American Literature - The Great Gatsby Connotations Chart
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Senior / 12th grade
AP Literature
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In F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel "The Great Gatsby", the character Daisy Buchanan is
the subject of a massive amount of controversy. Her complex emotions and behaviors catalyze
these disputes among various readers and critics. Daisy has a great understanding of the world
around her and surrenders to it, making her a victim of her time. She is easily affected and
swayed by the people and the environment surrounding her and influenced by her past
heartbreaks.
It is implied that Daisy has suffered from immense heartbreak in her past through her
romantic life and her relations with men, which impacts her view of the world immensely. This is
revealed when Daisy speaks to Nick privately about her daughter, and what she wishes for her in
the future. “‘I hope she’ll be a fool— that the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful
little fool'’” (14-5). It is revealed that Daisy is truly a woman of her time in the sense that her
physical beauty is more valued by men. She hopes for her daughter that she will accept this truth
and never crave more from life because of her own experiences. However, instead of voicing her
unsatisfied emotions, she performs. When she is with Tom, she pretends to be a happy wife in
order to maintain peace.
Daisy moreover understands that throughout her life, she has had options that would
make her truly happy. However, she tends to pick the safer options in order to avoid disruptions.
When Daisy sees Gatsby's shirts, she becomes conscious of the life she could have had. “She
sobbed ‘I am just sad because I've never seen such beautiful shirts before.’”(79). Shows the life
she could have had if she decided to not live comfortably with Tom. She realizes that now, he is
of a status and wealth that is acceptable to wed and is overwhelmed by the experience. Daisy
adores Gatsby in the past and understands that she could have led a life with him. However, she
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