Daisy Buchanan’s quotes show the unfulfilling pursuit of wealth and luxury in the 1920s.
She’s known for her blonde hair, beauty, charm, and youthful innocence.
However, her character is imbued with a sense of frailty and childlike susceptibility, being easily swayed by the people around her.
Daisy is provocatively attracted to material wealth, a portrayal reflective of the societal views of women during the 1920s.
When Gatsby reappears in her life, she’s torn between her husband, Tom Buchanan, and her former lover.
85 The Great Gatsby Quotes With Page Numbers
Who is Daisy Buchanan?
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby,” Daisy Buchanan is the object of Jay Gatsby’s affection and a symbol of the American dream’s corruption.
Daisy Buchanan is painted in various hues through the eyes of multiple characters, including Nick Carraway, Tom Buchanan, and Myrtle Wilson.
Nick Carraway, the narrator, provides the most intimate insight into Daisy’s character. He depicts her as a wealthy, charming, and sophisticated woman who embodies the spirit of East Egg.
He describes her voice as alluring, “the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again” (Chapter 1, Page 11).
Despite her charm, Nick acknowledges her drifting, restless demeanor: “This was a permanent move, said Daisy over the telephone, but I didn’t believe it — I had no sight into Daisy’s heart, but I felt that Tom would drift on forever seeking…” (Chapter 1, Page 10).
Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, and Myrtle Wilson, his mistress, provide varied perspectives on Daisy. While Tom indulges in passionate discussions about her (Chapter 1, Page 13), Myrtle incessantly shouts Daisy’s name during an argument with Tom, resulting in violence (Chapter 2, Page 27).
Tom’s actions possibly indicate his protective and possessive nature towards Daisy or the guilt associated with his infidelity.
She admired Daisy, particularly for the attention she drew from others, such as the officer who looked at Daisy in a way that Jordan found exceptionally romantic.
However, Jordan also viewed Daisy as someone who made impulsive decisions, such as her attempts to leave home for a soldier, her sudden engagement and marriage to Tom Buchanan, and her unanticipated diversion on her wedding night when she drunkenly attempted to return her expensive wedding pearls.
Despite these complications, Jordan was touched by Daisy’s deep affection for her husband upon returning to the South Seas.
But when Daisy is unhappy because of her loveless marriage, Jordan Baker feels sorry for her, saying, “And Daisy ought to have something in her life.”(Chapter 4, Pages 50, 51)
Daisy Buchanan’s quotes convey a perception of disillusionment and apathy towards the world around her.
She suggests an underlying cynicism by asserting that sophistication and feigned ignorance are the best attributes for a woman, encapsulating the era’s social expectations and the futility she feels.
Additionally, her remarks about her own experiences and desires reflect a sense of restlessness and a yearning for excitement despite being trapped in the mundanity and superficiality of her life.
Through the characters’ words and perceptions, Daisy emerges as a fascinating yet tragic figure characterized by beauty, charm, and an inscrutable restlessness that tends to draw people toward her.
Daisy Buchanan Physical Description
Daisy Buchanan is described as a beautiful woman with a slender figure, bright blonde hair, and a face full of youth and innocence. Her beauty, charm, and liveliness make her the perfect embodiment of the 1920s American dream.
She also has a childlike quality, as evidenced by her tendency to be easily swayed and influenced by those around her.
Additionally, Daisy is described as having a “low, thrilling voice” and a “delicately exotic” scent that she wears. All these physical attributes combine to make her a captivating and desirable woman in the eyes of the men in the novel.
Daisy Buchanan with page numbers from The Great Gatsby
Here are some quotes by Daisy Buchanan with page numbers and chapters.
1. “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 16
This quote by Daisy reveals her desires for her daughter, whom she had just given birth to when Tom was absent, and her resigned understanding of the world.
Daisy wants her daughter to be a fool, as she believes that is the best way for a woman to survive in a society that can be unfair and unkind to them.
Furthermore, she hopes her daughter will be a beautiful fool, a reminder that she can still be a force of light and joy despite her hardships.
2. “You dream, you. You absolute little dream.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 73
In this quote, Daisy expresses her wish for her daughter to remain innocent and naive, in a dreamlike state where she is not faced with the world’s harsh realities.
Daisy hopes her daughter will remain blissfully unaware of life’s troubles so she can be happy. Her words are a reminder to cherish innocence and naivete, as they can often bring joy and peace.
3. “What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon?” cried Daisy, “and the day after that, and the next thirty years?”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 74
This quote by Daisy reflects her desire to escape the mundane reality of her life and a recognition that her choices have ultimately led her to this point.
It is a desperate plea for something new, something different, but also an acknowledgment that all her choices have brought her here and that the future, for better or worse, will likely remain the same.
4. “Ah,” she cried, “you look so cool.”
Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With an effort, she glanced down at the table.
You always look so cool,” she repeated.
She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Daisy Buchanan to Jay Gatsby), Chapter 7, Page 74
This quote from Daisy reveals her perception of the patriarchal society in which she lives; she sees a woman’s worth coming from her ability to appear naive and beautiful.
Daisy does not want to be responsible for her actions; instead, she relies on others to dictate her life and protect her.
She is aware of the power dynamic between men and women, and her words suggest her desire to use her beauty to her advantage while avoiding responsibility.
20 Jay Gatsby Quotes From The Great Gatsby
5. “I love you now — isn’t that enough?”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 82
This quote by Daisy to Gatsby encapsulates the conflict and tragedy of their love story.
Daisy attempts to make Gatsby understand that she still loves him, even though she is married to Tom.
It conveys Daisy’s inner struggle between her emotions for Gatsby, her obligation to stay with Tom, and the insistence that the present should be enough for them.
Love Quotes From The Great Gatsby With Page Numbers
6. “That’s what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen of a——”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan about Tom Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 13
This quote from Daisy reveals her bitterness towards Tom and her feeling trapped in her marriage to him. By saying, “That’s what I get for marrying a brute of a man,”
Daisy implies that she feels powerless and regrets her choice to marry him. Her use of the words “great, big, hulking physical specimen of a” further emphasizes the physical dominance that she feels from Tom.
The Great Gatsby Quotes From Chapter 1
7. “Oh, you want too much!”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 82
This quote from Daisy conveys her struggle between conflicting desires. On the one hand, she loves Gatsby, and he wants her to leave her husband for him, but she is still married and finds it difficult to make such a decision.
In saying, “Oh, you want too much!”, she expresses her inner conflict, reluctance to leave her husband, and the security of her current lifestyle.
8. “That’s because your mother wanted to show you off.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 73
This quote by Daisy reveals her inability to appreciate the innocence of childhood. She dismisses her daughter, seeing her only as an object to be presented and admired by others.
Daisy believes that the child’s only value lies in her beauty, and her purpose is to be a “showpiece” rather than an individual with her thoughts and ideas.
Her words hint at deep-seated insecurity, suggesting that Daisy cannot find happiness and is trying to live vicariously through her daughter.
9. “She doesn’t look like her father,” explained Daisy. “She looks like me.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 73
This quote by Daisy speaks to her insecurity about her marriage and her husband’s infidelity. Daisy is desperate for something to be hers alone, and her daughter is the only thing she can claim as her own.
She is proud that her daughter looks like her, not her husband, as it guarantees her daughter will always be hers.
10. “We can’t move,” they said together.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker, Chapter 7, Page 72
This quote by Daisy and Jordan reflects the characters’ lives in the novel and the symbolic stagnation of the Jazz Age.
They cannot move forward and make real changes, and their lives are suspended in a kind of suspended animation, as reflected in this quote. Jordan’s comment also reminds us of the futility of Daisy’s hope that the Buchanans can start over and lead a happier life.
Jordan Baker Quotes With Page Numbers
11. “Make us a cold drink,” cried Daisy.
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 73
The quote by Daisy reflects her longing for a simpler, more carefree time before their lives became complicated. Despite her vulnerable and fragile state, she finds a moment of respite and joy in the simplicity of making a cold drink.
It shows her trying to cling to the last remnants of joy in the face of adversity.
12. “I don’t care!” cried Daisy
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 73
Daisy’s quote, “I don’t care!” conveys her frustration and confusion stemming from her inability to choose between staying with Tom for the security and status it provides or choosing Gatsby for the passionate love he offers her.
