In one of the greatest works of the Twentieth Century, “TheGreat Gatsby” by F.
Scott Fitzgerald, there are many dynamic andround characters which greatly add to the story’s theme. Onecharacter, Daisy Fay Buchannon, is made essential by way of herrelation to the theme. With her multi-dimensional personalityand relation to the conflicts, she becomes needed in order toconvey the meaning. Not only this, but she is also an importantDaisy Buchannon is a round and dynamic character with manydifferent sides to her personality.
Early on in the book, she isportayed as sweet and innocent. Her white and seemingly floatingdress appeals to Nick in this way. She grew up as “the mostpopular of all the young girls in Louisville. ” Even then shedressed in white. Daisy also keeps a daughter around as a showtoy. Whenever company comes over, she beckons for the littlegirl to come and put on a little act for everyone.
This issignifies her life. She is kept in the closet until it’s time toshow off for company. Daisy becomes radiant and personable. When everyone has gone, she is a bored housewife, of noimportance to the world wondering aloud what she is going to dowith the rest of her life.
She appears to be bored yet innocentand harmless. Yet her innocense is false. Simply a materialisticyoung girl and has little mind of her own is underneath all ofthat covering. Daisy rediscovers her love with Gatsby because ofhis nice shirts and large house. Daisy has been well trained ina rich family.
She has grown up with all of the best. WhenGatsby failed to contact her, she went off and married anotherman, without evening having heard word from Gatsby. All of thesemany and round characteristics add complications to the plot anddimension to the meaning she adds to the book. The afore mentioned characteristics also help to create someof the main conflicts.
Daisy was involved in the conflictbetween her and Tom. Tom had a mistress and Daisy was upset byit. Another conlfict is her love affair with Gatsby. Herappearent sweetness and innocence allow Gatsby to fall in lovewith her.
But her impatience and ingorance of true love or themeaning of truth or compassion allow her to flawlessly marry Tom,without a sober thought of Gatsby. He falls for her, which leadsup to the futher conflict. The conflict is, whether or not shewill fall in love with Gatsby. Gatsby is still in love with herafter five years. He hopes and dreams that she is too.
Thiscreates another conflict: Gatsby’s dream. When Gatsby wasseventeen, he dreamed of being rich and powerful. When he mentDaisy, his dream changed. His goal was to see if he could reachhis dream. This conflict helps to add up to the main theme.
The way the conflicts created by Daisy help the theme arenumerous. The most significant way is that she is the centralcorruption of Gatsby’s dream. The dream began as a simple bidfor happiness. Yet Gatsby was corrupted by money. He wantedmoney.
He believed that money would make him happy. When hebecame rich, his dream was then centered upon Daisy. Daisy wasthe only thing (or at least he thought) between him andhappiness. This personifies the meaning being conyed byFitzgerald.
That the American dream has been corrupted by money. Another theme is that everything is not as it appears. Daisyappears to be sweet, innocent, and intelligent. While underneathher “white dress” lies a corrutped innerself. She is crude andshowy, all an act to attract people to her.
This theme isdisplated in almost every character. Everyone appears to besomeone they’re not, just as people in the society of the 1920’s. With prohibtiion and the extremely active nightlife of the”Roaring 20’s,” everyone had something to hide. This isdisplayed in Gatsby, who is involved in the drug trafficingbusiness — almost a mobster. Yet he appears to be simply asmart business man.
Daisy herself is a good example, and addsgreatly to the meaning of most of the meanings. All in all, Daisy contributes and is essential to the storythrough her personality, conflicts, and themes. Being a three-dimensional character, she is an excellent addition to the noveland greatly increases the meaning. Without her, the story wouldlack many certain elements which are crucial to the theme.Bibliography:
