Gatsby is always very polite and have a gentle smile; however these qualities would only made a person nice. What made him great was his unfaltering hope in his dream, having decided to stop at nothing to see his dream realized. His determination to live with Daisy and his unselfish nature all made him into a great person. My admiration still lies with Gatsby, not because of his idealism, but in his belief that he will try everything in his power to achieve that impossible goal. The other characters in the novel believe in nothing and care about nothing other than themselves and their own pleasure. When the car that Daisy was driving killed myrtle, it is he that took the blame. His unselfish nature made him nice, but it was his everlasting hope that made him great. No one like a quitter, and Gatsby is not a quitter.
On the other hand, Tom is from the class whose wealth has long been established as opposed to Gatsbys new money. Toms characterizes has neither Gatsbys idealism nor Nicks honesty. Lacking both of these qualities makes Tom an egocentric character through out the novel. When Gatsby died because of George, he felt no pity for Gatsby at all and yet is blind to the real truth behind it. He is capable of taking decisive action and is direct and get straight to the point. He is also a bully, having a huge amount of wealth and physique muscle enable him to use that power at will. Tom, on the whole is an unpleasant character whose destructive power was feared. He can be seen as the main antagonist in the novel.
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