She is stuck in a position of powerlessness, and no matter which choice she makes, she will have to pay the price.
13. “The bles-sed pre-cious! Did mother get powder on your old yellowy hair?
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 73
This quote by Daisy illustrates her penchant for performing motherhood in a cutesy, sing-song way, emphasizing the contrast between Daisy’s lack of child-rearing experience and her attempt to play the part.
The quote also reveals how Daisy is already beginning to shape her daughter Pammy in a way that reflects the beauty and privilege of upper-class life.
14. “But it’s so hot,” insisted Daisy, on the verge of tears, “and everything’s so confused. Let’s all go to town!”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 73
This quote by Daisy reflects her ambivalence towards her life and her relationships. She wishes for a distraction from her confusion, wanting to go to town to avoid facing her feelings and the difficult decisions she needs to make.
It also shows her longing for a simpler, carefree life and a way out of her complicated situation, demonstrating her helplessness and powerlessness.
15. “You resemble the advertisement of the man,” she went oninnocently. “You know the advertisement of the man ——”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 74
This quote by Daisy reveals her tendency to view people as products or commodities.
Using the phrase “advertisement of the man” implies that she sees Nick as a product to be bought and sold, thus reducing him to an object that can be judged entirely on his exterior.
By doing so, she highlights the shallow values of the wealthy social circle she inhabits, which often values its members’ outward appearance more than their inner character.
16. “Are we just going to go?” she objected. “Like this? Aren’t wegoing to let any one smoke a cigarette first?”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 75
This quote by Daisy shows her longing for a distraction from the situation she’s been forced into and her need for escape. She wants to delay the inevitable, and offering cigarettes will make the moment longer.
It reveals her desire to find moments of joy, no matter how brief.
17. “Oh, let’s have fun,” she begged him. “It’s too hot to fuss.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 75
This quote from Daisy shows her desire to take a break from her mundane life with Tom and enjoy the moment.
She is looking for an escape from the reality of her situation, and even though she knows it will be temporary, she desires freedom to have fun.
18. “Have it your own way,” she said. “Come on, Jordan.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter, Page 75
This quote by Daisy shows her weariness with the subject at hand and her desire to move on despite any disagreement she might have.
It reflects her passive nature and her tendency to give in to others—which ultimately leads her to make a decision she regrets at the novel’s end.
It can also be seen as a reflection of the limited autonomy women in the 1920s had—Daisy may not have had the freedom to stand up for herself or to make her own decisions.
How Does The Great Gatsby End In The Book?
19. “Shall we take anything to drink?”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 7, Page 75
This quote by Daisy Buchanan reflects her superficial, hedonistic nature, as she is more concerned with the small pleasures of life, like drinking, than with the bigger picture or her future.
It also highlights her careless attitude, as she is more concerned with the present moment than considering the consequences of her actions.
20 “Tom’s getting very profound,” said Daisy, with an expression of unthoughtful sadness. “He reads deep books with long words in them. What was that word we ——
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 14
This quote by Daisy suggests that although Tom may be speaking thoughtfully and deeply, Daisy is not truly listening and instead feels a sense of sadness because of her situation.
She is forced to live a life defined by the wealth and status of her husband rather than being able to pursue the life she desires with Gatsby.
This quote highlights Daisy’s resignation from her situation and her bitter sadness.
Daisy Buchanan quotes about money
“Her voice is full of money,”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, Chapter 7, Page 75
“Her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway about Daisy, Chapter 8, Page 93
“You make me feel uncivilized, Daisy”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway as the narrator, Chapter 1, Page 13
“She had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway as the narrator, Chapter 5, Page 57
Quotes about Daisy Buchanan being selfish
“You see I think everything’s terrible anyhow,” she went on in a very convinced way.
