The Great Gatsby: Chapter I (pages 1-21)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald begins by explaining who the main character Nick is and a few minor characters. Tom and Daisy Buchanan seem to be going through a tough time in their marriage due to Tom having another woman on the side. Daisy has a very peculiar personality because it seems as though she is very spasmodic and cheerful. When Nick first walks into the room that Daisy is in, she acts very odd when she, "Made an attempt to rise -- she leaned slightly forward with a conscientious expression -- then she laughed, an absurd, charming little laugh" (Fitzgerald, 8). These actions may not seem all that out of the ordinary since we do not fully understand Daisy's character, but I have experienced divorce before and I understand Daisy's motivation. Daisy is acting silly and obnoxious throughout this chapter because she is trying to hide her true feelings. Nick has come back into Daisy's life at a time where she is in despair because she does not know how to react to her husband cheating on her. Rather than showing her sadness, Daisy acts cheerful, talks a great deal, and laughs a lot in order to conceal her true feelings. Being experienced with divorce, I would say that Daisy just wants some attention. Nick thinks she should leave Tom, but I believe she is staying with Tom so that her daughter can have a father figure in her life.