Essay | The Dream Girl Daisy Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby"

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzergerald seems to portray Daisy Buchanan's character with association of purity, innocence and light--the perfect type of girl that everyone dreams to have. Jay Gatsby is one who believes that Daisy is the perfect girl and "forever wed[s] his unutterable visions" (p. 117) to her. In Gatsby's eyes, Daisy is flawless. However, through the events that happen on the hottest summer day, Daisy appears to be restless and shallow due to her lack of direction in life. Daisy's selfishness and irresponsible behaviors reflect the mentality of the social class she belongs to. Gatsby's desire and intensity to pursue his dream contrasts Daisy's lassitude and cynicism towards life. Daisy's indifference and aimlessness exemplify how the American dream is tainted; on the contrary, Gatsby's driven pursuit of the green light at the end of the dock across the bay (p.26) is a foil to Daisy's purposelessness....
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