“Everybody thinks so- the most advanced people. And I know. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.” Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom’s, and she laughed with thrilling scorn. “Sophisticated! God, I’m sophisticated!”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 16
“Do they miss me?”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 12
“How gorgeous! Let’s go back Tom. Tomorrow!”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 12
“You ought to see the baby. She’s asleep, she’s three years old. Haven’t you ever seen her?”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 12
“Don’t look at me… I have been trying to get you to New York all afternoon.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 12
“Gatsby? …What Gatsby?”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 13
“In two weeks, it will be the longest day in the year. Do you always plan for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 13
“You did it, Tom… I know you didn’t mean to, but you did it. That’s what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Chapter 1, Page 13
“I tried to think about Gatsby then for a moment, but he was already too far away, and I could only remember, without resentment, that Daisy hadn’t sent a message or a flower. ”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Chapter 9, Page 106
The Great Gatsby quotes about Daisy
“Her voice is full of money,” he said suddenly.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, Chapter 7, Page 75
“That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money— that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it… . high in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl… .”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Chapter 7, Page 75
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made… .”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway as the narrator, Chapter 9, Page 109
“The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Chapter 5, Page 54
“There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams—not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion… No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, about Jay Gatsby and Daisy (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 5, Page 60
“all the time something within her was crying for a decision. She wanted her life shaped now, immediately — and the decision must be made by some force — of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality — that was close at hand”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Caraway, Chapter 8, Page 93
“He knew that Daisy was extraordinary, but he didn’t realize just how extraordinary a ‘nice’ girl could be.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Caraway, Chapter 8, Page 92
“The officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking, in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at sometime, and because it seemed romantic to me I have remembered the incident ever since.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Chapter 4, Page 48
“It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway as the narrator, Chapter 1, Page 11
“[H]e’s read a Chicago paper for years just on the chance of catching a glimpse of Daisy’s name.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, about Jay Gatsby (Jordan Baker), Chapter 4, Page 50
“Daisy was young and her artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras which set the rhythm of the year, summing up the sadness and suggestiveness of life in new tunes.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 8, Page 93
“Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered ‘Listen,’ a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 1, Page 11
“I waited, and sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 1, Page 16
“He wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 6, Page 69
“He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’ After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken. One of them was that, after she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be married from her house – just as if it were five years ago.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 6, Page 69
“They moved with a fast crowd, all of them young and rich and wild, but [Daisy] came out with an absolutely perfect reputation. Perhaps because she doesn’t drink. It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard-drinking people. You can hold your tongue, and, moreover, you can time any little irregularity of your own so that everybody else is so blind that they don’t see or care.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 4, Page 49
“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, (Nick Carraway as the narrator), Chapter 6, Page 70
“She was feeling the pressure of the world outside and she wanted to see him and feel his presence beside her and be reassured that she was doing the right thing after all.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Nick Caraway, Chapter 8, Page 93
What quote best describes Daisy in The Great Gatsby?
“A stirring warmth flowed from her.” This quote from Jay Gatsby perfectly captures Daisy’s beauty and charm and the intensity of his love for her.
Daisy is portrayed as a tragically beautiful character who captivates and mesmerizes everyone she meets. Her innocence and naivety about the world’s harsh realities also bring a sense of hope and optimism to the novel.
What does Daisy say to Gatsby?
Daisy tells Gatsby, “We can’t lose each other and let all this glorious love end in nothing. Come home. I’ll be here waiting and hoping for every long dream of you to come true.”
This shows that Daisy still has strong feelings for Gatsby and is willing to fight for their relationship despite her poor financial choices.
The Great Gatsby Quotes About The Past
What does Daisy Buchanan symbolize?
Daisy Buchanan symbolizes old money and the American Dream, representing the allure and, ultimately, the impossibility of pursuing wealth and a better life.
She also encapsulates the constrained position of many women in 1920s society, trapped in unhappy marriages and expected to conform to strict gender roles.
The Great Gatsby American Dream Quotes
Sources Cited:
- kidadl.com/quotes/dreamy-daisy-buchanan-quotes-key-lines-from-the-great-gatsby
- yourtango.com/gatsby-quotes-about-daisy-describe-love-perfectly
- gatsbyflappergirl.com/daisy-buchanan-quotes/
- prepscholar.com/the-great-gatsby-quotes
- ipl.org/essay/The-Great-Gatsby-Daisy-Quotes-Analysis
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.