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Fuecurity In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

651 Words3 Pages

At the height of American opulence, the extravagant lives of New York City’s elite, and the dramatic affairs that arise within them are highlighted in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 20th century classic, “The Great Gatsby”. On a steaming day in the summer of 1922, the novels observant protagonist Nick Carraway, lounges amongst his companions in a hotel suite, as tensions rise between Tom Buchanan and his wife's love interest, Jay Gatsby. In this passage, through Toms verbal belittling of Gatsby and Nicks critical observations, Fitzgerald indirectly characterizes Tom, exemplifying his insecurity from threats to his masculinity and status.
The passage centers around a one-sidedly antagonistic conversation between Tom and Gatsby that comes after Tom …show more content…

In a flagrant response, Gatsby erupts proclaiming that “the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife” which is described by Nick as “impassioned gibberish” as Tom “stand[s] alone on the last barrier of civilization”. With this declaration, the understated ridicule employed earlier by Tom is long gone, as he bursts into an unscrupulous frenzy. It is known by all, including his wife, that Tom is romantically involved with another woman in a full blown affair, yet is overlooked. However, as the same situation occurs with Daisy, Tom is undeniably intimidated and aggravated. His emotional response represents an ironic double standard against his wife, and his fragile masculinity being challenged by another man. Most alarming from Toms statement, was his reference to Gatsby as “Mr. Nobody from Nowhere” implying that the affair itself wasn't the main cause of anger, but the status of the man who it was with. It can be understood that this insult stems from Gatsby's past, as he amassed his fortune from nothing, placing him to the social group of “new money”, of those who don't come from generations of family wealth and aren't born into the established social circles of the “old money” group. Tom is challenged by the fact that his wife could develop feelings for a man from a lower

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