A Search for Understanding

"Where there is no love there is no understanding," Oscar Wilde. As a symbol of adoration and romantic literary ability, Oscar Wilde's perception of both love and life convey the classic ideals of conventional love and always there is the presence of love. Never an undying relationship built on common interests or likability but on the existence pure, uncontested love. In the novels The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the characters of Daisy Buchanan and Janie Crawford are in search of devotion as unadulterated and fervent as subsequently described. Through Daisy and Janie's pursuit to achieve happiness, the authors illustrate that one must not settle when faced with obstacles but rather move forward towards the fulfillment of one's dreams.

Social speculation and public opinion present conflicts of interest between the aspirations of Daisy and Janie and as to how their actions will be received by others. Daisy's lifestyle is one which relies heavily on outsiders' attention to the actions of others. Therefore, by association, this constant scrutiny warrants one's attention towards one's own actions. In this way, Daisy's search for happiness and contentment is constantly under watchful eyes leaving little leeway for change without the judgments of society. With the circulation of gossip and chatter, Daisy managed to maintain her reputation although moving with a, "fast crowd, all of them young and rich and wild, but she came out with an absolutely perfect reputation...moreover, you can time any little irregularity of your own so that everybody else is so blind that they don't see or care,"(77). With the resistance to drinking and fully enveloping herself within this wild lifestyle, Daisy aims to convey perfection. In remaining an emblem of excellence, one will not be perceived negatively within a society so oriented on gossip and mindless chatter, a fear so eminent in Daisy's mind. Having strived to maintain such a immaculate stature, the slightest disruption in the flow of her life would prove to be disastrous. In concurrence, when the appearance of Gatsby back in the life of Daisy creates a great disarray of feelings and ideas, preconceived notions are made on the basis of how the repercussions would inevitably effect Daisy's standings in society. With the introduction of her daughter, the author seemingly aims to portray certain unscene or rather unwritten aspects of Daisy's personality. When being shown off to the crowded room of friends and the like, a sound of, "'Yes,' admitted the child calmly. 'Aunt Jordan's got on a white dress too,'"(117). Daisy's child only being seen sparingly in the novel and having the mention of a color creates a sense of symbolic significance to the child's presence. Not only does Daisy's daughter only appear in the presence