After the first World War, a new culture began to emerge. This culture is most prominently seen in the 1920’s. Also referred to as the roaring twenties, the 1920’s was a decade of American prosperity and optimism. Young women, "flappers," set themselves free cutting their hair and wearing short skirts, dances such as the Charleston and jazz music became popular, and the automobile was widely distributed. However, the most prominent symbol of the twenties was the wealth of most Americans, and the high-society lifestyle. It was “an age of a consumptio

Although Tom is married to Daisy, he also has a mistress by the name of Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle comes from an area of town known as the Valley of the Ashes, a very low class wasteland, where she lives with her husband, George. As Myrtle craves high society, she becomes easily jaded in her relationship with her husband, and enters into an affair with Tom, whom she is drawn to due to his money and power. Her relationship with Tom allows her to emulate the lifestyle of a rich woman, a role that she relishes. Tom, however, is incapable of giving her the lifestyle she desires as he is neither a loving or a generous man. Due to her low social status, Tom will never truly accept Myrtle into his tight circle of wealthy friends, and instead he leads her into thinking that they will one day marry. He keeps their relationship secretive, buying an apartment in New York City where they will not be seen by anyone of his social stratum. After Myrtle’s life is “violently extinguished” (145), in a careless hit and run by Daisy, Tom does not even attend the funeral, as he cared too much about protecting his own self image. It is easy for Tom to let go of Myrtle because she is not of his class. Although Myrtle is a -perfect match for Tom in her single minded and selfish desires, Tom is incapable of lowering himself to her level, and instead leads her on, ultimately to her death.

Both Tom and Daisy are so careless that they even play with the life of their own daughter, Pammy. They see their daughter not as a child to love, but as another possession to show off. Whenever company comes over, Daisy beckons for Pammy to come and put on an act for her guests. Pammy is kept in the closet and is hardly mentioned until it is time to flaunt her. When Pammy proudly announces that she got dressed before a luncheon Daisy and Tom were holding, Daisy responds, “That’s because your mother wanted to show you off” (122). Daisy wants nothing more out of her child’s life than for her to be a “beautiful little fool” (23), much like herself. Pammy is “treated as a minor appendage” (Sheldon, 1) in the lives of her parents.

Much like her husband Tom, Daisy Buchanan is also having an affair, with a man by the name of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, unlike the Buchanan’s, has not inherited his money, but has worked hard for five years to earn it himself. The main purpose for all of his devotion and hard work is for the object of his desire, Daisy, his “golden girl” (127). Having met five years before the time of the novel, the two were very much in love. However, Daisy could not accept Gatsby as he was not of a high class like herself. When Daisy left Gatsby for Tom, he devoted all of his being to working up enough money and material goods in order to win her back. Once he accumul

Some topics in this essay:
Tom Daisy, World War, Gatsby Daisy, Romanticism Realists, Daisy Buchanan, George Myrtle, Jordan Baker, Gatsby Fitzgerald, Daisy Tom, Gatsby Gatsby, tom daisy, daisy buchanan, tom daisy buchanan, sheldon 1, instead leads, daisy tom, love gatsby, clean mess, upper class, tom buchanan, ultimately death,