The Great Gatsby

The Significance of Daisy Buchanan's American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Some women during the 1920s lived the life with the role of a repressed woman. Repressed women did not make decisions for themselves; they relied solely on their husbands. Their husbands treated them as if they were objects without any feelings whatsoever. Repressed women showed no self respect, and they did not live their life in reality. These women's emotions were suppressed as they appeared as if they had no care in the world. In Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan represents the repressed role of women in the American Dream.

Daisy appears to be happy and content with her life. However, Nick states, "Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in her face," meaning that Daisy may not be showing her true feelings and emotions (Fitzgerald 9; ch.1). This is exactly what repressed women of the 1920s did. The women did like the luxurious lifestyle, but they did not have enough courage to step up and speak for what they believe in. They did whatever their husbands told them to do, with absolutely no complaints about it. Ironically, Korenman characterizes Daisy as "blonde, blue eyed, feminine, and frivolous" (574). The key word that Korenman used in describing Daisy is the word frivolous, meaning light-hearted and giddy. Outwardly, Daisy portrays this personality, but inwardly she is repressed.

In the text of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald discusses how Tom treats his mistress, Myrtle. This parallels to how Tom treats his own wife, Daisy. Tom says, "I want to see you, get on the next train." Myrtle replies without hesitation, "All right" (Fitzgerald 26; ch.2). This is another example of a repressed women being looked at as an object. Tom tells her what he wants, and he gets it. Women of this time did not want to think about what would happen if they disagreed with their husbands, they would rather just not have to worry about it.

Fitzgerald introduces Gatsby into Daisy's life as if he is the perfect man for her. She is mesmerized by his wealth as she enters his dressing room saying, "They're such beautiful shirts," she sobbed, her voice muffled in the think folds. "It makes me sad because I've never seen such--such beautiful shirts before" (Fitzgerald 92; ch.5). Daisy is overcome with two things that she has never experienced at the same time: wealth and love. Tom has the money but he does not treat her like a woman should be treated. Finally, she is in the presence of a man who has the money, but only cares about making her life complete. Person agrees and disagrees with this thought. "She is victim first of Tom Buchanan's "cruel" power, but then of Gatsby's increasingly depersonalized vision of her," he states (250). He agrees that she is very mistreated by Tom, but then later describes the way Gatsby mistreats her by saying "She becomes the unwitting "grail" in Gatsby's adolescent quest to remain ever-faithful to his seven-year-old conception of himself" (250). Person is trying to say that Gatsby does not truly love Daisy and that he is just using her to fuel his growing ego.

At this time Daisy does not know what she wants from her life. She has experienced something new, a man who only cares about making her happy. The whole time before Gatsby, she lived a life consisting of poor treatment by a man who cared nothing about her. She had to work for attention from Tom that did not come often. Now, after meeting Gatsby, she is getting all the attention that she has been missing during the years before this