Great Gatsby Essay, Research Paper

Why did Daisy choose Tom in the end? In the novel "The Great Gatsby",

Daisy Buchanan was faced with an enormous decision. She had to choose between

Tom; her husband and Jay Gatsby; her lover. Gatsby seemed to be the ideal man of

his time. Fabulously wealthy, handsome, charismatic and intriguing, he seemed to

be able to offer everything a woman could want. All he wanted in return was

Daisy?s complete unconditional love. Tom, on the other hand could offer Daisy

money, security and freedom. Ultimately Daisy chose the latter. The roaring

20?s was an era of total decadence. The first World War had ended and industry

was booming. People were becoming millionaires overnight. There seemed to be no

end in sight to the prosperity. Although people were becoming rich quickly, old

money provided more privilege than new money. Tom Buchanan came from old money.

He was a Westerner who was renowned in college for both his football skills and

his supremely decadent lifestyle. The narrator states "His family were

enormously wealthy, even in college his freedom with money was a matter for

reproach-but now he?d left Chicago and come East in a fashion that rather took

your breath away: for instance, he brought down a string of polo ponies from

Lake Forest." Daisy chose to marry Tom because of his wealth and power.

Fitzgerald writes "There was a wholesome bulkiness about his person and his

position and Daisy was flattered." He could offer Daisy prestige in

addition to all the old money one could dream of. Gatsby had made his money by

illegal means. He was a nobody from nowhere and although he was rich beyond

belief, he was one of the hundreds of nouveau riche who lacked the cache of the

old money set. Although Gatsby could offer Daisy romance, love, excitement and

intrigue, her need for security freedom and money made her eventually choose

Tom. In terms of security, Tom could offer much more than Gatsby. Tom?s old

money could offer Daisy prestige and social position whereas Gatsby?s money

was quickly and somewhat questionably earned. Everyone including Daisy realized

that it could be just as quickly lost. Tom states "I found out what your

drug-stores were. He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street

drug-stores here in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter" . Tom

also said "That drug-store business was just small change but you?ve got

something on now that Walter?s afraid to tell me about." This proves that

Gatsby?s money was achieved through corrupt means and his lack of position

would leave him vulnerable to prosecution if he were to be caught. On the other

hand, Daisy and Tom?s elite position in society enabled them to "get away

with murder". They were able to move away and start anew after hitting

Myrtle in the car. Due to the wealth and power of Tom and Daisy, they were able

to live with a substantial amount of freedom. They were able to tear apart the

lives of people and move on without as much as a backward glance. Nick?s

judgment of them was "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed

up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast

carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people

clean up the mess they had made." Daisy?s selection of Tom over Gatsby

afforded a somewhat unorthodox freedom. Tom had many mistresses but always

returned to Daisy. He said "Once in a while I go off and make a fool of

myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time."

Daisy also loved the luxury of having both a husband and a lover but Gatsby

would not allow it. He wanted all of her and she could not give that to him. She

said "Oh, you want too much. I love you now- isn?t that enough."

Although Gatsby could have offered Daisy a variety of things such as romance,

love and excitement, she ultimately chose Tom because of her selfishness. She

grew up with old money, security and freedom and was not willing to give it all

up for love. I believe that the author chose the name Daisy because Daisy in

Latin means the day?s eye or the sun and everything revolves around the sun.

Daisy does not care about anyone else and she believes that everything revolves

around her!