Daisy Buchanan


Daisy Buchanan
Portrayed by	Lois Wilson Betty Field Mia Farrow Mira Sorvino Carey Mulligan
Biographical information
Status	Alive
Residence	East Egg, Long Island, United States
Family members	Tom Buchanan (husband) Pammy Buchanan (daughter) Nick Carraway (second cousin once removed) (cousin [in some film adaptions])
[Source]

Biography

Daisy Fay was born in 1899 to a wealthy family in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1917, the then 18-year-old was known to be extremely popular with the men stationed at Camp Taylor, one of whom was Jay Gatsby. Both fell in love, but Gatsby had to leave for the war. When he was away, Daisy met a wealthy man, Tom Buchanan, and fell in love with him. One year after they married both had a daughter, named Pammy Buchanan. Five years later, Daisy meets now wealthy Gatsby again through Nick Carraway, and have an affair. Daisy accidentally kills Myrtle Wilson when she is driving home from the hotel with Gatsby.

Personality

Daisy is characterized as a shallow, careless, and at times, cheerful person. However, she is not as ignorant and fun-loving as she portrays herself to be.

In reality, she is stuck in a marriage with her husband, Tom, who cheats on her with his mistress, Myrtle. Daisy married him after she thought Gatsby would never come back. When she meets Gatsby again, he holds her to unrealistically high expectations, as she is a symbol of his dreams.

It is unclear whether Daisy really loved Gatsby. Though she claims to have loved him, she also says the same for Tom, whom she once loved.

But her indecisiveness, or as some see it- intentionally letting misinformation to stay misinformation, (in)directly lead to the death of Gatsby.

Daisy has a daughter named Pammy but often leaves her with a care taker. Even so, she does show care for her daughter when she tells Nick Carraway "I'm glad it's a girl and I hope she'll be a fool. That's the best thing a girl can ever be in this world, a beautiful little fool". She does not want her daughter to know too many things about the world, it's better if she stays ignorant and shallow, like Daisy tries to be sometimes.

Many people view Daisy as frivilous, selfish, and irresponsible. She is seen as materialistic, and only wanting Gatsby’s money. This is partly because she cries over the shirts that Gatsby throws. When he disappeared, she immediately married Tom because he appeared rich. She runs over Myrtle without guilt, and then abandons Gatsby to take the blame as she disappears with Tom. Others think of her as simply misunderstood, as she is trapped in a marriage she did not want, and is a victim of the gender expectations of her time. She truly loved Gatsby, but couldn’t wait for him because there was too much pressure on her. When she is reunited with Gatsby, he holds her to unrealistically high expectations, since she is a symbol of his dreams. Either way she chooses she cannot win.