Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, I am thrilled to talk about one of my favorite books of all time, Daisy Jones and The Six (soon to become a TV series). Its fabulous author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, also known for her fiction novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, has shown motifs of strong and empowering female characters in all her books. Daisy Jones and The Six does not shy away from exploring the adversity women face in a male-dominated society.
Daisy Jones and The Six is a story set between the late 1960s and late 1970s. It was a time known for the rise of rock and roll, the hippie movement, the excess consumption of illicit drugs and alcohol and the increased role of women outside of the domestic sphere. The story follows the life of Daisy Jones, a rising artist who has fallen victim to persistent objectification her entire life. Men always noticed her beauty, but no one was willing to approach her and meet the person inside. Her earlier romantic partners were not aware nor interested in her strength and free-thinking. Daisy felt like her only role in any relationship was serving as an inspiration for men; she quotes, “I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody.” Thus, Daisy launches her artistic career.
In the late 70s, Daisy’s career and personal life go through extreme ups and downs. Daisy is forced to partner up with a popular band called The Six. This is much to Daisy’s dismay, since she hoped to be a solo artist. It’s also much to The Six’s leader’s dismay, Billy Dunne, the very controlling brain of the creative process. Daisy and Billy have to sing and write together. Daisy questions Billy’s leadership and is unwilling to remain silent like the other band members are. She challenges him while slowly uncovering the cracks of his very structured life. Through Daisy and Billy’s constant butting of heads, Daisy Jones and the Six accomplish a critically and commercially successful album. The success comes from Daisy and Billy’s determination to pour their entire soul into writing and singing the album. Unfortunately, Daisy’s instability while battling addiction leads her into a destructive lifestyle. This combined with Daisy unwittingly falling in love with Billy (who is married), leads to severe personal hardship, which Daisy tries her hardest to control. At the pinnacle of their success, Daisy is unhappy and stuck in this never-ending cycle, while Billy is grappling with the demons of his past addiction and behavior.
Told in interview style, members, friends, family and work partners sit down to reminisce on the rise in the Daisy Jones and The Six in the mid-70s and its sudden disbandment in 1979.
While the relationship between Daisy and Billy takes a central stage in the story, the importance of the female characters is just as crucial.
Here’s a list of the incredible female characters.
1) Daisy jones
The main character, Daisy Jones, does not uphold societal expectations. Someone who acts and dresses based on her own liking, never to please others. A scene that particularly stands out to me is when Daisy Jones and The Six were shooting the cover for their album. Daisy was wearing a sheer white shirt, and she quotes, “if I want to walk around topless, that’s my business. Let me tell you, when you’re my age, you’re gonna be glad you took a picture of them then, too.”
Daisy’s life as an artist metaphorically represents her sexual awakening, feeling liberated after years of being tied down by the males surrounding her. Music has given her an outlet to write about her struggles. For Daisy, it was never about pleasing the fans, never about pleasing Billy or other men, it was always about authenticity. It was about staying true to herself, raw in emotion. While her addiction was a significant aspect of her life, Daisy’s strength propelled her to seek help in various opportunities when it got out of control.
2) cAMILA Dunne
Billy’s wife, Camila, might be perceived as the traditional, family-oriented, stay-at-home mother, but I beg to differ. Camila is a strong woman who will do anything to preserve the stability of her life and family. This is reflected when she becomes pregnant while Billy is battling with addiction and being unfaithful to her. She is determined for Billy to be an active part of the baby’s life, willing to let go of his past mistakes. She represents motherhood in such a beautiful way by being devoted to providing the best quality of life for her children, ensuring her husband is present too.
While Billy had fallen in love with Daisy, at no point was Camila jealous or demeaning towards Daisy. On the contrary, Camila could see Daisy’s life was falling apart and would not bear witness to her life continuing to spiral out of control. Thus, Camila encourages Daisy to leave the group. On one end, Camila encouraged this to preserve her family. On the other end, she had also seen how addiction had destroyed her husband’s life, and she wanted Daisy to find her way out too. Camila had also gone through a similar love story in her past, and she knows the irreparable damage it can cause. Camila encourages Daisy to leave before it’s too late. When Karen, The Six keyboardist, was seeking an abortion, Camila accompanied her to the clinic despite her love for children. Camila is a prime example of women supporting women.
3) Karen Sirko
Karen (nickname: Karen Karen) is the keyboardist for The Six. Growing up, she always wanted to be in a rock band. Therefore, she never wanted to settle down with a family. She sees herself being constantly on the go, performing, fulfilling her rockstar dreams. She was set to live on her own in the long term, acting on her terms. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant during the band’s success, Karen seeks an abortion, relying on Camila’s emotional support rather than the baby’s father. Karen displays authority in this entire situation, and rightfully so. It is her body; it is her choice.
Contrary to Daisy, Karen preferred wearing clothes that covered her entire body. She describes herself as a tomboy, more interested in being appreciated for her talent, not for her music. Karen represents an independent and ambitious woman and will not let anything come between her and her dreams.
The way Jenkins Reid portrays the various facets of female characters is poised. It is a display of how femininity manifests differently in everyone.
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