Lorraine Haselden

Mrs. Weathersbee
AP Language and Composition
10 February 2015
Gatsby vs Tom; Daisys Ultimate Decision
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920s, serves to help characterize
the time period that was the Roaring 20s. Throughout this novel, Fitzgerald tells the story
behind the relationships of the fictional characters living in West Egg, outside of New York City.
Two of the most important relationships highlighted in this book were that of Jay Gatsby and
Daisy Buchanan and Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Daisy ultimately chooses to stay with Tom, over
Gatsby for 4 main reasons. She knows Tom can take care of her, Gatsby asks too much of her,
Tom has begun to pay her more attention, along with the fact that she has already invested 5
years into her marriage with Tom including that they have a child together.
Daisy met Gatsby when she was very young, and Gatsby was in the military. When he
was told that he had to be deployed, she said that she would wait for him to come back so that
they could get married. She fully intended to do this until Gatsby took longer than expected to
return. Due to Daisy's upbringing, she was impatient to get married, and needed a wealthy man
to take care of her. Tom Buchanan comes from a rich family with a respectable family name. He
fits the qualities Daisy is looking for, and they marry in Louisville. Daisy and Tom move around
from place to place, before moving to West Egg where they live throughout the course of the
novel. Shortly after being married, they have a child together who appears very briefly in the
novel.

Daisy ultimately choose Tom over Gatsby because she knows, from experience, that Tom
can take care of her while Gatsbys wealth appears to be newfound and unreliable. Daisy was in
love with Gatsby when she received his letters which she wouldnt let go of... She took it into
the tub with her and squeezed it up into a wet ball, and only let me leave it in the soap-dish when
she saw that it was coming to pieces like snow (Fitzgerald 76). This quote shows how Daisy
held on to her relationship and feelings for Gatsby until it could no longer be salvaged, so
deciding that it was best to move on and marry Tom, who could take care of her. Despite the fact
that she was obviously affected by this letter, she chooses Tom because he is the practical choice.
She is reassured by both the physical and emotional bulkiness that is Tom Buchanan
(Korenman). Daisy first sees that Tom can take care of her by the wedding gift that he gives her.
He gives Daisy an exquisite pearl necklace, demonstrates that Tom has enough money to support
the lifestyle that Daisy has grown accustomed to (Blooms Literature; Houck).
While Daisy knows that Tom comes from a respectable family, and that is where he got
his money, as time goes by in the novel and Gatsby reappears it becomes obvious that no one is
sure where Gatsby and his money came from. Throughout the novel, there is speculation about
Gatsby and his past. Many of these questions are answered when Jordan tells Nick about his life,
per Gatsby's request however the way that he got his money was never told. Later on in the book
when Gatsby tells Nick more about his past, his money is briefly discussed but he still refrains
from telling exactly how his riches were obtained. This uncertainty comes into play when Daisy
is forced to choose between Gatsby and Tom because Tom begins to question Gatsby about the
source of his wealth and Gatsby won't say where it came from. When Tom brings the possibility
of shady dealings in Gatsby's past, it seems as though that is the most likely way that Gatsby

came into his riches. This made Daisy nervous and unsure of what to think so Gatsby, so when
the time came for her to choose between Tom and Gatsby, she chose the practical Tom over the
uncertain Gatsby.
Daisy was then forced to choose between Tom and Gatsby again when Gatsby resurfaces
and there are rumors of Tom having an affair. Throughout the beginning of the book, there are
rumors surfacing that Tom is having an affair with a woman in New York City. However, these
rumors aren't confirmed until Nick, the narrator, goes to lunch with Tom and the woman one day.
After this it seems to become more obvious to Daisy that Tom is having an affair, and so she has
an affair with Gatsby. Although the affair between Gatsby and Daisy seems to be only an
emotional affair, it is an affair nonetheless. Throughout this affair, she leads Gatsby on, making
him think that she has always loved him and never loved Tom.
After making her initial choice to marry Tom over Gatsby, later in the novel, Daisy makes
this same choice when she decides to stay with Tom instead of leaving him for Gatsby. This
choice is first shown when she says, Please, Tom! I cant stand this anymore (Fitzgerald
135). This quote is said when they are in a hotel room at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, and
Gatsby is trying to make Daisy say that she never turkey loved Tom. This quote shows how
Daisy trusts that Tom can help her, and she knows that he will take care of her. When Daisy says
this, it becomes obvious that she has chosen Tom over Gatsby, so it no longer matters what
Gatsby does because she has chosen Tom. Although it is at this moment that her decision
becomes clear, there are many things that factored into her decision.
Another factor that leads to Daisys choice of Tom over Gatsby is that Gatsby asks too
much of her. During his time serving in the army, he becomes obsessed with the idea of

