Compare And Contrast Tom Buchanan And The Great Gatsby

In America, the popular dream is to be happy and to be surrounded by loved ones. Back in the 1920’s though, things were very different. The main focus of the American Dream was to have a big house, an abundance of money, and to be high up on the social ladder. This oftentimes causes a deprivation of happiness, but back then it did not seem to matter. It was not of concern to them. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald criticizes this view and way of life. Through the characterization Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows that the American Dream is more than money and fame, to prove that even if a person has money, it does not mean they have happiness.

In The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan is a man who uses

Daisy believes that a woman should be, “...a beautiful little fool” (Fitzgerald 17). She learns that in order to be “happy”, she needs to be what everyone else wants. Therefore she puts on an act and fools everyone else into thinking that she lives the perfect life, although, in reality, she is not. When she reconciles with Gatsby, she is in awe of how much wealth he has. "They're such beautiful shirts, she sobbed, her muffled in the folds. It makes me sad because I've never seen such beautiful shirts." (Fitzgerald 92). When Daisy sees all of Gatsby’s assets she is brought to tears. This is because she views the American Dream to be simply acquiring wealth. Daisy is a materialist person that does not care about happiness or true love. As she knows about Tom cheating on her with Myrtle Wilson. She believes that relationships are not done to make her happy, but to instead increase her wealth and social standing, which is exactly why she does not protest about Tom’s mistress, as it would tint her representation. Being materialistic is another reason why Daisy begins to once again become involved with Gatsby. Fooling him into thinking that he has finally achieved his American Dream. Because of this Gatsby takes the blame for killing Myrtle, in order to save her fragile reputation. “Well, first Daisy turned away from the

He concludes that Daisy’s and his feelings are real. That it is true love and not something you find every day. Because of this Gatsby is willing to make the sacrifice for Daisy and willingly claims responsibility for the accident. Gatsby no longer cares about the repercussions because he realizes that the real American Dream is about truly being happy and being surrounded by those you love, not money or fame. Through hard work, it is possible to get closer to the American Dream, which is why it appears at first that Jay Gatsby is living the American Dream. At his own parties, Gatsby does not socialize with his guest. “‘This is an unusual party for me. I haven’t even seen the host... For a moment he looked at me as if he failed to understand. ‘I’m Gatsby,’ he said suddenly” (Fitzgerald 47-48). Gatsby in the beginning of the story is the ideal for all those who know him. He is rich, throws extravagant parties, and is an influential person. Unknown to the others, though, Jay Gatsby is quite anti-social with those around him. At his own parties, he will overwatch, but never join in. He hides this though through his wealth, fooling those around him that he is happy. When he reconnects with Daisy though, he no longer has to act. He is amazed to find that this personal connection with people is what he has been missing. “He hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued