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AIBU?

to think Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby) is one of the worst examples of a woman? (contains spoilers!)

62 replies

CartwrightMiss · 04/06/2013 21:23

Ok so it's only fiction and set in the 1920s.

But Daisy really has no redeeming qualities about her. How she could not pay her respects to Gatsby or at least acknowledge his death. Sure Gatsby himself was flawed but Daisy is a selfish and weak woman.

Aibu?

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Glitterkitten24 · 04/06/2013 21:25

Yep I agree.

I went to the cinema to see the film a couple of weeks ago, as soon as the credits started I remembered that Daisy made my teeth itch.

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HoneyandRum · 04/06/2013 21:25

No, I think that's the point of the book. Daisy is cocooned by wealth to not be concerned and she and her awful husband are very well matched.

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sicutlilium · 04/06/2013 21:26

Mary Crawford
Blanche Ingram
Allegra Gray (Excellent Women)

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Nerfmother · 04/06/2013 21:28

Erm, I think her character is kind of central to the ploy and theme? If she was nice it would be a different book ?

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Heartbrokenmum73 · 04/06/2013 21:33

This is all good and well but I saw Star Trek today and it was vair good!

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LRDtheFeministDragon · 04/06/2013 21:34

What, up there with fictional mass murderers? Really?

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BunnyLebowski · 04/06/2013 21:35

Daisy says that she hopes her baby daughter becomes a "beautiful little fool' because that's the best thing a girl can be.

Nuff. Said.

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SirChenjin · 04/06/2013 21:37

But that's exactly the point of the story! It's only towards the end that we see her for what she is - mean, shallow, manipulative.

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SirBoobAlot · 04/06/2013 21:43

That's the whole point though, that's why it's so interesting - none of the characters are particularly likable. Looking at human relationships and conduct is incredibly interesting, and that's all you can see when you feel nothing but distaste for the characters as individuals.

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MyDarlingClementine · 04/06/2013 21:56

Yes YABU.
She was one of the worst examples of being a person.
Being all her bad qualities are not just resigned to women you know.

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NewAtThisMalarky · 04/06/2013 22:02

Hmm. There are far worse examples of women.

She doesn't really care for anyone but herself, and hurts people along the way, but she isn't setting out to hurt anyone, they are really 'collateral damage'.

Bunny, I think the 'beautiful little fool' comment is very telling, and quite deep (for Daisy). It illustrates how she feels about the world she has grown up in, and how she feels that intelligence in women is not appreciated - instead looks, charm etc are more highly regarded. she's a product of her circumstances and because of that I do have a little sympathy for her.

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Louise1956 · 04/06/2013 22:06

She is a dreadful woman, selfish, shallow, heartless. But I think she is meant to be seen like that, we aren't supposed to admire her.

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AtYourCervix · 04/06/2013 22:15

I thought the point was that even rich and beautiful she had no choice.

Pushed into marriage by her family then controlled by her horrible husband because there was pretty much no other option in 1920.

So even with beautiful clothes and hair and houses she was still misearable.

I think she's kind of sad and desperate.

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NorthernLurker · 04/06/2013 22:18

They were careless people, Tom and Daisy'

You're not supposed to like or admire her. She's a disaster.

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VivaLeBeaver · 04/06/2013 22:21

Gatsby dies?

Great.

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HazeltheMcWitch · 04/06/2013 22:21

I don't get the appeal of this book, at all. In fact, I will go so far as to say I've not liked any of his work. I just find it all, very... bleak.

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PacificDogwood · 04/06/2013 22:25

Did you want a spoiler alert, Viva ?

I agree, Daisy is a horrible character and at the same time a victim of her circumstances.
She and Tom are totally immune against all the carnage they leave all around them because of their wealth. Daisy does not set out to ruin people, but she simply pays them no regard and continous her glamorous/empty/dissatisfied lifestyle because the money and status are there to sustain it.

I am really intrigued by the narrator though - he is a bit too neutral for my liking. I wish he took sides more I think.

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thebody · 04/06/2013 22:29

I thought the book was about boring self indulgent crap people when I read it at school age 16.

Think the same now.

Clothes are nice though in the film.

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VivaLeBeaver · 04/06/2013 22:31

Yes, I did!

Never finished the ook but the film looks good.

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PacificDogwood · 04/06/2013 22:33

Well, I've just reread the book, I now what happens and I've read the film is Not All That - and I still cannot wait to see it

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PacificDogwood · 04/06/2013 22:34

know, flipping heck

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Hassled · 04/06/2013 22:35

You're right - Daisy is shallow, and she never comes close to loving Gatsby like he loves her. And that's the tragedy of the book - all that for what's really nothing at all.

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BOF · 04/06/2013 22:36

She represents the American Dream: glamorous, alluring, irresistible, but ultimately shallow, capricious and unattainable. She chews Gatsby up and spits him out.

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DoctorAnge · 04/06/2013 22:40

She is a product of her upbringing and environment. The "beautiful little fool" comment is heartbreaking. That's all Women could be to survive in that world. Her false little world.

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ExcuseTypos · 04/06/2013 22:41

Yes, she is an awful woman.

It's still a great film, I absolutely loved it.

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