In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald expresses how one's greedy desire for wealth and power threatens their possibility at genuine happiness. Although money takes on the role of a lavish possession; it blinds people of the significance behind true joy. Fitzgerald renders the character, Tom Buchanan, as a self absorbed man with a sense of carelessness and belief that power leads to happiness. Fitzgerald utilizes Tom’s lifestyle to reveal that while money has the ability to satisfy materialistic wishes, it masks the chance at happiness due to the careless nature of American society during the roaring twenties.
Being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Tom Buchanan never had the need to pursue any ambition and as a result he …show more content…
He opposed Gatsby because he was from “new money” and did not accept him as one of them. The core cause of this non acceptance being that Gatsby achieved his wealth by himself through hard work whereas Tom gained his from his ancestors. After witnessing Gatsby’s enormous fortune, Tom became jealous and started digging up more about his background. This can be evidenced when he says “I’ve made a small investigation of this fellow,” he continued. “I could have gone deeper if I’d known -” He later discovers that Daisy was having an affair with Gatsby and becomes insecure that sooner or later she would leave him. At the Biltmore Hotel in New York where Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick were all gathered together, Tom got mad when Gatsby called him “old sport” that he exploded by shouting at Gatsby and disclosing all of the information about Gatsby’s illegal doings that he had been investigating. Tom ensured Daisy that they were all different from Gatsby and changed her mind about loving him. He also persuaded George Wilson that it was Gatsby’s car that hit Myrtle. He confessed later to Nick after two years where he said, “I told him the truth. That fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy’s, but he was a tough one (Fitzgerald 178).” George got infuriated and he shot Gatsby in rage. Tom’s hatred against Gatsby got him
Being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Tom Buchanan never had the need to pursue any ambition and as a result he …show more content…
He opposed Gatsby because he was from “new money” and did not accept him as one of them. The core cause of this non acceptance being that Gatsby achieved his wealth by himself through hard work whereas Tom gained his from his ancestors. After witnessing Gatsby’s enormous fortune, Tom became jealous and started digging up more about his background. This can be evidenced when he says “I’ve made a small investigation of this fellow,” he continued. “I could have gone deeper if I’d known -” He later discovers that Daisy was having an affair with Gatsby and becomes insecure that sooner or later she would leave him. At the Biltmore Hotel in New York where Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick were all gathered together, Tom got mad when Gatsby called him “old sport” that he exploded by shouting at Gatsby and disclosing all of the information about Gatsby’s illegal doings that he had been investigating. Tom ensured Daisy that they were all different from Gatsby and changed her mind about loving him. He also persuaded George Wilson that it was Gatsby’s car that hit Myrtle. He confessed later to Nick after two years where he said, “I told him the truth. That fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy’s, but he was a tough one (Fitzgerald 178).” George got infuriated and he shot Gatsby in rage. Tom’s hatred against Gatsby got him