Daisy's Betrayal Of Gatsby's Dream example essay topic

The Careless Killings of Daisy Buchanan The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about a man named Jay Gatsby, who has a dream of winning over the wealthy Daisy Buchanan. In this "American Masterpiece", three innocent people die because of the carelessness of Daisy. She is responsible for betraying Gatsby's dream, running over Myrtle with her car and indirectly causing George's suicide. Daisy is both directly and indirectly responsible for the death of Myrtle Wilson. Fitzgerald arranges Daisy to kill Myrtle in an auto accident, to typify the careless character Daisy portrays. Daisy grew up among "East Eggers", where everything including money and wealth was handed to her on a "golden platter".

Daisy innocently thinks that someone will always be there to clean up after her, so she doesn't think twice before she makes a mess. "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... ". (page 187) Myrtle's death was a mistake that could have easily been prevented had Daisy been a careful driver and cautious person. Daisy's betrayal of Gatsby's dream leads indirectly towards his death. Gatsby believes in the "American Dream" of success, "the orgasmic future", including the ideal "American woman", who he believes is Daisy. She initially refuses to marry him because he is not wealthy nor a "somebody" in Daisy's mind. Yet, Gatsby works long and hard to achieve the status that will be "good enough" for her.

His dream of her is genuine and innocent, clear as the green light on Daisy's dock. But when he finally meet her again after many long years of waiting, Nick says, "There must have been times that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart". Daisy is corrupted by wealth. Her lovely voice is filled with money. Fitzgerald uses Daisy and her pride in money to show how Gatsby's dreams could never be fulfilled in her heartless world.

Although she wants to be with Gatsby, she and her husband, Tom are already part of a "secret society" of established wealth. Fitzgerald reveals this "secret society" in the following quote, "She looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished 'secret society' to which she and Tom belonged". (page 22) Despite her knowledge that she could never leave Tom for Gatsby, Daisy continues to accept "the attentions" of Gatsby, avoiding his hope for the American Dream. Had Daisy honestly told Gatsby that they could never be together, he would not have pursued her and would have moved on with his life. In Daisy's lack of honesty towards Gatsby, he continued to follow his American Dream, unaware that it would result in his death. In the end, Gatsby is shot by George Wilson with his dreams cut short and remaining unaccomplished. Daisy drives George towards his madness and suicide due to her lack of honesty.

She simply "forgets" to tell him that she accidentally ran over his wife. Going insane not knowing who has killed his wife, George blames Gatsby, the wrong man for her death", 'Oh, my God! ... He killed her... I have a way of finding out... I'm one of those trusting fellas and I don't think any harm to nobody, but when I get to know a thing I know it.

' " Concluding that Myrtle's lover has killed her, he sets out for revenge, killing the wrong person. Because of George's intolerable grief over his wife's death, and overwhelming guilt of murdering an innocent man, he takes his own life realizing he has nothing left to live for. Daisy's lack of honesty about the car accident resulted in George losing his sanity, thus seeking revenge against who he thought was Myrtle's "lover". Had she been upfront about the car accident, George would have kept his sanity along with his life. Eventually, he would have gotten over Myrtle's death and perhaps her infidelity. Daisy Buchanan runs her car over Myrtle, thereby killing her.

To make the situation worse, she keeps Mryrtle's death to herself, as a result causing George's mental breakdown and suicide. Then she selfishly betrays Gatsby's trust in accomplishing his "American Dream". Daisy Buchanan is a heartless woman, who thinks that no harm will come to her in the misconceived society that she lives in. If she had been careful in her actions, she could have prevented three innocent people from dying.