a cruel body” (Fitzgerald 7) with “two shining arrogant eyes (that) had established dominance over his face,” (Fitzgerald 6). This description of Tom is of a self-absorbed man who overpowers

Daisy, on the other hand, seems at first as though she truly does love and care for her husband. While Tom keeps himself at a distance in both relationships, Daisy seems to possess an outright need for his company. This is supported by Jordan’s recollection of Daisy’s behavior towards Tom after marrying him: “If he left the room for a minute she’d look around uneasily and say: ‘Where’s Tome gone?’ and wear the most abstracted expression until she saw him coming in the door. She used to sit on the sand with his head in her lap by the hour, rubbing her fingers over his eyes and looking at him with unfathomable delight” (Fitzgerald, 76-77). That being said, there are in fact several signs that point toward Daisy not loving her husband at all. Perhaps the most notable is her behavior just before her and Tom’s wedding ceremony, when she is found “lying on her bed as lovely as the June night in her flowered dress – and as drunk as a monkey. She had a bottle of Sauterne in one hand and [Gatsby’s] letter in the other” (76). Daisy goes so far as to even momentarily call off the marriage altogether, ordering the bridesmaids to “tell ‘em all Daisy’s change’ her mine. Say: ‘Daisy’s change’ her mine!’” (76). Why, then, does she marry Tom after all and seem so in love with him afterwards? People usually seek out partners who will make them happy, protect them from that which they fear, etc. What does Daisy fear? She

In chapter 4 Jordan Baker narrates the love story of Gatsby and Daisy, but in the end Gatsby didn’t get the girl because he didn’t have the money. Unfortunately, “In June she married Tom Buchanan of Chicago…and the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” (p.76). Within the monologue, Jordan explains how Tom, in a way, bribed Daisy to marry him with “a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” Daisy choose the money instead of the guy because she was told that she changed her mind and that she must return the pearls. The next day Daisy married Tom Buchanan. Finally, for some time after, Gatsby became a rich man and his perpetual love for Daisy empowered

Tom takes advantage of this situation and manipulates Daisy to completely depend on him. Daisy has spent her whole life being used to someone telling her what to do, and her relationship with Tom is no different. Even right after they got married, “If he left the room for a minute she’d look around uneasily and say: ‘‘Where’s Tom gone?’ and wear the most abstract expression until she saw him coming in the door” (77). Daisy relies solely on Tom and is “uneasy” without him around. Her dependence on Tom reflects not only his hyper masculinity, but how little he cares about Daisy. Despite this, he knows Daisy will never leave him, and pushes their marriage to the brink by having multiple affairs.