Analysis of Daisy and Tom's Marriage

凉拌折耳根

Among all descriptions in Chapter One, the segments depicting Daisy and Tom's marriage leave the deepest impression on me. I will focus on analyzing their marriage and the social issues it reflects:

Segment 1
“Look” she complained. “I hurt it.”
We all looked—the knuckle was black and blue. “You did it, Tom,” she said accusingly. “I know you didn’t mean to but you did do it. That’s what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen of a—”
“I hate that word hulking” objected Tom crossly, “even in kidding.”
“Hulking ” insisted Daisy.
They were here, and they accepted Tom and me, making only a polite pleasant effort to entertain or to be entertained.
In this first segment, Daisy complains that Tom “accidentally” hurt her hand. Even though Tom didn’t mean to, she still blames him. She attributes the blame to Tom’s “brute strength” and “roughness”. Such words show her dissatisfaction with her husband. This complaint isn’t just about the current injury. It’s the accumulation of dissatisfaction and emotional distance in their marriage over a long time. Daisy describes Tom as a “great, big physical specimen”. Her words are full of obvious sarcasm, which reflects her disgust at Tom’s roughness. Daisy and Tom have dinner with others. They are present, but they seem cold and distant. Though they are with other people, the atmosphere is very formal. There’s no real communication or emotional interaction. This suggests their marriage may only be a surface show. The real emotional connection and intimacy between them have broken down. Especially, Daisy’s cold words to Tom also show her dissatisfaction and protest.

Segment 2
“Is something happening?” I inquired innocently.
“You mean to say you don’t know?” said Miss Baker, honestly surprised. “I thought everybody knew.”
“I don’t.”
“Why—” she said hesitantly, “Tom’s got some woman in New York.”
“Got some woman?” I repeated blankly.
Miss Baker nodded.
“She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinner time. Don’t you think?”
Almost before I had grasped her meaning there was the flutter of a dress and the crunch of leather boots, and Tom and Daisy were back at the table.
Miss Baker reveals that Tom has a woman in New York. This shows that Tom’s marriage has not only the problem of emotional distance, but also infidelity. Daisy shows a helpless acceptance of Tom’s infidelity. She seems to have long been used to Tom’s extramarital affairs. This acceptance isn’t just due to her patience with the marriage. It may also come from her helplessness in terms of social status and economic dependence.

Daisy’s complaints and her reaction to Tom’s violent behavior highlight her powerlessness in the marriage. When it comes to Tom’s infidelity, Daisy’s attitude shows her helplessness and forbearance. She may think she can’t change this situation. This reflects the oppression and powerlessness women faced in marriage at that time. Especially in the upper class, women were often restricted by economic dependence and social status. They couldn’t actively change the unequal situation in their marriages.
In Tom and Daisy’s relationship, their marriage becomes more and more superficial. Though they keep the appearance of a marriage, they actually lack real emotional connection and trust. Tom’s infidelity and Daisy’s acceptance show the hypocrisy in their marriage. Especially in the upper class, people usually care more about social reputation than the real emotional foundation of marriage. Daisy’s acceptance of Tom’s extramarital affairs also reflects the disregard for marital loyalty in society at that time. People may pay more attention to maintaining economic status and social position.

From Tom and Daisy’s marital relationship, we can see that their marriage is not just a personal problem. It’s a microcosm of social classes and gender roles at that time. As a man, Tom has economic and social status. So his infidelity in marriage is tolerated to some extent. But as a woman, Daisy is limited by economic conditions and social status. She can’t effectively resist her husband’s infidelity. This reflects the limitations of women in American society at that time and the gender inequality in marriage. It also shows the double standard of society for marital loyalty between different genders.