Daisy As a Negative Allegory For American Society Oscar Stirling Payne College

Daisy is a pivotal character in The Great Gatsby – Fitzgerald’s interpretation of an old money princess is oft regarded as one of the most selfish fictional characters to exist throughout literary history, perhaps the epitome of a ‘Femme Fatale’. While it is true that aspects of her character are repulsively vulgar, there are examples that point to the contrary. It is true that overall the more blatant aspects of her character directly link towards her being allegorical to Fitzgerald’s distaste for American society, and this is the main point her character serves towards his wider purpose of highlighting the moral decay in the American Dream. However, there are aspects of her character that do demonstrate opposing opinions. To fully grasp her character and what it connotes for The Great Gatsby, further exploration of her character is required.

Perhaps the most blatant of all aspects of her character is the fact she is Old Money; having “been everywhere and done everything,” it is clear she is of the belief that the world is her oyster, and she will take what she can get if it is presented to her. Something that demonstrates her wealth more than anything else is the $350,000 string of pearls that Tom purchases for her – which she...