Daisy Buchanan is not innocent, but she makes every effort to appear innocent. In fact, Daisy Buchanan is downright guilty, even murderous. After committing a fatal hit and run, she sacrifices Gatsby in order to retain her innocence -- and her enormous wealth. By contrast, Daisy Miller's innocence is far more pure, natural, and unprotected; certainly, Daisy Miller never kills anyone knowingly only to plan and execute a cowardly escape that sacrifices an innocent man. Daisy Miller does not pretend to be a forthright flirt; she doesn't need to. She simply is. She acts honestly and exactly as she wishes with Winterbourne. Daisy Buchanan, on the other hand, is hardly convincing when she puts forth the visible effort to be the innocent flirt she claims she once was. In short, Daisy Buchanan is guilty, cynical, world-weary, surprisingly wise, oppressed, pessimistic, 'fake', and jaded. Daisy Miller is optimistic, energetic, eager, fresh, new, young, and surprisingly untouched by a world that seeks to limit her. Daisy Miller is more innocent, open, and simple than Gatsby's Daisy ever was -- even back in her imaged idyll, her "glorious white youth," in Louisville.
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