Tom is shown to be a man that loves his material items. Tom’s house is important to him. His house in East Egg, which is very luxurious. When Tom first meets Nick he says “’I’ve got a nice place here’” (p. 7). Tom also believes that his money can get him anything. Daisy married him because of his money. He bought her pearl necklace. Nick saw him standing outside a jewelry store. After they see each other nicks sees that Tom “went into the jewelry store to buy a pearl necklace-or perhaps only a pair of cuff buttons” (p. 181). Fitzgerald uses Tom’s materialistic personality to help show his idea of the lowest of the upper class.
Another way Fitzgerald portrays Tom as being a negative character is that he has a mistress named Myrtle. Tom and Myrtle’s relationship is known by daisy. Nick visits with Daisy. Tom gets called and Jordan tells Nick “’Tom’s got some woman in New York” (p. 15). Later, Tom takes Nick to meet Myrtle. Myrtle sends her husband away to get chairs, and then makes plans to meet with Tom. Tom and Myrtle have their own apartment. They also have a dog Tom bought for Myrtle. When Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Nick and Jordan go into town one afternoon …show more content…
When he punched Myrtle he was not thinking. He was careless, and then he regretted it, apologizing. As if this were not enough, Tom is also racist. He says “’The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be-will be utterly submerged,’” and “’It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things’” (p. 13). He is very concerned that other races may gain control, or even equal rights. Tom portrays the stereotype that rich men are mean and arrogant. "Buchanan's main characteristic is precisely his muscularity, which makes him "a man of physical accomplishments" rather than a man of the mind" (Bergman, Roland.
Another way Fitzgerald portrays Tom as being a negative character is that he has a mistress named Myrtle. Tom and Myrtle’s relationship is known by daisy. Nick visits with Daisy. Tom gets called and Jordan tells Nick “’Tom’s got some woman in New York” (p. 15). Later, Tom takes Nick to meet Myrtle. Myrtle sends her husband away to get chairs, and then makes plans to meet with Tom. Tom and Myrtle have their own apartment. They also have a dog Tom bought for Myrtle. When Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Nick and Jordan go into town one afternoon …show more content…
When he punched Myrtle he was not thinking. He was careless, and then he regretted it, apologizing. As if this were not enough, Tom is also racist. He says “’The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be-will be utterly submerged,’” and “’It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things’” (p. 13). He is very concerned that other races may gain control, or even equal rights. Tom portrays the stereotype that rich men are mean and arrogant. "Buchanan's main characteristic is precisely his muscularity, which makes him "a man of physical accomplishments" rather than a man of the mind" (Bergman, Roland.