Daisy Buchanan
20th century (fictional)
Socialite at the centre of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Connection to Taylor Swift
Fitzgerald's Daisy Buchanan, who hopes her baby daughter will grow up 'a beautiful fool' so she will be spared the pain of seeing the world clearly. Taylor borrows the line almost word for word in happiness, wishing that same protective foolishness on the younger woman who will take her place. Uncle Jerry and Angela read it as the song reaching for Daisy's resignation, the sense that clear sight and heartbreak arrive together, so that not-knowing can pass for mercy.
Notable Works
- The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
The Great Gatsby
“I hope she’ll be a beautiful fool, who takes my spot next to you”
The line “I hope she’ll be a beautiful fool, who takes my spot next to you” echoes Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, who hopes her infant daughter will grow up “a beautiful little fool”, the best thing she believes a girl can be in a world that punishes women for seeing clearly. Taylor turns Daisy’s resigned wish into the narrator’s bitter blessing on the woman who will replace her.