Character Profile - Daisy Buchanan

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Daisy, the object of desire during the novel, is presented in the last few chapters as a coward. Her initial wisdom that is introduced at the beginning of the book quickly dissipates as she shrinks under the power of her husband during the time when she could stand up to him and leave with her past love Gatsby. The sad part is that Daisy has now had two chances to change her fate. The first being at her wedding where she almost did, "She groped around in a waste-basket...and pulled out the string of pearls. 'Take 'em down-stairs and give 'em back to whoever they belong to. Tell 'em all Daisy's chane' her mine. Say: 'Daisy's change' her mine!'" (Fitzgerald, 76). I don't believe that this is anything but a fickle young woman speaking. Daisy does not have the qualities worthy of anyone but Tom. While he is abusive to her, she is intelligent enough to leave him if it gets too bad. But, leaving Tom means leaving money and it is clear that she is unwilling to do that.