1

Sam Nash
Dawn Weatherbee
AP Language and Competition
10 February 2015

Gatsbys rough draft

During the 1920s times were changing. Women were gaining more rights and freedom,
prohibition was coming into effect, and the image of Love was changing. In the book The Great
Gatsby by S. Scott Fitzgerald, Daisy experienced most of the new changes of this new time.
Especially in the aspect of her new found freedoms, rights and her ability to have a kindling love
affair with the Jay Gatsby.
Daisy Buchanan was not your typical 1920s women. During this time the Flapper was
becoming the hot new thing, a typically flapper consisted of drastic, some even shocking
changes. Almost all of the clothing was cut down and lightened to make it easier to move in.
These women cut all of their hair off and began to wear make-up. The flappers took many risks
and were uncontrolled. Flappers were also known for drinking, smoking and becoming sexually
active" ( Role of Women in the 1920 n.p). Which was the opposite of Daisy , she was portrayed
as innocent and classy. She was from old money and was held to much higher standards, in the
way she acted and the people she kept compared to the new aged Flappers. She was also
conservative and well mannered, caring what people thought of her. Part of Daisy tried to have
some aspect of a flapper during her love affair with Gatsby, but eventually she ended up right
where she started.

Daisy Buchanan married Tom Buchanan at a very young age. Coming from a wealthy
family, Daisys choices for a husband were at high standards, to keep up with her family's money
and reputations. From marrying Tom at such a young age, love wasn't Daisy greatest concern.
As early as 18 Daisy met her first true love Mr. Jay Gatsby, who soon left for war and wasn't
suited for her lifestyle. After Gatsby, Daisy vowed to herself that she would marry the next
suitable man and forget about him. By the next autumn she was gay again, gay as ever. She had
a debut after the armistice, and in february she was presumably engaged to a man from New
Orleans. In june she married Tom Buchanan of chicago, with more pomp and circumstance than
louisville ever knew before. ( Fitzgerald 75) She never truly loved Tom, Daisy loved the money
and fame Tom brought her, which was shown in the way they didn't even recognize their
daughter and the many marriage affairs between the couple. Which was shown during her
wedding day when Daisy said Take em downstairs and give em back to whoever they belong
to. tell em all Daisys change her mine.Say: Daisys change her mine! (Fitzgerald 75)
Tom Buchanan, Daisys Husband was a college athletic and came from old
money. He had many affairs during his marriage with Daisy, but the one that had the most
impact during this time was with Myrtle Wilson, a low class flapper who lived in the city. He
would rent hotel rooms and spoil her and her friends because he knew he could.he enjoyed the
fact that he was being secretive and could go back and forth from the different lifestyles. This
was a huge stress on his marriage with Daisy because Myrtle would call at all hours ruin dinners
and parties, straining Daisys patience. But Daisy never said anything. She knew it was
happening but the riches and social class she was a custom to was too important to her to give it
up and ruin their marriage by saying anything and causing a problem. Daisey actually wished she

didn't know what was happening and wished for future girls especially her daughterto never have
to know about their husbands affairs. Daisey said Im glad its a girl. And I hope shell be a foolthats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool. (Fitzgerald 17).Another
example of the loveless marriage between The Buchanan couple.
But it wasn't only Tom who had an affair, Daisy also had one with Mr. Jay Gatsby.
Whom she had already had a previous relationship with prior to Tom. Gatsbys love for Daisy
was like no other. Every decision, plan, and goal was to either get Daisy to notice him or fall in
love with him again. Gatsby believed that you can totally forget the past and go straight back to
where they were before she married tom, but daisy just couldn't live up to "There must have
been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams--not through her own
fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion." (Fitzgerald, 79) But for the short time
their affair was taking place, Daisy loved the new freedom, adventure and spontaneous that
Gatsbys and his New money could provide for her. It gave her a new view of this new time and
let her know that there was a whole new part of life she wasn't experiencing. But it still did not
sway her away from her old ways of being with Tom and not getting a say in anything.
Both affairs let the Buchanan couple see a different lifestyle than their rich, old money,
and high class life. It gave them the adventure of knowing they had to keep it from one another
but not having to give anything up in the process. Showing how they are only together for
appearances not for love. Which is actually not a popular thing during this time the passage of
more liberal laws made it easier to get a divorce which in turn prompted a rise in divorce rate. in
1900 there was about a 8% divorce rate and in 1928 it was 16.6 %( Drowne, 18).

