The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan Analysis

441 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social tensions in gatsby

Tom Buchanan got married to Daisy Buchanan while Gatsby was studying in Oxford. Tom Buchanan is viewed as an aggressive, arrogant and unfaithful man throughout the book. He wanted Nick Carraway to meet his mistress, Myrtle Wilson who is married to George Wilson, who live in the valley of ashes. As Tom says in chapter 2, “I want you to meet my girl” (24), this shows that he really trusts Nick, and that even though they were friends back in Yale days,, Tom knows that he can depend on Nick. Tom Buchanan is careless and doesn’t care what others think about this affair and he probably had a mistress because his marriage with Daisy wasn’t always happy. Myrtle is also unhappy with her marriage with George Wilson because she thought she was marrying a gentleman as she said in chapter 2, “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman... I thought he …show more content…

Before Myrtle’s death, George Wilson finds out that she was having an affair with someone because of this very expensive dog leash he found in a drawer. As Nick describes it, “There was nothing in it but a small, expensive dog-leash, made of leather and braided silver. It was apparently new.” (158). He figured it out with that small piece of evidence because first of all, they never owned a dog and second of all, the Wilson’s never had enough money to buy such a lavish thing. When he shows Michaelis the leash George then concludes that the person who she’s having an affair with killed her.. Michaelis observed that Myrtle was trying to speak to the man in the car and didn’t stop. As Michaelis quotes in the book, “It was the man in the car. She ran out to speak to him and he wouldn’t stop. Thinking that Gatsby is the man Myrtle is having an affair with and the one who ran her over, George kills Gatsby and

Show More
Related

  • Chapter Analysis: The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    693 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sometimes the power of love does not always lead to a happy ending. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of a tragic love story on American life. Two lovers are joined together after five years knowing that one of them is married and has a child. As uncontrollable conflicts occur, these lovers are separated and forced to leave behind their past and accept failure.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan Compare And Contrast

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Great Gatsby, the character Tom Buchanan is the ‘loving’ husband of Daisy Buchanan. His character is an extremely wealthy man who only really cares about himself. Sound familiar? I believe that Tom Buchanan is a living resemblance of Donald Trump for many reasons other than wealth. Both Tom and Donald have had a history treating many wives/mistresses badly. Interview after interview, Trump is now known for his unkind words towards women. They are both huge white supremacists which means they both believe that white people are superior to those of all other races. It’s a little scary to think that the modern-day Tom Buchanan is now president, and really makes you think how much has really changed since the 1920’s.

    Read More

  • Essay On Same Goal, Different Route In The Great Gatsby

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    Myrtle eventually had similar goals as Gatsby, but her life did not begin the same way.  She was of the lower class of society and married a simple man.  The two pursued a poor life, but Myrtle’s husband George was a decent man.  Nevertheless, Myrtle became unsatisfied, and when the opportunity arose to better the quality of her life, she took it.  Daisy’s husband Tom, an unfaithful, rough man not very committed to his marriage, began an affair with Myrtle.

    Read More

  • Women In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

    1211 Words  | 3 Pages

    She is kept in a life that is falling apart as she longs for a lover that she’s actually interested in. Her husband Wilson loves her, but turned out to be poorer than the man she thought she was marrying. Myrtle wants someone to love that loves her to go along with her wish of a life of luxury. Tom was the answer to all her problems. He was rich, and he loved her, even if that meant they were both cheating. The airedale—undoubtedly there was an airedale concerned in it somewhere though its feet were startlingly white—changed hands and settled down into Mrs. Wilson’s lap, where she fondled the weather-proof coat with rapture” (Fitzgerald 31). Buying their own dog is just another way to further their relationship, making them feel more like a couple. Would Myrtle have really want to have that dog with Wilson? Or Tom with Daisy? Tom could throw around money whenever he wanted so buying the dog wouldn’t be a problem. The entire apartment requires dedication to the relationship, and putting a dog in it increases it even more so. Just being with Tom and sneaking away from time to time isn’t enough for Myrtle. She wanted to run away with Tom, leaving her old life behind. She had even convinced Wilson to move away from the horrible life they shared, but this backfired and he ended up keeping her locked inside until they were ready to leave the next day. “Myrtle Wilson’s body wrapped in a blanket and then in another

