Essay On Tom Buchannan In The Great Gatsby

Perceptions are the ways you look at things, people, etc. they also are the way people look at you. The novel, “The Great Gatsby”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about characters who lust for attention, power, and money, they would do anything for those things, even going to extremes of putting on a facade to become something/someone they’re not. One of the characters in the story is Tom Buchannan. Tom is the antagonist, who sees himself as self-righteous and loving, meanwhile, others see him as snarky and egotistical.

Tom thinks he's very sanctimonious, others think he's conceited. In the novel, he says “It's up to us to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (13) Tom believes that he and his fellow white, wealthy elites

His statement is not only racist, but it also reveals his sense of entitlement and superiority, suggesting that he believes himself to be more capable and qualified than people of other races to be in positions of power and control. On the contrary in Chapter 1, when Nick first meets Tom, he describes him as having "a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining, arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward." (7) This description suggests that Tom is arrogant and self-important and that he looks down on others. The description of Tom's eyes as "shining" and "arrogant" also contributes to the sense that he is a self-important individual. The use of the word "dominance" to describe his eyes implies that he is someone who seeks to exert power and control over others. The phrase "leaning aggressively forward" suggests that Tom is confrontational and imposing and that he is not afraid to use his physical presence to intimidate others. In conclusion, Tom is a character in "The Great Gatsby" who thinks he

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" (13) In this quote, Tom is saying that he loves Daisy, but sometimes he does things that make him look foolish. He admits that he has made mistakes but says that his love for Daisy is always there. He wants to show that he loves her even though he has not always been faithful to her. On the other hand, others see him as very egotistical and narcissistic. When Tom said "I know I'm not very popular. I don't give big parties. I suppose you've got to make your house into a pigsty in order to have any friends - in the modern world." this showed that he thinks he's better than everyone else because for one, he doesn't have to throw big parties to show off his wealth and two he thinks parties and such things alike are for lesser people. All in all, Tom Buchanan is one of the most intriguing characters in the novel, his egotistical manners, racist comments, and overall demeanor is very unique and full of (not-so-pleasant)