Conventionality vs Instinct in Daisy Miller and The Awakening

Gender and sexuality – Gender plays a large role in the story of Daisy Miller. In the beginning and at the end, Winterbourne is known to be “studying” in Geneva. What this really means is that he is spending time with older, foreign coquettes. On the other hand, Daisy Miller is heavily looked down upon especially when she is in Rome. When Winterbourne arrives in Rome, his aunt tells him “When she comes to a party she brings with her a gentleman with a good deal of manner and a wonderful mustache.” Also, people continue to question her actions throughout the novella. For example, when Daisy Miller explains that she is going to the Pincio, Mrs. Walker replies with, “Alone, my dear—at this hour?” The carriage scene is another example of this happening. Both Mrs. Walker and Winterbourne tell her that she should go home because they are worried about her reputation being ruined by her walking the streets of Rome. In conclusion, Winterbourne is never confronted about what he does with older foreign ladies whether it is in the beginning or in the end of the novella. However, Daisy Miller’s actions are criticized. Both gender and the attraction between Winterbourne and Daisy Miller play a large theme. Winterbourne’s ultimate desire is to have Daisy Miller to himself to ultimately marry

peaceful things out of their European visit, but later the consequences are tragic. Daisy, in fact,

Daisy’s superficiality and ephemeral qualities are achieved largely by Fitzgerald’s use of diction in Daisy’s conversations and descriptions of her physical characteristics. Much of Daisy’s dialogue is utterly devoid of substance, is often repetitive and its sole purpose for inclusion in the text is to demonstrate her, and indeed the upper classes’ lack of direction and purpose in life, and the resultant restlessness that originates from a life of inactivity and ease that; qualities that are perfectly encapsulated in the line on page 17; “‘Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.’”. Fitzgerald constantly undermines the character of Daisy to demonstrate that she is the unworthy object of Gatsby’s dream, as is the social class that she symbolises. Her immorality is subtly on display through much of the novel; she treats her own daughter with indifference, objectifying her as yet another material accessory; “‘That’s because your mother wanted to show you off.’”, she remarks in Chapter VII, displaying an apparent lack of emotional connection one would expect a mother to hold with her child. Additionally after betraying Gatsby at a crucial moment and

The narrator compares her beauty displaying regrets to children having to children departing from playing outside in the evening. Daisy is a beautiful girl that Nick becomes instantly star-struck in; however, the reader knows that her personality kills this star-struck from the phrase, “then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret.” Her personality is compared to “like

Critics of this writing think that James created a character that makes the reader think about whether she is really innocent or not. Carol Ohmann shows that James displays Daisy this way on purpose so that we as the readers can argue whether Daisy is really innocent and just naïve. In “Daisy Miller: A Study of Changing Intentions,” Ohmann writes,

Daisy as a character and Daisy's choices are symbolized in the novel through her house. Nick, our narrator,

Her actions are viewed as foolish, creating the stigma around women, and though Daisy does not see herself as a fool, surprisingly she expresses that “the best thing a girl can be in this world [is] a beautiful little fool (Fitzgerald, pg 17).” Yet, Daisy is not a fool; she is merely a victim of her environment which is influenced by gender, money, and status. This leads to Daisy having no power or control over her own life and feeling as though women can only be “beautiful fools” as stated earlier.

Besides the visual blazon he writes on Daisy as a traditional weapon of subjugation (and which permits him, momentarily, to "mentally accuse" her face "of a want of finish" [7]), Winterbourne tries something equally dominating‹to usurp Daisy's own power of sight by judging her eyes only on aesthetic terms. In their meeting, Daisy is at first ostensibly pinned by Winterbourne's evaluative gaze of superlatives and particularization, but her eyes tell another story: "She sat there with her extremely pretty hands, ornamented with very brilliant rings, folded in her lap, and with her pretty eyes now resting upon those of

Secondly, Daisy is another example of an individual of the novel who appears to be things she really is not. Scott Fitzgerald’s illusions of the appearance of Daisy are meant to affect the events in the novel. Daisy is introduced as a pure hearted, guiltless and lovable character. “The other girl, Daisy, made an attempt to rise — she leaned slightly forward with a conscientious expression — then she laughed, an absurd,

