Tom Buchanan is labelled as a hulking, hyper-masculine, and aggressive. The way Nick describes him, he seems to be “one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterwards savours of anti-climax” (Fitzgerald 10). Tom is born into old money, and because of that, he is able to have many opportunities in life that benefited him such as his ability to go to Yale and receive such a high education. Also due to the fact that Tom had virtually no financial worries, he is able to live more of a carefree lifestyle that eventually led to his somewhat uncaring personality. While living nearly his entire life surrounded by those of similar upbringing, Tom has learned to be racist and proves it by even telling
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Tom Buchanan is a man who is saturated with a sense of power, for it encompasses his entire demeanor and outlook on life. From the moment Nick catches a glimpse of Tom, he could easily recognize Tom’s “two shining arrogant eyes [that] had established dominance over his face” (Fitzgerald 17). Shortly after Nick observes Tom, he immediately senses the ascendency that surrounds him. Tom lives his whole life under the safety umbrella that is his parents money, and now, having inherited a large amount of it, he has taken to be yet another white male who fears he is less of a man in the absence of a physically robust physique. A strong stature may provide to be helpful to intimidate others, but hardly ever does it guarantee any kind of emotional strength, “so he gave that up, and the only dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away… struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room”(Fitzgerald 152). As Daisy is professing her love for Gatsby, Tom begins to show another side of himself. Instead of being the tough man he claims to be, he breaks down when he realizes that his virility is more dependent on the opinions of others, rather than his own confidence. Thus, Tom strives to seem as though he is a man of power and strength when in reality he actually deeply cares about the people in his
Tom Buchanan is a man who is saturated with a sense of power, for it encompasses his entire demeanor and outlook on life. From the moment Nick catches a glimpse of Tom, he could easily recognize Tom’s “two shining arrogant eyes [that] had established dominance over his face” (Fitzgerald 17). Shortly after Nick observes Tom, he immediately senses the ascendency that surrounds him. Tom lives his whole life under the safety umbrella that is his parents money, and now, having inherited a large amount of it, he has taken to be yet another white male who fears he is less of a man in the absence of a physically robust physique. A strong stature may provide to be helpful to intimidate others, but hardly ever does it guarantee any kind of emotional strength, “so he gave that up, and the only dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away… struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room”(Fitzgerald 152). As Daisy is professing her love for Gatsby, Tom begins to show another side of himself. Instead of being the tough man he claims to be, he breaks down when he realizes that his virility is more dependent on the opinions of others, rather than his own confidence. Thus, Tom strives to seem as though he is a man of power and strength when in reality he actually deeply cares about the people in his