Tom Buchanan And Jay Gatsby Alike

Imagine two very similar men, both insanely rich. One may believe that they must be similar, since most wealthy men have the same rather arrogant and superior attitude. On the surface of things, it seems as Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan are very similar people since they have both acquired mass amounts of wealth, and do not think twice about showing off at any opportunity they get; but if one were to truly analyze the book, there is a clear difference in the characteristics of Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. Throughout the story, Gatsby presents a more noble view towards other people while Buchanan believes that no one can surpass his wealth and his social status. Additionally, Gatsby looks towards the future in a more positive way, as if everyday …show more content…
Caraway even described Gatsby as a person who has “an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again” (Fitzgerald). This quote does not only state his optimistic perspective towards his romantic life with Daisy Buchanan but also his outlook on other issues that he faces in life. This idealistic outlook started from his humble beginnings, as he always reminded himself that he would build upon everything that he has learned through his experiences and relationships. Meanwhile, Buchanan has been rich his entire life and has nothing to look forward to or build upon since his life was based on inherited wealth, that required no effort to earn. This makes Buchanan overly pessimistic in the way he acts. During the first dinner with Caraway, Buchanan even states “Civilization 's going to pieces,”… "I 've gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. Have you read 'The Rise of the Colored Empires ' by this man Goddard?” (Fitzgerald). Buchanan is shown to find the smallest of things, topics that are not even scientifically proven and turn this into something that he obsesses over and becomes very negative with …show more content…
Because of Gatsby’s low income upbringings and the struggles that he encountered on his way to becoming rich, which included losing touch with his father and the death of his mentor, Gatsby is very noble towards everyone and treats everyone equally due to the fact that he understands living within the different social classes. This noble attitude also influences his view to women as well as Gatsby values women and treats them as equals. For example, Gatsby throughout the novel, never put down or offended any woman. He also made no condescending comments that inferred that males are superior. However, Buchanan was born into one of the most elite families in America, leading him to have a condescending view towards people who do not have to same social prestige as him or the same amount of wealth as him. At one point, Buchanan says “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife” (Fitzgerald). This infers that even though Buchanan himself is cheating, it is acceptable since he is “old money” and has social prestige but if Gatsby cheats with his wife, it is a very sinful act, since he is “new money” and is not in the same class as Buchanan. Buchanan’s arrogance is also vividly shown through his attitude towards women. Buchanan almost sees women as property and has very little