In the 1920s the feeling of love was starting to rise. People were becoming more
affectionate and outgoing. Men and women married for love and affection in the 1920s, which
was almost unheard of 20 years before at the turn of the century. Married couples were much
more likely to be openly affectionate with each other. But as the economy strengthened and more
middle-class fathers gained respectable careers, they began to psychologically draw apart from
their families. Many fathers embraced the role of the breadwinner and spent more and more time
away from the home. Father knew best when it came to discipline and was still technically the
head of the household, but mother was the primary caregiver of the children and ran the house
(Home Life in the 1920s, 2). Where Daisy as a wife and mother wasn't the caregiver and did not
show compassion toward Tom. They were not your typically 1920s couple. They cared more
about they way people perceived them and the money than anything else. They deep down knew
that things were not right and that they didn't love each other they just didnt want to be apart.
They were comfortable knowing that they would have each other to come home to and not be
alone.
A huge part in this book is they way Daisy presents herself as innocent. She is always
poised and classy. Even when she was having an affair and not truly loving her husband. The
biggest way she portrays her innocents in in wearing alot of white. A pure and neutral shade of
white is soothing. It is a combination of all colors that make up the spectrum. It balances the
virtues of each color fairly, and hence, is considered perfect. White portrays the sense of being
complete. It represents openness, truth, kindness, healing, and positivity. This color also helps a
new beginning and cleansing of the mind, body, spirit, and energies. It helps the mind organize

the clutter in it, and makes space for new ideas.(Symbolism: Colors 5) Which Daisy slowly
started getting away from the closer she got to Gatsby. She started losing her truthfulness and
positivity. She also started second guessing herself on all of her decisions and what she wanted.
She actually confused herself more than she made up her mind. Not showing the qualities of
what she is portraying to others. She also wanted people to think of her in these ways but from
her lying to Tom and not being faithful and always thinking the worst of situations she didn't
portray the White image she was going for.
Money was a huge part in the 1920s, Stocks and bonds were starting to boom and people
were getting technology and more luxury items. The United States was mostly wealthy citizens.
With the industrial effort, which rose with the war, the U.S. government found it necessary to
issue war bonds, which were available not only to the wealthy but in small denominations to the
average citizen (BARON, n.p). As well as the band on alcohol and the creation of speakeasies
and other illegal clubs. This also divided the social class even more. From who knew the right
people to get what they needed, to where you got your money from. Everything was done to try
and outdo anothers.
The biggest discrimination was between New Money and Old money. The people from
old money thought they were higher class and more important. They felt they were smarter and
more classy and deserving of their money.Old money in America wasn't very old. It was simply
that the behavior of some individuals who acquired wealth very quickly offended others...While
old money rusts away in trusts secluded within large banking institutions, new money provides
the fuel for the engine of independent financial advice. (Old Money Vs. New Money. N.p). New

money was normally from bonds or stocks that have come in the last couple years. They were
normally more adventurous and rowdy and liked lavish parties and over the top cars and new
technologies. The New money people were the people embracing the new social changes and
applying it to their lavish lifestyle, where the old money was mostly staying how they old ways
were and with structure and class.
Daisy was presented with the same struggle of this new social struggle. When she had to
choose between Tom and Gatsby and the difference between new and old money. Tom
represents the old money, Which was in East Egg and they way he earned and inherited money.
Tom was Old money because he believed he was the best at everything and that everyone was
below him. He also was so against the New money people. Gatsby represented the new money,
Which was in West egg. He represented the new money in they way he lived his life. Even know
everything he did was to get Daisy to notice him, he still threw huge parties tailored to the new
age coming to terms. He also wore bright colors to represent his new money style. Trying to
out do everyone and be the best at everything.
All together Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby. She finally realized when Tom and Gatsby
were in a argument.But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he
gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch
what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, despairingly, toward that lost voice across the
room. The voice begged again to go Please, Tom I can't stand this anymore ( Fitzgerald 134).
This was when everyone knew Daisy had chosen Tom. There was nothing Gatsby could have

done, she had slide back into her old ways of being behind a controlling cheating husband
because she knew it was the safe thing to do.
Daisy was not your average 1920s women, she wasnt your average 1920s wife, and not
your average 1920s mother. She didn't fit into the times, but the biggest part of Daisy in The
Great Gatsby was that she was in a loveless marriage with Tom Buchanan. They were both in
love affairs and didn't care enough to be faithful to each other but couldn't bare leaving each
other. All together they were miserable but they were at least together.

Annotated Bibliography
Works Cited
BARON, RC; SCINTA, S. 1920-1930 THE ROARING TWENTIES: 1920 NINETEENTH
AMENDMENT GIVES WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE. : Millennium 2000 -- 20th

Century America: Key Events in History. Millennium 2000 -- 20th Century America: Key
Events in History. US, 28-29, Mar. 1996. ISSN: 9781555912796.

Drowne, Kathleen M, and Patrick Huber. The 1920s. Westport, Conn: Greenwood
Press, 2004. Print.

"Home Life in the 1920s | The Classroom | Synonym." The Classroom. N.p., n.d. Web.
03 Feb. 2015.

"Login in Order to Post a Comment." Old Money Vs. New Money. N.p., n.d. Web. 03
Feb. 2015.

"Mapping The 1920s New York City Of The Great Gatsby." Curbed NY. N.p., n.d.
Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

"Role of Women in the 1920 S by Rhs08." StudyMode. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.

"Symbolism: Colors." Symbolism: Colors. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

"Twenties Domestic Affairs." Twenties Domestic Affairs. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

"Women in the 1920s in North Carolina." Women in the 1920s. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb.
2015.