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≡ Daisy's Downfall ≡

 
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Daisy's Downfall
 
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The Truth Comes Out

I had gone to Daisy's house in East Egg to drop off her hat that she left in my car the other day. The door was open so invited myself in, at a seemingly bad time. 
   "Tom," began Daisy nervously, "there's something I need to tell you."
She now had Tom's full attention and he was looking at her waiting for her to go on. Daisy's palms were sweating, and it was for a reason other than that day's abnormally high temperature. 
    "What is it Daisy? What do you want?" Tom asked crudely.
    "It's about Jay Gatsby...I...I love him."
Daisy immediately looked away after saying those words. She felt relieved to have told her husband the truth, but feared his reaction.


Daisy Heatwave Jay
 
Tom Buchanan was a man known for his short fuse and tendency for violence, especially against women. It was also considered socially acceptable during the 1920s for a man to physically abuse his wife, so Daisy had good reason to fear him. 

"For over 2000 years, laws have allowed husbands to beat their wives. Until the last century, American law conformed to this tradition. This article traces the roots of American law to English and Roman law, the latter giving husbands life-and-death authority over wives. In the nineteenth century American state courts permitted husbands to beat their wives for misconduct."

Citation: Oppenlander, Nan. "Evolution of Law and Wife Abuse." Wiley Interscience. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. <http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119857542/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0>