# Daisy Buchanan — The Great Gatsby character guide > Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Daisy, Daisy Fay **First appearance:** 0003-i ## Snapshot A beautiful Louisville heiress with a voice 'full of money,' she is the golden prize Gatsby has spent five years trying to reclaim. ## Who they are Daisy lives across the bay in East Egg with her husband Tom, drifting through a life of parties and privilege that leaves her restless and unfulfilled. When Gatsby reappears, she is drawn to his adoration and the possibility of a different life, but she cannot commit to leaving the security Tom provides. Her charm and carelessness make her both irresistible and destructive, the center of a triangle that will force everyone around her to choose. ## Relationships ### [Jay Gatsby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/jay_gatsby) _psychological_ Gatsby's entire life is a performance to win Daisy, making her the object of his obsessive, idealized fantasy. ### [Tom Buchanan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/tom_buchanan) _psychological_ Tom exerts a domineering, possessive control over Daisy, who is ultimately psychologically bound to his world of secure wealth. ### [Nick Carraway](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/nick_carraway) _psychological_ Nick serves as a confidant and moral sounding board for Daisy, though he ultimately judges her harshly. ### [Jordan Baker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/jordan_baker) _friendship_ They are old friends from Louisville who share a cynical, careless attitude and a privileged social circle. ### [Myrtle Wilson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/myrtle_wilson) _rivalry_ They are indirect rivals for Tom's attention, representing the vast class divide between the wealthy elite and the working class. ### [Jay Gatsby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/jay_gatsby) _psychological_ Daisy is the object of Gatsby's obsession, a symbol of the past and a dream he relentlessly pursues. ### [Tom Buchanan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/tom_buchanan) _psychological_ Tom exerts a domineering, possessive control over Daisy, who is ultimately psychologically bound to his world of secure wealth. ### [Jay Gatsby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/jay_gatsby) _psychological_ Gatsby's entire life is a performance to win Daisy, making her the object of his obsessive, idealized fantasy. ### [Nick Carraway](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/nick_carraway) _psychological_ Nick serves as a confidant and moral sounding board for Daisy, though he ultimately judges her harshly. ### [Tom Buchanan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/tom_buchanan) _psychological_ Tom exerts a domineering, possessive control over Daisy, who is ultimately psychologically bound to his world of secure wealth. ### [Jordan Baker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/jordan_baker) _friendship_ They are old friends from Louisville who share a cynical, careless attitude and a privileged social circle. ## In the story ### [The Great Gatsby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/the-great-gatsby) Nick's cousin, living in East Egg; portrayed as charming, melancholic, and trapped in a hollow, privileged life. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/i) Hostess. Presents a charming, frivolous exterior but seems strained and unhappy, deflecting tension with forced gaiety. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/iv) Her past is detailed: she was deeply in love with Lieutenant Gatsby, nearly called off her wedding after receiving his letter, but married Tom. She is portrayed as popular and maintaining a perfect reputation despite Tom's affairs. ### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/v) Initially tense, then moved to tears by Gatsby's display of wealth (the shirts). She is captivated by his devotion and the fantasy world he has built, expressing 'unexpected joy.' ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/vi) Attends Gatsby's party, finding it vulgar and 'awful' despite moments of fascination. Her emotional distance disappoints Gatsby. ### [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/vii) Caught between Gatsby and Tom. Under pressure, she says she never loved Tom but later falters. While driving Gatsby's car in a distraught state, she accidentally kills Myrtle Wilson. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/viii) Described in Gatsby's memories as the idealized, unattainable 'grail.' Her letters show despair during Gatsby's absence, leading to her pragmatic decision to marry Tom Buchanan. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/chapters/ix) Has fled with Tom, leaving no address and sending no message or flowers to Gatsby's funeral, demonstrating her ultimate abandonment. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters/daisy_buchanan - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_gatsby/characters