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How Does Daisy Create Happiness In The Great Gatsby

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In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald illustrates the theme that money cannot buy happiness, using material objects throughout the novel to represent the rich characters tendency to prioritize wealth. The theme is demonstrated in the novel by Daisy’s conflict for happiness between money and love. Daisy hopes money will fulfill her just as love does; therefore, she makes her fateful choice to place her life in the hands of her money, and money cannot sustain all which love can. Prior to any interaction with Tom Buchanan, Daisy filled her heart with the affection she felt for Gatsby, only to feel void of that great love when Gatsby leaves her, testifying to Daisy’s true happiness when she is with Gatsby. Daisy’s love for Gatsby …show more content…

Daisy attempts to fill her love thirsty heart with money and social status with Tom, thus giving her superficial happiness. Daisy marries Tom to fill her cold heart with all of his wealth; their “pomp” wedding included many servants and guests along with a wedding gift of a “string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars”, showing the true reason for Daisy’s love toward Tom (Page 75-76). Daisy and Tom throw an impromptu wedding, which seems to give off its own sense of superiority without much effort. Daisy is being showered with greater wealth than she ever has before, and she loves it. When Daisy is focused on the wonderful wealth given to her by Tom, she is able to ignore her inner feelings; however, when she is reminded of the hollowness of her marriage, she sinks into a temporary depression. Although the string of pearls are a symbol of wealth, they also represent Tom to Daisy; Daisy is drunk and has Gatsby is on her mind, so she “[gropes] around in a waste-basket” and retrieves the expensive necklace telling her bridesmaids to “give ‘em back to whoever they belong to” because she doesn’t want to be Tom’s property anymore, but the pearls are back around her neck in time to marry Tom the next day (Page 76). Daisy has developed a deep façade …show more content…

Daisy has become much closer to Gatsby, and their relationship has evolved from a dream into being close to each other, eliminating the green light’s significance. The green light has a “colossal significance” but it has “vanished forever” because while Gatsby used to feel he and Daisy were “as close as a star to the moon”, Daisy “[puts] her arm through his abruptly” because they are finally together and the distance has seemingly disappeared (Page 93). The green light was a major symbol in the book and its dramatic transformation is not taken lightly, as to Gatsby, Daisy and him are together forever from this point on. Daisy creates a horrible miscommunication with Gatsby, as she has sent him the message she is his forever, but she is still captivated by Tom’s money. Despite the perfection of Daisy and Gatsby’ s relationship and the ideal place for a happy ending, Daisy still will not let go of Tom or her place in the upper class. Tom and Daisy are sitting down to a meal directly after Daisy kills Myrtle with Gatsby’s Rolls Royce; the couple is neither happy or unhappy, they have an “unmistakable air of natural intimacy” and it appeared to Nick they were “conspiring together” (Page 145). This content attitude toward each other, shows

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