"I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."

This quote struck me as I read the first chapter and I couldn't stop thinking about the meaning behind it. When reading the chapter, I was confused about Daisy's character. Most of the time I couldn't understand her actions, or more accurately, I couldn't give a meaning to her actions. Though, after reading this quote I was able to see the 'deeper' character within Daisy. Also I was able to understand the perception of women in those times.
Daisy says these words when talking about her hopes for her infant daughter. Instead of wishing her daughter to be intelligent she wishes her to be a fool and says that's the only way a girl can be happy in this world. This quote portrays how the social environment in which they are in wants to see women. The social environment doesn't value intelligence in women; to the contrary, they value a woman's looks and 'simplicity', as if the woman was an object.

Before Daisy speaks she describes her actions after her daughter's birth: "She [the nurse] told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept". These lines show that Daisy feels sorry that she is bringing a female to this world because she knows her daughter will face obstacles in her life, just like the way she did, and will have to endure them even though it will be painful. Due to this reason she wishes her daughter to be a fool so that she can have a painless, simple life. This explains Daisy's actions throughout this chapter. Daisy is not a fool, which can be clearly seen from this quote. However, most of the time she imitates being one, in order to fit in and 'be accepted' by the society. Probably because of this reason she chooses to continue her marriage and neglect that her husband does not love her and is cheating on her. Even though her marriage is falling apart, she puts on her best acting skills to prove that it is not.

This chapter mainly introduced the important characters in the novel and also one of the motifs; geography. I am curious to learn more about Mr. Gatsby and the "green light" because for now they are mysteries.