The Plights of Daisy Fay and Jay Gatsby

Throughout the book, I thought a stark similarity in the goals of both Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan was what united them, but once I got further and further to the end of the novel, I realized that it was only partially true. What I came to find out was that, even though they both thought they were brought back together by similar goals at first, it was really the difference in what they wanted that pushed them apart again. (Shocker.) This only really stood out to me because of something that Nick said while narrating in the eighth chapter. 

So what exactly did he say that made me have such an epiphany? Well, Nick was talking about why Daisy didn’t wait for Gatsby. What he said immediately made me picture Daisy as more of a human. After waiting for Gatsby following his disappearance and lack of support for Daisy in her time of need (which was, in this case, simply someone to be by her side while she was in distress), Nick narrates that “she wanted her life shaped now, immediately — and the decision must be made by some force — of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality — that was close at hand” (116). Now, this by itself may still seem selfish and unlikeable. In reality, though, it’s such a simple need that we all experience and yearn to fulfill. We, as humans, crave what makes us happy and feel content. For Daisy Fay, this was stability. She didn’t really care what it was that gave her stability, but it ended up being Tom Buchanan. Then Daisy Fay became Daisy Buchanan, the woman she’d craved to be whilst Gatsby was gone.

Is wanting to be Daisy Buchanan so terrible? Can anyone blame her for wanting anyone or anything to bring her peace? After all, what was she supposed to do when Gatsby failed to be there for her while he was across the Atlantic?