acquiring both wealth and his perfect girl, which is Daisy. He describes her as, the first 'nice'
girl he had ever known (Fitzgerald 148). Due to this fact, Gatsby put a lot more effort into their
relationship, and he became like the characterization of a girl in love by the way that he
obsesses over what Daisy thinks about him, and how she feels about him (A Propensity to
Love...). Gatsby also asks too much of Daisy by wanting her to just forget the past 5 years of her
life with Tom. This is way too much to ask of Daisy because through the course of the past 5
years, she has had a daughter. Shortly after Days and Tom were married, they had a daughter
named Pammy. She might not still be in love with Tom but, contrary to Gatsbys belief, the past
cannot be repeated because too much has happened that simply can't be forgotten. When talking
to Nick, he is warned that he shouldnt ask too much of Daisy, yet he continues to make it
obvious that in order for them to be together, Daisy must completely forget the past five years
that she has spent as Toms wife and go back to being in love with Gatsby. By asking so much of
Daisy, Gatsby forces her to make a decision quickly instead of taking her time to make this
important decision. Her decision must be made hastily when the confrontation occurs in the hotel
room on a hot summer day. Since her decision is forced so quickly and unexpectedly, she doesn't
have time to fully think it through, so she choose to stay with Tom. This choice remains the most
practical one, and it is far easier to remain making the same choice that she has for the past 5
years than to suddenly decide to leave Tom for Gatsby (Dwyer).
Daisy even considers leaving Tom for Gatsby because Tom hadnt been paying her much
attention in the months before Gatsby came into her life. When they first got married, Jordan
tells Nick about how Daisy used to sit for hours with Toms head in her lap stroking his head
(Fitzgerald 77). This shows that she was used to being the center of his world and thoughts, so

when he begins to pay her less and less attention, she is becomes very upset and feels betrayed.
This feeling of betrayal leads Daisy to entertain the idea of having an affair with Gatsby. During
this emotional affair, with Gatsby he jumps right into the relationship that they had before he left
for the war, which isn't necessarily what Daisy wanted.
During a time where Tom is always out working or with his mistress, Daisy begins to feel
lonely, and Gatsby gives her the attention she craves. He starts doing this when they meet at
Nicks for tea, and he shows her his house and all the belongings that he has acquired. He tells
her of the lavish parties that he has been throwing for years in hopes that she will notice. While
Gatsby is putting all this effort into impressing Daisy, Tom is having an affair himself and paying
her less and less attention. This made Daisy lonely, so when Gatsby reenters her life during tea at
Nicks, she decides to start their affair. This affair is short lived, and begins to end when Gatsby
confronts her about her feelings for him and Tom, forcing her to decide which relationship she
wants to stay in. She chooses Tom that night, yet Gatsby continues to be devoted to her. He waits
by her window until 4 am, to make sure that she is okay (Fitzgerald 147). That night Daisy didnt
tell Gatsby her decision, and she never got the chance to because he took the fall for her mistake.
The night of the confrontation, she was driving his car and hit and killed Toms mistress, not
knowing who she was, and when the mistresss husband asked Tom who was driving he told him
Gatsby because he didnt know any better. The husband then went to Gatsbys house and killed
him. This shows that Gatsby died devoted to Daisy, yet she didnt care enough about him to even
attend his funeral.
The last reason that Daisy ultimately chooses Tom over Gatsby is that she and Tom have
more history together. They have been married for five years, for better or for worse. Even

though she didnt honor her agreement to marry Gatsby five years beforehand, she chooses to
honor her five year marriage to Tom over Gatsby. This seems to be the easiest path to take
because it is the path of least resistance for her. Although both Tom and Gatsby are willing to
fight for her affections, she chooses Tom before Gatsby even has a real chance to try and win her
over.
Along with Tom and Daisys five year history, they also have a daughter together,
Pammy. Although she isnt mentioned much throughout the novel, during the 1920s, keeping
families together was a very big deal, as it should be. This was just one more reason to stay with
Tom over Gatsby. The one time that their daughter is mentioned in the book, Daisy seems fairly
happy with her and the way that she looks because she is described to favor Daisy in appearance.
This seems to make Daisy like her more, but she is quickly given back to her nanny because
Daisy grows tired of her, just like she grows tired of most every other aspect of her life. Pammy
might not have been mentioned much throughout the novel, but she is there to offer Daisy
comfort in knowing that she made the right choice. Her presence also gives Daisy the satisfaction
that staying with Tom over Gatsby was the right decision to make, both for herself and for her
daughter.
Daisy was also raised in a society where divorce wasn't as common as it is now. This
being said, leaving Tom for Gatsby would most likely damage her social life. It was seen as a
disgrace to get a divorce, so Daisy would most likely be shunned from her friends if she even
tried to leave Tom. The 1920s was a time where 99 out of every 1,000 women were married.
This rate of marriage was one of the highest ever seen in the US, which shows how unacceptable
it would be for a woman to get a divorce.

Daisy chose Tom over Gatsby for many reasons. Tom can take care of her, Gatsby asks
too much of her, Tom begins to pay her more attention, and she has already invested 5 years into
her marriage with Tom and they have a child together. One of these reasons on their own would
have warranted her decision, but all five of them together leads Daisy to choose Tom over
Gatsby. Her choice not only occurs at the end of the book, but she chooses Tom over Gatsby
every day that she stays with Tom. By making this choice for five years, it helps Daisy to know
that she should stay with Tom instead of leaving him for Gatsby.

Bibliography
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Dwyer, Katie. "Society's Tragedy: The Death of Lovers." N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996. Print.
Houck, Allison. "Daisy Buchanan: Victim or Victimizer?" Allison Houck (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
3Feb. 2015.
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