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Tom character analysis in the great gatsby
Tom character analysis in the great gatsby
Description of gatsby in contrast to tom
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In The Great Gatsby, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby’s mission to integrate different social classes as an impossible feat. Tom is a fervent racist and believer in the established social hierarchy that places the old money class so far above the new money class. He resists against the merging of social classes and the equality power of minorities, so Fitzgerald uses Tom to represent the backlash against diversification and democratization in the 1920’s. Gatsby, however, belongs to the new money class, and he tries to blur the distinction between new money and old money by taking Daisy from Tom and hosting wild parties. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby to represent the 1920’s push for democratization and inclusion. Gatsby’s belief that he
Tom having an affair with a middle class woman was a huge class difference. Also Daisy will not leave Tom to be with Gatsby because even though Gatsby has money he is not seen as high class. Gatsby lives in West Egg not East egg so he is not as classy as Tom and Daisy. Daisy doesn’t care that Gatsby had changed from the poor man she once new because she thinks that Tom’s old money is better than Gatsby’s new money. The rich seem to be unified by their money. There are also several class differences. There are the characters like Daisy, Tom, and Jordan who were born into wealth. Their families have had money for many generations, hence they are old money. The novel portrays this because people of old money do not have to work, they just spend their time fascinating their selves. They impose a distinction on Gatsby where his life is not based on how much money he has, but where his money came from and when it was received. In Daisy, Tom, and Jordan’s eyes they think he can’t possibly have the same sensibility, taste, and refinement they have. Gatsby may have money now but in their eye he once was poor so he can’t possibly be anything like them. They believe the people with new money cannot be like the ones with old
The Great Gatsby displays how the time of the 1920s brought people to believe that wealth and material goods were the most important things in life, and that separation of the social classes was a necessary need. Fitzgerald’s choice to expose the 1920s for the corrupt time that it really was is what makes him one of the greatest authors of his time, and has people still reading one of his greatest novels, The Great Gatsby, decades
F. Scott Fitzgerald was accurate in his portrayal of the aristocratic flamboyancy and indifference of the 1920s. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores many aspects of indifference and flamboyancy. A large influence on this society was the pursuit of the American Dream. Gangsters played a heavily influential role in the new money aristocracy of the 1920s. The indifference was mainly due to the advent of Prohibition in 1920. One major societal revolution in this period was that of the “new women,” who expressed new actions and beliefs. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald accurately portrayed his characters Nick Carraway, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and the novel’s eponym, Jay Gatsby, as a part of the society of the 1920s.
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald maintains the statement, “Involuntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light” (26). In other words, Fitzgerald believes that at first scan nothing is as accurate as it seems; with a detailed observer one may see beyond the curtain. Fitzgerald’s use of the language and the actions of the characters reveal some of the true personalities. Take Tom Buchanan, he is a strong-willed man with the ideal lifestyle. However, Tom is a control enthusiast in addition to being a power fanatic; by any means necessary he will make his power evident. Daisy a sweet fool with her alluring voice, in actuality is well aware of this portrayal.
During Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, it is apparent to be an absurd time for the wealthy. The shallowness of money, riches, and a place in a higher social class were probably the most important components in most lives at that period of time. This is expressed clearly by Fitzgerald, especially through his characters, which include Myrtle Wilson, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and of course, Jay Gatsby. This novel was obviously written to criticize and condemn the ethics of the rich.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby”, identities and knowledge about a person are very important in the novel. One character that has a depth to his identity is Tom Buchanan. On the surface, Tom has the appearance of a respectable, wealthy person; however, studying the novel closer brings out the self-evident truth that this is not Tom’s identity. Throughout the course of the novel, it becomes easy to infer Tom’s true identity; Tom is an unfaithful spouse, consumed with wealth, and a narcissist.
The Great Gatsby “The Great Gatsby”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, depicts the vast social difference between the old aristocrats, the new self-made rich and the poor. He vividly interprets the social stratification during the roaring twenties as each group has their own problems to deal with. Old Money, who have fortunes dating from the 19th century, have built up powerful and influential social connections, and tend to hide their wealth and superiority behind a veneer of civility. The New Money made their fortunes in the 1920s boom and therefore have no social connections and tend to overcompensate for this lack with lavish displays of wealth. As usual, the No Money gets overlooked by the struggle at the top, leaving them forgotten or ignored.
As depicted by Scott F. Fitzgerald, the 1920s is an era of a great downfall both socially and morally. As the rich get richer, the poor remain to fend for themselves, with no help of any kind coming their way. Throughout Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, the two “breeds” of wealthier folk consistently butt heads in an ongoing battle of varying lifestyles. The West Eggers, best represented by Jay Gatsby, are the newly rich, with little to no sense of class or taste. Their polar opposites, the East Eggers, are signified by Tom and Daisy Buchanan; these people have inherited their riches from the country’s wealthiest old families and treat their money with dignity and social grace. Money, a mere object in the hands of the newly wealthy, is unconscientiously squandered by Gatsby in an effort to bring his only source of happiness, Daisy, into his life once again. Over the course of his countless wild parties, he dissipates thousands upon thousands of dollars in unsuccessful attempts to attract Daisy’s attention. For Gatsby, the only way he could capture this happiness is to achieve his personal “American Dream” and end up with Daisy in his arms. Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy is somewhat detrimental to himself and the ones around him; his actions destroy relationships and ultimately get two people killed.
