Question

"'Alright,' I said, 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'" Given the circumstances of Daisy and Tom's marriage and life together as presented in chapters 1-2, is Daisy's statement about her daughter fair? What does she mean by 'fool'?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

In chapters 1 and 2 of "The Great Gatsby", it is revealed by the narrator, Nick, that his cousin's marriage is rotten. Daisy is unhappy with her brute of a husband Tom - a prejudiced man who has been cheating on her nonstop. It comes as no surprise, then, that Daisy wishes her own daughter to be a "beautiful little fool." Daisy knows the cruel side of marriage and society. She has been judged on her beauty and social status, while her intelligence and wit have not been appreciated. If her daughter is beautiful, she will be appreciated by this vile world. If she is a fool, she won't suffer, for she won't be able to see and understand how cruel the world - and especially men - can be. If Daisy herself were a fool, she would most likely be perfectly content with her marriage. After all, she is rich, she has a husband that is the embodiment of (toxic) masculinity, she has a mansion, and so on. However, because she is not at all a fool, she can't help but be sad. Still, she does not fight the status quo - she accepts it as a bitter reality.