Unlike Gatsby, who is a sort of tragic figure, Tom Buchanon is just a bully. He played football at Yale, where he attended with Nick Carraway, and he also comes from a wealthy Midwestern family. Tom is a big brute of a man who uses both his physical and financial “superiority” to get what he wants. Tom’s sense of fragile superiority is evident from chapter 1, in which he mentions a book he has read called “Rise of the Colored Empires.” Tom says, “‘The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be-will be utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved’” (12-13). Tom’s life is comfortable and secure as long as he remains in control. Anything he doesn’t control is a potential threat to his power. Tom is having an ongoing affair with Myrtle Wilson, whose husband George runs a garage in the Valley of Ashes. Tom maintains an apartment for Myrtle in New York City (he takes Nick to the apartment in chapter 2), but he is also physically abusive. Ironically, although Tom is having an open affair, he becomes enraged when he discovers that Daisy and Gatsby have renewed their love affair. In typical fashion, Tom brings his wife’s affair with Gatsby out in the open at the Plaza Hotel by asking “What kind of row are you trying to cause in my house anyway?” The fact that he is himself having an affair is unimportant; Gatsby is causing trouble in his house, with his wife-essentially, his property. Tom verbally beats down both Gatsby and Daisy until his wife acknowledges she loves him. It doesn’t matter whether Daisy loves him; Tom simply must be the victor. He is what we might call an “Alpha Male” today-a man who must be in charge at all times, and who jealously guards his “possessions,” including his wife and mistress. Fitzgerald consciously makes Tom-the Antagonist of the novel-without one redeeming quality. Tom’s outright evil helps make Gatsby a more sympathetic character despite his actions. Gatsby has committed crimes, but he has a good heart; Tom is a “model citizen,” but he has no heart to speak of. Fitzgerald forces us to ask ourselves, which is worse? Tom represents the decadence of 20th Century America for Fitzgerald-pure, unadulterated power tempered by nothing. Tom seems to show no sadness at all when his mistress is killed, by his wife of all people. He takes Myrtle’s death as an opportunity to get back at Gatsby once and for all by telling George Wilson Gatsby was driving the car that killed his wife, and that he was the one having an affair with Myrtle. Tom “wins,” but at what price? He whisks Daisy off to an unknown location, leaving Nick to clean up the mess they’ve made. He even bullies Nick into shaking his hand and considering the possibility that Tom’s behavior could be justified. Tom’s hypocrisy is his calling card. Fitzgerald seems to be sarcastically celebrating Tom in a way as a new “antihero” who has no interest in Romanticism or morality, only in cold, hard cash. Most of the characters in West Egg could be considered amoral-they simply have no place for traditional morality in their lives or activities. Tom is an exception; he is immoral, in the sense that he looks morality in the eye and rejects it. He is aware of his cruelty, and he seems to revel in it. Tom is a pivotal character in the novel not only in his direct opposition to Gatsby but also in his relationship with Nick. Nick sees Tom for what he is, but like everyone else, he is too intimidated to do anything about it. Tom’s actions, particularly at the end, prompt Nick to return to the Midwest to the values he grew up with.
Unlike Gatsby, who is a sort of tragic figure, Tom Buchanon is just a bully. He played football at Yale, where he attended with Nick Carraway, and he also comes from a wealthy Midwestern family. Tom is a big brute of a man who uses both his physical and financial “superiority” to get what he wants.
Tom’s sense of fragile superiority is evident from chapter 1, in which he mentions a book he has read called “Rise of the Colored Empires.” Tom says, “‘The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be-will be utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved’” (12-13). Tom’s life is comfortable and secure as long as he remains in control. Anything he doesn’t control is a potential threat to his power.
Tom is having an ongoing affair with Myrtle Wilson, whose husband George runs a garage in the Valley of Ashes. Tom maintains an apartment for Myrtle in New York City (he takes Nick to the apartment in chapter 2), but he is also physically abusive. Ironically, although Tom is having an open affair, he becomes enraged when he discovers that Daisy and Gatsby have renewed their love affair.
In typical fashion, Tom brings his wife’s affair with Gatsby out in the open at the Plaza Hotel by asking “What kind of row are you trying to cause in my house anyway?” The fact that he is himself having an affair is unimportant; Gatsby is causing trouble in his house, with his wife-essentially, his property. Tom verbally beats down both Gatsby and Daisy until his wife acknowledges she loves him. It doesn’t matter whether Daisy loves him; Tom simply must be the victor. He is what we might call an “Alpha Male” today-a man who must be in charge at all times, and who jealously guards his “possessions,” including his wife and mistress.
Fitzgerald consciously makes Tom-the Antagonist of the novel-without one redeeming quality. Tom’s outright evil helps make Gatsby a more sympathetic character despite his actions. Gatsby has committed crimes, but he has a good heart; Tom is a “model citizen,” but he has no heart to speak of. Fitzgerald forces us to ask ourselves, which is worse? Tom represents the decadence of 20th Century America for Fitzgerald-pure, unadulterated power tempered by nothing.
Tom seems to show no sadness at all when his mistress is killed, by his wife of all people. He takes Myrtle’s death as an opportunity to get back at Gatsby once and for all by telling George Wilson Gatsby was driving the car that killed his wife, and that he was the one having an affair with Myrtle. Tom “wins,” but at what price? He whisks Daisy off to an unknown location, leaving Nick to clean up the mess they’ve made. He even bullies Nick into shaking his hand and considering the possibility that Tom’s behavior could be justified.
Tom’s hypocrisy is his calling card. Fitzgerald seems to be sarcastically celebrating Tom in a way as a new “antihero” who has no interest in Romanticism or morality, only in cold, hard cash. Most of the characters in West Egg could be considered amoral-they simply have no place for traditional morality in their lives or activities. Tom is an exception; he is immoral, in the sense that he looks morality in the eye and rejects it. He is aware of his cruelty, and he seems to revel in it.
Tom is a pivotal character in the novel not only in his direct opposition to Gatsby but also in his relationship with Nick. Nick sees Tom for what he is, but like everyone else, he is too intimidated to do anything about it. Tom’s actions, particularly at the end, prompt Nick to return to the Midwest to the values he grew up with.