The Great Gatsby
Assignment Nine: The Great Gatsby
1. Why do you suppose Daisy is always dressed in white? Is it symbolically important?
There is a great deal of color symbolization within “The Great Gatsby,” and Daisy’s clothes are just one example of symbolically important color. In the beginning of the novel, Daisy is always dressed in white, which is a representation of her innocence and purity. Through Gatsby’s eyes, Daisy is void of any imperfections, and much like an angel, she glows white in his eyes. Fitzgerald uses this color to conceal Daisy’s corruption and selfishness that are later revealed in the book. When Daisy’s impurities are shown, her clothes change from white to a golden yellow.
2. What do you think Fitzgerald is saying when he tells us that Daisy and Jordan are “buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon?”
Fitzgerald’s use of this metaphor refers to the social mobility that both Daisy and Jordan experience as privileged and beautiful young women. They have no danger of losing their wealth (like others who are threatened by poverty), therefore they are “anchored” at the highest level of society while benefiting from freely exploring any place they please with an airy weightlessness, much like a “balloon”. Both Daisy and Jordan are free from the burdens or stress of hard work, yet they are able to afford and enjoy the finest of luxuries and own everything they can dream of.
3. How does Daisy seem to feel about her daughter? About Tom?
In speaking to Nick, Daisy says that she wishes her daughter would be a “beautiful little fool” because “that’s the best thing that a girl can be in this world.” From this quote, the reader comes to realize that Daisy understands the social position of women in this particular time. Consequently, she does not seem to have high aspirations for her daughter. She treats her daughter more like another possession and does not seem to take much of an interest in her life as she barely mentions her at all. Daisy also states
1. Why do you suppose Daisy is always dressed in white? Is it symbolically important?
There is a great deal of color symbolization within “The Great Gatsby,” and Daisy’s clothes are just one example of symbolically important color. In the beginning of the novel, Daisy is always dressed in white, which is a representation of her innocence and purity. Through Gatsby’s eyes, Daisy is void of any imperfections, and much like an angel, she glows white in his eyes. Fitzgerald uses this color to conceal Daisy’s corruption and selfishness that are later revealed in the book. When Daisy’s impurities are shown, her clothes change from white to a golden yellow.
2. What do you think Fitzgerald is saying when he tells us that Daisy and Jordan are “buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon?”
Fitzgerald’s use of this metaphor refers to the social mobility that both Daisy and Jordan experience as privileged and beautiful young women. They have no danger of losing their wealth (like others who are threatened by poverty), therefore they are “anchored” at the highest level of society while benefiting from freely exploring any place they please with an airy weightlessness, much like a “balloon”. Both Daisy and Jordan are free from the burdens or stress of hard work, yet they are able to afford and enjoy the finest of luxuries and own everything they can dream of.
3. How does Daisy seem to feel about her daughter? About Tom?
In speaking to Nick, Daisy says that she wishes her daughter would be a “beautiful little fool” because “that’s the best thing that a girl can be in this world.” From this quote, the reader comes to realize that Daisy understands the social position of women in this particular time. Consequently, she does not seem to have high aspirations for her daughter. She treats her daughter more like another possession and does not seem to take much of an interest in her life as she barely mentions her at all. Daisy also states