Daisy Buchanan, the controversial lead female character in Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," is largely criticized as simply lacking intelligence. However, while she is defined as Fitzgerald's way of dismissing gender, her character is perhaps representative of the patriarchal society that has forced women to decide whether or not it is to their advantage in all perspectives to undervalue their own intelligence.
Famously, Daisy says of her daughter, “I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." In Daisy’s eyes, it is simply easier and happier to be pretty and dumb, where nothing intensely meaningful or tragic ever happens. At the same time, nothing truly wonderful or passionate will happen either, and that is what she has given up by taking on the role of the fool.
However, choosing Tom over Gatsby was not exactly an outlandish decision. While Gatsby loved her and she knew he would never cheat on her the way Tom would, financially he was considerably unstable. It was clear that Gatsby came about his money in unconventional ways. Furthermore, Gatsby’s strong, wild personality could have been frightening to Daisy. Where Tom was unconvincing in love he made up for in safety and security, a veritable motivator.
The story really would have been considerably harder for Daisy if she had decided not to play the beautiful little fool, and let others decide her life for her. In that case, she would have had to face up to all of her mistakes - infidelity among them. There would be legal, financial and, especially, emotional consequences. Instead, she runs away from the end of the story.
Deciding to take charge of one's own life is the hardest possible way to go. Yet, Daisy arguably made the wrong choice, sending an important message: does it truly feel better to have a million men fall in love with you? It's an illusion, a loss of power. It is terrifying to accept the consequences for mistakes, but freeing knowing that there are no secrets to be fearful of. It is a test of courage to be assertive about one's decisions and identity, but wonderful to find that it reveals valuable opinions and a unique personhood.
Finally, although working on relationships with those around you can be painfully difficult, it is worth the deep and lasting love and trust that results, or at least the value of independence and authenticity. The story may have ended very differently had Daisy taken charge of her own fate, and therein lies a paramount philosophy for women of every era.
