Tom Buchanan In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Improved Essays
During this time period style was constantly evolving due to the Jazz Age. This new fashion for women consisted of loose dresses, shorter hair, and harsher features. Daisy is exquisitely beautiful, within the standards set by 1920s society consisting of the ‘Flapper’ style. This is the main reason Tom Buchanan married Daisy – she is something to look at and to show off. She is a “golden girl”, a possession, and nothing more than that. Tom exemplifies this when his mistress shouts “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” whilst intoxicated at a party. He reacts in a violent manner, as he believes that he possesses Daisy and everything associated with her, including her name. Daisy has been caught in the societal trap woven by the men in her life and has become

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    (76). Daisy was roped back into her marriage by the material string of pearls around her neck and by the promise of a secure life and high status. Although Tom Buchanan is able to attain the American dream he is hated by everyone around him, including his wife. Nick describes him as having “Two shining arrogant eyes that established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward.” (7).…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The effort that Daisy puts into her marriage is admirable. From reassuming her bubbly self after having what can only be assumed as a shocking conversation with Tom about his mistress, despite the detectable “tense gayety” (15), or following her husband to Chicago after he cheats on her during their honey-moon, there is no doubt that she wants this marriage to succeed. It is blatant that Daisy is not happy with her current marriage; the lack of effort from Tom’s end combined with the amounting pressure put onto her to appear normal obviously will take its toll. In contrast, Tom is seemingly more cheerful than his wife, as he has invested into a mistress, yet has not asked for a divorce form Daisy. The only explanation is that he is content enough at home, because he has learned to manipulate his wife; Tom constantly tiptoes a line with Daisy who is dismayed with his actions, but desperate enough to attempt to save their marriage.…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Daisy Buchanan is the wife of Tom Buchanan. She was always the height of fashion who lives in East Egg, Long Island. She also exhibits signs of becoming a “new woman” but values are old fashion. was caught between old and new values. She was married for money.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The strive and claim of perfection is hindered for these characters, with Daisy’s symptoms of histrionic personality disorder, Gatsby being stuck in the past and striving for a fantasy, and Tom’s impulsive need for control. Daisy Buchanan is the lavish flapper, wealth always an important factor in her life. Daisy initially married Tom when he gave her a pearl necklace worth over $350,000, yet her emotional…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    So engaged in his affairs, he was not present for the birth of their first child. (describe perfect couple)Tom uses Daisy for her social standing and looks, consistently exhibiting her as a, “trophy wife.” Tom presumes that they are a model couple, despite the numerous amount of times he has cheated on her. “And what’s more I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time” (Fitzgerald 131).…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Britons believed that wealth, religion, and freedom went hand in hand and I agree with this statement. As one of the prominent characters in the novel, Nick Carraway is the voice of ethical and moral behavior. His honest, forthright behavior serves to amplify out the reckless, decadent lifestyles of the wealthy (Jordan Baker, Tom and Daisy Buchanan); the major exception to this is Jay Gatsby. Nick is able to understand Gatsby's motives for living the life he has chosen: Gatsby has involved himself in racketeering so that he might be financially able to enter Daisy's world. While Nick understands this about Gatsby, it does not necessarily make Gatsby better than them.…

    • 111 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There 's no doubt that in The Great Gatsby, the gender roles are somewhat differentiated between dominance of men, and independence of woman. With several theories going around as to what women are portrayed as “gentle”, and what woman are considered “tough”. Fitzgerald in truth wanted to have the woman subdued by the men with their physical and authoritative strength, where there is one case of role reversal in the case of Nick and Jordan. Here, in this essay, you will understand why the gender roles of women are seen at “pure”, “innocent”, and traditionally mannered. Although in the end, you will find out that their white dresses are only hiding who they truly are- just as tough and independently equal to men.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During this time, women were valued for their looks. She hopes that her daughter is beautiful and a fool so she doesn’t realize that her looks are what she is valued for. Nick finds out about Daisy being superficial early when he asks about her daughter. “She looked at [Nick] with an absolute smirk on her lovely face, as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged” (Fitzgerald 17). Daisy is able to cover up the problems that exist in her marriage by using her and Tom’s wealth.…

    • 1150 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Daisy is not really a flapper, but she does fit in with the time. Hilliardem, the author of the “Flappers and Old Sports” page of The Great American Novel: 1900-1965 website, wrote about how Daisy’s style is different than most of the women in her day. The website explains how Daisy’s style is more traditional and consistent especially compared to Myrtle, the woman Tom is having an affair with, who changes her clothes often (Hilliardem). Daisy is an example of how the people in the 1920s were careless. This is seen in how she has an affair with Gatsby and says that she loves him but then does not leave Tom for him and does not care about his feelings.…

    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 6 Works Cited
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    This quote shows how Daisy lives in a fake, fragile world that she believes to be full of happiness but she is only truly sad because she’s always been handed everything and always wants more. Tom and Daisy both have affairs, because their marriage has bored them and they want something new and different. They believe that they can each have affairs because they’ve always been able to do whatever they want and so they don’t find any harm in having an affair.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Tom isolates himself from Daisy by his affair with Myrtle, shown by him physically leaving Daisy at the table at dinner time. This corresponds…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Another similarity between Tom and Gatsby is that both men seem to be playing a role when every they’re in public, by putting on a facade for others to see. With his good looks, education, horses, polo shirts, riding pants, and boots, Tom tries to impress and dissemble others, while hiding the monster he really is. On the same token, the ostentatious parties, mysterious past, and made up stories are all used by Gatsby to hide his humble beginnings, and corrupt ways of attaining his wealth. Without a doubt, Gatsby and Tom’s most obvious connection is their link to Daisy. Beautiful, educated, and well groomed, Daisy is the personification of feminism in the 1920’s, and women of an elite social class.…

    • 1585 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The overall effect of the 1920’s severely caused possession over the opposite gender which lead to destruction. Throughout the novel this theme is played through our main characters: Tom, Myrtle, and Daisy. With these character, the reader can really see women’s lower rank at the time, as well as each characters possessive natures. These natures take shape due to these women not being able to take control or the men fearing they will.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    His intimidating appearance is unmatched by the other characters in the story, giving him control much of the time. Daisy reveals Tom's overwhelming appearance early in the novel by saying, "That's what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen of a man" (Fitzgerald 12). His "brutishness", only further accentuates his control, giving off his ability to back up his narcissism with physical power. Furthermore, this physical power is shown off in his last method of control, abuse. Tom has gone as far as hitting his women for control before, ""Daisy!…

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    As a sociological art form, fashion has been integral to American culture and society. Using the human body as its canvas, fashion has altered itself to fit with the people and standards of the time. In a contemporary sense, it has become a way to express one’s personality, culture, and beliefs. We dress the way we want because we have the ability to do so; it all depends on the occasion, or season, or just the way we are feeling. However, this independence has not come about on its own accord.…

    • 1609 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays