How Does Tom Buchanan Maintain Morality In The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the difficulty to maintain a moral code while surrounded by corrupt people making immoral decisions. The modern idea of mans humanity towards others is also represented in the character Tom Buchanan and in many people that live in the East Egg. Buchanan is a example of the ignorance of the upper crust of society and their explanation for not following societies set rules. People like Tom Buchanan were raised on the foundation of an affluent lifestyle and the thought that they had superiority over others. Morality was not the main concern for Tom through his whole life. He was more focused on money and not his choices. Because social status is static at the upper-end of the socio-economic scale, the people of East Egg, like the Buchanan's, are exempt from moral codes,

Buchanan is shown as a racist, power hungry socialite who has no filter and speaks his mind. At the Buchanan's dinner party Tom begins to discuss his views on the positions of races and power. In front of Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker, Tom abruptly disrupts the conversation by saying, "It's up to us, the dominant race, to watch out or the other races will have control of things" (Fitzgerald 13). Because of how Tom was raised and how much money he has acquired, he told himself that he is entitled to do or say what he wants no matter what others deem unquestionable. In the article Social Class in The Great Gatsby Carla Verderame also sees the racism of Buchanan and says, "Tom Buchanan's racist musings will also demonstrate the complicated link between race and social class and the way these categories of analysis play out in the novel" (Verderame 2). Tom's need for dominance and power destroys his regard for damaging others truths. Tom's preeminence over everyone fuels his ego and boosts his racist