The Great Gatsby
Prompt #13 · The Great Gatsby
Prompt Type: Character Arc
Daisy Buchanan is gradually revealed to be far more complex than her initial appearance suggests. Analyze how Fitzgerald develops Daisy's character to embody the corruption of wealth and the failure of Gatsby's dream. Explain how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Quote 1
“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.”
Chapter 1
Argument
This quote represents Daisy's early baseline, revealing her cynical acceptance of societal expectations for women, which foreshadows her moral corruption and complicity in the failure of Gatsby's dream.
Quote 2
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made …”
Chapter 9
Argument
This quote marks Daisy's final state, exposing her as a symbol of the careless corruption of wealth, as she and Tom retreat into their privilege, abandoning Gatsby and his shattered dream.
Quote 3
“She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as someone he knew a long time ago.”
Chapter 7
Argument
This quote captures a turning point in Daisy's arc, where her indecision between Gatsby and Tom reveals her internal conflict and ultimately her inability to transcend the moral decay of her class.
Quote 4
"Oh, you want too much!" she cried to Gatsby. "I love you now—isn't that enough? I can't help what's past." She began to sob helplessly. "I did love him once—but I loved you too."
Chapter 7
Argument
This quote captures Daisy's turning point, where her emotional breakdown reveals her inability to fully commit to Gatsby, highlighting the hollowness of her love and the corruption of her wealth-driven values.
Quote 5
"They're such beautiful shirts," she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. "It makes me sad because I've never seen such—such beautiful shirts before."
Chapter 5
Argument
This quote exemplifies Daisy's materialism and emotional shallowness, as she fixates on Gatsby's shirts rather than their reunion, underscoring how wealth has corrupted her capacity for genuine connection.