The Great Gatsby (Blog 2)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Although I do not know much about any of the characters yet, I do not like Tom Buchanan at all so far.  In chapter 1, Jordan Baker informs Nick that Tom has been unfaithful to his wife.  I think Tom is way too caught up in his riches, and he is completely disrespectful towards his wife Daisy.  He is having an affair with a woman in New York, and he doesn't seem to be very private about it.  However, I can't tell if Daisy really knows about the affair or if she is just suspicious.  When Tom leaves the dinner table to answer the phone call from this currently unknown woman, Daisy rushes to try to listen in on the conversation.  Towards the end of chapter 1, I began to feel much sympathy for Daisy.  She does not appear to be happy with her current life at all.  She talks with Nick on the porch and expresses her frustrations in her life.  She opens up to Nick about how her lifestyle has changed who she is.  "'Well, I've had a very bad time, Nick, and I'm pretty cynical about everything'" (Fitzgerald, 16).  In this quote, Daisy confesses that she has become a more negative person since she has been married to Tom.  I found this sad because it doesn't seem like Tom and Daisy really even love each other.  Another topic of discussion between Nick and his cousin is about the Buchanan's infant.  Daisy tells Nick a story about when her daughter was born, which I was actually kind of confused about.  She tells Nick that when she found out she had a baby girl she said, "'I'm glad it's a girl.  And I hope she'll be a fool-that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool'" (Fitzgerald, 17).  After reading this, I was confused because I honestly have no clue what Daisy means.  Overall, though, I have found that I like the character of Daisy Buchanan thus far.  Although she gets to enjoy everything she could possibly want, she seems to be kind-hearted.  I am predicting that her relationship with Nick is going to evolve into a much stronger one as the book progresses.