The recurring themes of society, class, and self identity can be seen throughout many different writings of the 20th century. Two of these writings include, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. Both novels focus on the protagonist's goal of achieving equal rights in their own environment while at the same time trying to figure out who they are in the world. In the early 1900s, when “Their Eyes Were Watching God” takes place, slavery had very recently been abolished (relatively speaking) and the lasting effects of segregation take a toll on Janie, the protagonist. In the Great Gatsby, although Jay Gatsby is white, and thus does not have to deal with the factor of race, he struggles with many different aspects of American Society, mainly the class system and the American Dream. The American dream depicted by F.Scott Fitzgerald is a desire to gain wealth and prosperity. However, at the same time the book does not suggest that wealth equates to success. Even though Gatsby does have material wealth, he is not successful in gaining what he wants to be happy. Despite his material wealth, Gatsby is never united with the love of his life, Daisy. This shows that even though Gatsby has achieved the dream of wealth and prosperity, he has not achieved his final goal. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie too believes in the American Dream, and similarly to Gatsby, it is not a dream of wealth and prosperity. For her, it’s a dream of Freedom in all aspects of life. Both characters however, spend much of their time trying to conform to the rest of the world and essentially be like “everyone” else instead of trying to be distinct individuals. Societal norms of the early 1900s tak...
Tom Buchanan’s moral character can be quesitoned due to his dispicable and patheic nature when it comes to his actions throughout the novel. Even though he was born into a wealthy family and thus inherited the wealth he has in the novel, no signs of moral teachings by his family were evident. The actions he took in the book were due to him being a conceited and ignorant man. His ignorance was a result of the easy access he had to power and wealth. He feels that because he has wealth and power in society, he is given the acquiescence to be as arrogant and immoral as he so chooses and society cannot do anything about it. Because of this he looks down upon people that he feels are lower in the social and financial ladder.
The characters' search of their own identities and the struggle that ensues is the most suffusive theme throughout The Great Gatsby . The fact that we never really know the characters, and the corrupt immoral things they do, directly represent the 20's high society lifestyle. The characters continued to cheat on their spouses, let money become their obsession, and debated the American dream for the hopes of one day obtaining happiness. But the fact remains that they have no true morals or ideals of themselves as individuals. These are a group of people who --no matter how cocky and self- confident they seem-- have absolutely no idea of what they are doing (as many men and women of the 20's do not). Tom and Daisy are two examples.
The farther away from financial bankruptcy a person gets, the closer to moral bankruptcy they become. Money, and all that comes with it, corrupts the mind and morals of a person. Some people with all the money and things a person could ever need can also be some of the most morally corrupt people that walk the earth. Tom Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” exemplifies this to a tee. Tom’s background is one of extreme wealth and influence, a star Football player at Yale, Tom is an absolute brute of a man, described as one of the most most powerful men to ever play Football by another of the novel's main characters. Tom also holds extreme and racist views on race, views inspired by a novel he read called “The Rise of the Colored
Gatsby believes in the aforementioned "American Dream." Thus, Gatsby believes that money alone will allow him to enter the upper class. However, the unspoken truth of the "American Dream" is that class mobility requires money and the culture typical of the upper class. Gatsby becomes wealthy, but his lack of this culture prevents him from fulfilling his goal of social mobility. Writer Andrew B. Trigg discusses Gatsby 's inability to climb the social ladder: "culture provides a barrier to entering the top echelons of the leisure class" (Trigg.) Throughout The Great Gatsby, Gatsby 's lack of taste is evident, which leads to the upper class 's rejection of him. Gatsby repeatedly displays his wealth in excessive ways. Gatsby throws extravagant parties, buys flamboyant clothes, and purchases an opulent car and mansion. Throughout the novel, these displays of wealth are met by criticism from those that Gatsby is trying to impress. Tom Buchanan, Daisy 's husband, and a man of inherited wealth, detests Gatsby. In Chapter seven, Tom frequently criticizes Gatsby for his gaudy displays of wealth. First, Tom criticizes Gatsby 's car: " 'Come on, Daisy, ' said
Throughout Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, there is a broad spectrum of moral and social views demonstrated by various characters. At one end, is Tom, a man who attacks Gatsby's sense of propriety and legitimacy, while thinking nothing of running roughshod over the lives of those around him. A direct opposite of Tom's nature is Gatsby, who displays great generosity and caring, yet will stop at nothing to achieve his dream of running off with Daisy. The moral and emotional characteristics of Gastby and Tom are juxtaposed, Tom, the immoral character and Gastby, the moral character while the other characters' moral and emotional developments appear between these two.
The first words are important because they build first impressions, and first impressions stick with you. When you’re reading literature, the analysis of a character’s first words can reveal a lot about the author's intent and can foreshadow the overall story. When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby, he intentionally wrote the first words of his characters to reveal more about the character and who they really are.