“I hope she’ll be a fool---that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (17)
Daisy’s initial reaction to the news that her baby is a girl sheds light on the value, or lack there of, of women in early twentieth century America. Daisy is both intelligent and “sophisticated.” While nowadays these qualities have positive connotations, in the era of Daisy Buchanan, a woman was better off ignorant, better off as “a beautiful little fool.” Daisy’s desire of this to be her daughter’s fate illustrates the “cynical” view Daisy has adopted because of her sophistication. Her intelligence enables her to see how women of society are devalued. Daisy’s conscious of this reality tortures her, and she only wishes to exempt her daughter from the cynical view that her intelligence has brought upon her.
Mary--You use one of the saddest comments in an altogether sad novel as your inspiration here. You seem to have a moderately positive opinion of Daisy so far; I'll be interested to see if that opinion remains the same or alters.
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