    Read More

  • Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson of The Great Gatsby

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    Daisy Buchanan is married to Tom Buchanan and cousin to Nick Carraway. During World War I, many soldiers stationed by her in Louisville, were in love with her. The man who caught her eye the most was Jay Gatsby. When he was called into war, she promised him that she would wait for him. Also that upon his return they will be married. Daisy, lonely because Gatsby was at war, met Tom Buchanan. He was smart and part of a wealthy family. When he asked her to marry him, she didn't hesitate at once, and took his offering. Here, the reader first encounters how shallow Daisy is, making her a dislikeable character. Another event that Daisy is a dislikeable character is when she did not show up to Gatsby's funeral. When Daisy and Gatsby reunite, their love for each other rekindle. She often visited Gatsby at his mansion, and they were inseparable. This led Gatsby on because he dedicated his whole life into getting Daisy back, and she had no gratitude towards it. At the hotel suite scene, Daisy reveals to all that she loves Gatsby, but then also says that she loves Tom as well. This leaves the reader at awe, because after...

    Read More

  • Importance of Myrtle in The Great Gatsby

    1190 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tom knew Myrtle better than any of the main characters.  He had met her on a train headed for New York.  When the train reached the city, she went with him in a taxi, and their affair began.  Tom never made much of an effort to keep their relationship secret.  In fact, he almost paraded her around in the presence of his acquaintances.  They made frequent trips into New York so that they could be together.  Myrtle was Tom's escape from his own life in East Egg.  While Daisy provided him with a wealthy, acceptable social image, she was not much more to him than a mere possession.  His affair with Myrtle offered him a chance to defy his social expectations.  Their relationship was important to him because of this opportunity to escape.  When Myrtle died, it shook him deeply, especially because he believed Gatsby had been driving the yellow car.  After leaving George Wilson's garage the night of the accident, he managed to drive slowly until he and Nick were out of sight.  Then he slammed his foot down on the accelerator, driving much faster.  He began quietly sobbing, privately mourning her death.  He immediately blamed Gatsby for bringing their relationship to an abrupt halt.  "That God damned coward!" he cried.  "He didn't even stop his car."  His feelings of anger and hurt were greatly intensified by the day spent in New York....

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Analysis

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick’s unreliability as a narrator is blatantly evident, as his view of Gatsby’s actions seems to arbitrarily shift between disapproval and approval. Nick is an unreliable and hypocritical narrator who disputes his own background information and subjectively depicts Gatsby as a benevolent and charismatic host while ignoring his flaws and immorality from illegal activities. He refuses to seriously contemplate Gatsby’s negative attributes because of their strong mutual friendship and he is blinded by an unrealized faith in Gatsby. Furthermore, his multitude of discrepancies damage his ethos appeal and contribute to his lack of dependability.

    Read More

  • Daisy And Myrtle In The Great Gatsby

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    Daisy knows very well that tom is cheating on her, but doesn’t care because it's more convenient to stay in her unhappy marriage. Even though she wants to be with Gatsby, she wants to keep her social status and being with Tom makes this all the easier. Now, this is quite the opposite of Myrtle. She has a loving husband who would do anything for her, but her social status is all she cares about. Myrtle is willing to hurt George and ruin their marriage in order to climb up the social ladder. Neither of these women have respect for themselves. Both Daisy and Myrtle allow Tom to treat them

    Read More

  • Examples Of Selfishness In The Great Gatsby

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    The entire book revolves around his one selfish desire to be with the woman he loves, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby is well aware that Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, but that does not stop him. Gatsby and Daisy begin seeing each other and spending a great amount of time together. This was not enough to satisfy Gatsby. One night, he and Tom, Daisy’s husband, were in dispute.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of 'The Great Gatsby'

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jay Gatsby’s funeral is a small service, not because that 's what was intended, but because no one bothered to show up. Nick wanted to give Gatsby the popularity he desired, even in death, but only three people were present in the end. Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz, shows up unexpectedly from Minnesota because he heard about the news in the papers. He believes that the man who shot his son must 've been mad, that no one in their right mind could commit such a horrible act. Daisy and Wolfsheim, the people closest to Gatsby in the book, do not attend. This exemplifies that it was always about wealth and social status for them, including Tom, and they never genuinely cared for Gatsby. Nick held up hope,

