When most people hear the name F. Scott Fitzgerald they automatically think of The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's most well-known novel has been made into five different movies and has been a required reading in many high school and college classrooms.
What makes this novel so popular? Mainly the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the 2013 adaptation but it's solely based on the fact that we can connect with every character. Almost.
Tom and Daisy Buchanan are the exception to this phenom. Tom, an arrogant husband, and Daisy, an oblivious wife, are incredibly hard to connect with. Especially when we find out their deepest secrets. Tom is cheating on Daisy with Myrtle Wilson while Daisy is beginning an affair with none other than Jay Gatsby.
At first, when you read about Gatsby and Daisy starting to see each other again you're overjoyed. At least I was. Tom would itch his way under my skin with every comment or breath he took. But Daisy would take my breath away the way she so willingly gave into her feelings knowing that this man had loved her for so long. But then it all changes for the worse.
In a story filled with wealth and scandal you expect Gatsby to come out on top. Sure he'd lied about his past, but he's made a name for himself all for Daisy. And what does she do? Lures him along until she's taken every last thing from him and then throws him away. Therefore making her the worst character in The Great Gatsby.
By worst character, I mean Daisy is the villain of this whole story. She's manipulative and cruel but hides it behind her whimsical stare. Gatsby never had a chance. On top of using Gatsby for her own enjoyment, she ends up going back to Tom. After he had openly cheated on her.
In the middle of all of this is Nick, Gatsby's only real friend and Daisy's cousin. At first, he's skeptical about this reborn affair. "You can't repeat the past." That's what Nick says to Gatsby, trying to lure him away from the idea of going back to Daisy. But seeing his friend so happy and in love makes Nick believe that this will all work out in the end.
Towards the end of the novel, Daisy kills Myrtle; something Gatsby later, unwillingly, takes responsibility for. Myrtle's husband comes looking for Gatsby after being told by Tom and the rest is history. Gatsby is killed and Daisy runs away.
But why would this all make Daisy the villain? As Nick put it in the novel, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness..." Daisy was the person who could've changed all of this. She could've left Tom and been with Gatsby. Or she could've just left Tom. Anything would've been better than staying with him and leaving Gatsby to die in vain.
From reading this story many times I can still say that the Buchanan's are my least favorite people in the world. And they aren't real. That speaks volumes to the ability of Fitzgerald who gave them the least likable personalities of all time. Everyone thinks Daisy is a victim, but without her actions none of this would've happened to either Gatsby or herself. Daisy was cruel and manipulative and she didn't care if she ruined anyone.
The Great Gatsby shows readers the hardships and scandals that plagued the Jazz Age. No matter how much money you had or how high your status was you were still a horrible person if you didn't have the right attitude. Fitzgerald paints a picture of the arrogance and carelessness of two people who got what they wanted and had no consequences. The wealth and status are temporary, but the personality and attitude are permanent.
