Readers are bound to come across characters in literature whom they do not like. In The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan is just such a character. His bad qualities and aggressive personality make him unlikeable, yet readers and other characters alike cannot help but be drawn to him. As a character who has such a large impact on the way the story progresses, as well as how the characters progress, it is salient to take into account the disposition Tom presents. Fitzgerald’s intent is to have Tom represent the society during the roaring 20s as he is the embodiment of old wealth and is usually seen as what the American Dream really is. Fitzgerald uses Tom as the archetype of a typical American who is born into wealth and has nothing to work towards
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[This goes to show that the American Dream is corrupted and it is merely an illusion.] Tom is arrogant, aggressive, racist, and misogynistic which makes him feel superior to others and allows him to take control and be dominating. “Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always …show more content…
Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body… ” (7). Through Tom Buchanan. the author portrays the carelessness of the rich upper class and their materialism. As the antagonist, Tom exemplifies the corruption and shallowness of the American Way of living and the American Dream. Our narrator shows his dislike of Tom (and everything he stands for) from the beginning and it only continues to increase as he witnesses Tom’s carelessness and irresponsibility. Even though Tom’s identity is pretty constant throughout the novel, there is a part where for a brief moment he shows another part of himself. “The transition from libertine to prig was so complete” (130). A libertine is someone, especially a man, who behaves without moral principles or a sense of responsibility, especially in sexual matters. Tom cheated on his wife with a married woman but all of a sudden he begins to defend family values and acts like a super moralistic person therefore completing the transformation. The way that Tom switches over what he thinks of “family values” is representative of his hypocrisy. He says one thing and expects others to listen to it but does another. The Tom Buchanan that is presented in the story might not be all that there is to his identity considering only Nick’s point of view is provided (and he is an unreliable and
[This goes to show that the American Dream is corrupted and it is merely an illusion.] Tom is arrogant, aggressive, racist, and misogynistic which makes him feel superior to others and allows him to take control and be dominating. “Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always …show more content…
Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body… ” (7). Through Tom Buchanan. the author portrays the carelessness of the rich upper class and their materialism. As the antagonist, Tom exemplifies the corruption and shallowness of the American Way of living and the American Dream. Our narrator shows his dislike of Tom (and everything he stands for) from the beginning and it only continues to increase as he witnesses Tom’s carelessness and irresponsibility. Even though Tom’s identity is pretty constant throughout the novel, there is a part where for a brief moment he shows another part of himself. “The transition from libertine to prig was so complete” (130). A libertine is someone, especially a man, who behaves without moral principles or a sense of responsibility, especially in sexual matters. Tom cheated on his wife with a married woman but all of a sudden he begins to defend family values and acts like a super moralistic person therefore completing the transformation. The way that Tom switches over what he thinks of “family values” is representative of his hypocrisy. He says one thing and expects others to listen to it but does another. The Tom Buchanan that is presented in the story might not be all that there is to his identity considering only Nick’s point of view is provided (and he is an unreliable and