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby:Literary Analysis

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    Think about being separated from the one you love. You thought this person would be in your life forever and always. You may have spent days and weeks thinking and planning your future together, but then one day they disappear from your life. That person has moved on, and chose to live a life that no longer including you. It would be assumed in most cases that the love of your life is no longer the person they were before, so should you stick around and try to win them back? In the case of Gatsby and Daisy, Gatsby did not realize Daisy would be different, and although he still thinks he is in love with Daisy, is he in love with her for who she is now, or the idea of everything she used to be the answer may shock you, and this is all due to the unreal expectations he has for her to fill. Because Gatsby is not in love with who she is at the time they are reunited. Instead, he is caught up in the idea of who she used to be. The actions of Gatsby, how he talks about her, and the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy once they are back together again show who Gatsby is really in love with, and that is the old Daisy.

    Read More

  • Carelessness In The Great Gatsby Analysis

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the novel, one of Tom 's biggest careless acts was when he cheated on Daisy. Tom is a cocky, confident man shown many times throughout the novel like when Nick arrived at his house and "Tom Buchanan in riding clothes was standing with his legs apart on the front porch" (Fitzgerald 6). His stance showed his arrogance, and how highly he thought of himself because of his wealth. Tom was a man who often acted without thinking things through, like having an affair with Myrtle. Despite both Tom and Myrtle being married, they both had affairs. Tom doesn 't hide his affair from Nick and introduces him to his mistress Myrtle at Wilson 's garage. Tom doesn 't seem to care if anyone finds out because he feels as though nothing would change due to his wealth. While at Myrtle 's husbands garage, Tom tells Myrtle to meet him at the train station. They end up going to their apartment in New York City that they keep for their affair. While at the Morningside Height 's apartment Myrtle starts to talk about Tom 's wife Daisy, ""Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!" shouted Mrs. Wilson. "I 'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai-"" (Fitzgerald 37). Tom didn 't like Myrtle overstepping her boundaries and to show

    Read More

  • Mental Death Essay: The Death Of Jay Gatsby

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    George Wilson, who was the husband of Myrtle, knew nothing of the affair until later on. Also if Tom never had an affair with Myrtle the Daisy may not have had an affair with Gatsby which inevitably led to the death of both Myrtle and Gatsby. On page 124-125 Myrtle, while locked in the upstairs room, sees Tom driving the yellow car( Fitzgerald). Later on in the book, Myrtle ran out in front of the yellow car thinking that Tom was driving it (Fitzgerald Page 139). This set off a chain of events leading to the physical death of Gatsby. George was being driven to the brink of insanity because of the death of his wife, so when Tom told George that it wasn’t him, but Gatsby who was driving the yellow car, George thought he knew who to blame (Fitzgerald Page 140). Tom wanted to get the blame off of himself so he threw Gatsby to the dogs, but he may have fully believed that Gatsby was driving the yellow car when it hit Myrtle. To sum it up, however, Tom made George believe that Gatsby killed his wife which ended in the murder of Gatsby and the suicide of

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: Unfaithfulness And Greed

    413 Words  | 1 Pages

    Tom wanted the "possession" of Myrtle, Myrtle wanted Tom's "luxuries and wealth," and Daisy wanted Gatsby simply for his wealth. Both Tom and Daisy know each other's affairs, but neither one truly cares. As the story progresses, it seems as though each of them is trying to make the other jealous.      Honesty and Love, two words known only by the faithful, George Wilson. George certainly had his flaws, but he loved his wife dearly and couldn't live without her. "He was his wife's man and not his own." When he became aware of Tom and Myrtle's affair, he was "really sick, pale as his own pale hair and shaking all over." He locked her up in fear that she would run away with Tom forever.

    Read More

  • Decaying Morals in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nick is astonished at this information. He finds it hard to believe that Tom, with a beautiful wife and child, would be having an affair with some woman in the city. Miss Baker thinks “everybody knew” about the affair, yet Daisy is still with Tom. Being too ignorant to make herself believe it’s true, Daisy is willing to stay in the marriage, even when she is presented with an opportunity from Gatsby to escape. Daisy is willing to stay with Tom just because he has “old money,” and that shows how important it is to her. Everyone else’s morals are just as bad as Tom’s because they know about what’s going on and know that it’s wrong, but they don’t say anything about it. Later in the story, when Wilson is looking for the driver of the yellow car that killed Myrtle, he also suspects that person of having an affair with...

    Read More

More about The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan Analysis

Open Document