Daisy has been living in this melancholy state and as a result of this she “fails to understand”(3) how these people can find contentment in West Egg. She sees “something awful”(3) when she looks at Gatsby’s life, it threatens everything she has ever had. It “wasn’t a gesture” what horrified her; it was the raw “emotion” emitted at the party that contrasts her own facade (1). All of Daisy’s responses are instinctual as if this “simplicity”(3) has come in and consumed her. Daisy doesn’t comprehend this spectacular world that has been created “from nothing”(2) and yet has become this paradise for those in it. She can not identify herself with West Egg and its unrefined manner ands she aims to avoid it once again and ignore it as if they never existed. Because she is so unsatisfied by her own life, she is “appalled”(2) by West Egg as they have create a world in which even for a moment, they can all pretend to live the “simplicity”(2) they

Daisy displays a distorted mentality towards women by stating that being ignorant, in a sense, is the only way a girl can maintain her social status. She also tells Nick Carraway, her cousin, that she is glad Pammy, her daughter, is a girl. “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 (Pg  20).” This expression implies that Daisy reflects on her own experiences and believes that the world is no place for a woman. She understands that beauty is valued more than intelligence and how first impressions determine a person’s social standing in society. The best she can do is hope to survive by following the crowd and conforming to the perspectives of the upper class. Daisy later on decides to

We do also see Daisy portrayed as very boring character “Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it etc” (p.17). This also implies that Daisy might not be as bright as Tom and Nick and that she doesn’t shape her destiny or takes control of her life. E.g. she attempted to plan something with Nick. she said, “What'll we plan? What do people plan?” meaning she has never had to make decisions nor has she had much responsibility. Again unlike Tom who is very much in control and has got firm charge over his future (That he thinks). Daisy however does not have much loving feelings for Tom as when Jordan mentions to Nick that she knows Gatsby, it raises Daisy's interest momentarily “Gatsby? demanded Daisy. What Gatsby?”, but the conversation is quickly diverted by the announcement of dinner.

Daisy, like her husband, is a girl of material and class at heart, and Gatsby being her escape from a hierarchist world. Daisy has just grown up knowing wealth, so in her greedy pursuit of happiness and the “American Dream” Myrtle Wilson died, Gatsby's heart and life were compromised, without claiming responsibility on her part. Daisy was “by far the most popular of all the young girls in Louisville...” (116) Jordan says, describing early affections between Daisy and Gatsby. She goes on to say, “...all day long the telephone rang in her house and excited young officers from Camp Taylor demanded the privilege of monopolizing her that night.” (116) . Daisy was a fancied girl who has Gatsby tied around her finger, Jordan explains that he was looking at Daisy “...in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at some time...” (117). Daisy, abusing Gatsby’s love for her uses it to create security and protection, greedily and selfishly allowing him to take the fault. While Daisy’s beautiful, alluring traits turn her into an innocent, naive flower, she plays the ultimate villain.

James attempts to explain this lack of inhibition by constructing for her a simplistic vernacular and almost oblivious approach to life that would prove her innocence. Without knowledge, any faux pas are assumed inexperience, not immorality. This inexperience with more cultured society is also apparent in her vernacular. Daisy says things like "ever so" (56) that give her away as an "uncultivated person" (121). Her name, and the fact that it is her chosen, not given one, is also very significant. Miller suggests her family's humble history and Daisy, a "common flower...is also simple and unpretentious. The fact that it opens up in the sun also suggests [Daisy's] life-loving qualities" (121). That she chose this name also supports a view that Daisy had no qualms about living the way she does as a simple, life-loving creature. James also provides some subtle symbolism to support once again Daisy's innocence. In one scene, Daisy sits alone with Giovanelli and a painting of "Innocence X by Velazquez" (105) hangs above them to remind the

Winterbourne is largely blinded to the honesty and innocence that Daisy imparts because he has trouble recognizing a manner that has become foreign to him. Thus when Daisy walks calmly along with both Giovanelli and Winterbourne in the Pincio and does not seem anxious to get rid of Winterbourne, Winterbourne is perplexed (36-37). He does not realize that she does not know better and she will ruin herself because of it.