Preview

Gatsby vs Tom; Likes and Differences

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
911 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Gatsby vs Tom; Likes and Differences
Gatsby Vs. Tom: Likes and Differences
Q: Compare and contrast Gatsby and Tom. How are they alike? How are they different? given the extremely negative light in which Tom is portrayed throughout the novel, why might Daisy choose to remain with him instead of leaving him for Gatsby?

A: Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, we are given two men that have made huge impacts on the life of Daisy. Gatsby was her first love, thinking he was going to be her lover the rest of her life. Unfortunately, he decided to go to fight in the war for years, followed by his decision to attend Oxford for a few months in the army program. When he returned, Daisy was married and with another man who she is expect to live her life with until the day she dies. Tom and his entire family is part of the old money, having it for many past years. Gatsby is part of the new money society, acquiring his funds more recently and having grown up from a less fortunate family then Tom did when he was younger. Even while Gatsby was away he still had feelings for his Daisy and continued to have them when he returned, disappointed to find that she has married another man. He continues to try to get her back and convince her to leave her husband. Tom on the other hand, might love her, but not with the same passion as Gatsby. Tom was lucky enough to be able to marry her in the beginning, but he has proven to be unfaithful and a cheater. Gatsby proves to be more faithful and more passionate about the love he shares with Daisy as does she with him. Tom just shows him jealousy and his desire to keep her as his possession out of the reach of Gatsby, not for his love.

Throughout the story, Tom is portrayed as a terrible person, because he truly is one. He is able to marry a truly kind woman and has taken advantage of the kindness she has and her timidness to stand up to his behavior. Ever since the beginning of their marriage, Tom has been unfaithful, keeping an apartment in the city for him and his

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Imagine the 1920's have been re-enacted, a time of luxurious parties and when things, didn’t seem to matter or mean as much as they do now. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, gives you a picture of what the time period was like. It was a time known as the "Jazz Age", where the economy was at its peak, and money was easy to be held. Prohibition was in affect, and bootlegging was very gainful for those who took part in it. Jay Gatsby most likely took part in an illegal business scheme, such as bootlegging, to make his fortune. Tom Buchanan, on the other hand though, acquired his wealth through inheritance. The plot of The Great Gatsby seemingly also revolves around a girl, Daisy Buchanan, whom Tom and Gatsby both love in different ways. However, they are similar as they both want to be able to call Daisy “mine.” In The Great Gatsby, although Tom and Gatsby strive to be financially successful and maintain a high social class, and they both love Daisy in a way, they are two completely different people with different personalities and morals.…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom and Gatsby’s relationships with Daisy differ. Even though Gatsby has not seen Daisy in five years, he still loved her very much and stayed loyal the whole time. This shows that Gatsby loves Daisy so much that he would stay lonely and hopeful for years just for her. Gatsby never gave up hope during the time that they were apart. Tom has an affair on Daisy with Myrtle. This shows that Tom isn’t loyal to Daisy and he doesn’t put any effort into their relationship. Tom really uses Myrtle to satisfy one of his needs and Daisy to satisfy another. Gatsby was the only one willing to work and put effort towards him and Daisy while Tom took his and Daisy’s relationship for granted.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby used his wealth to throw parties so he could try to get Daisy’s attention and impress her. He did end up impressing her. However, because Daisy was married to her husband Tom she could not be with Gatsby. Tom found out about Daisy’s affair and confronted Gatsby. Gatsby insisted that Daisy never loved Tom but Daisy could not deny her love for her husband. It showed that Gatsby was extremely naive to believe that Daisy would love him to a certain extent as to say that she never loved her own husband. Gatsby believed that he could easily win her back simply by showing up with his wealth, but he was wrong.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Money is the top priority in Daisy’s life. “I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool-that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool” (22). Here she suggests that women need to be foolish in that era, which is cruel to women and requires women to be just satisfied with money, which is the only thing can prove them and give them happiness. So for money, Daisy chooses being a fool and accepts her fate to marry Tom. In the town’s meeting, Daisy claims that she loves Gatsby now but she loves Tom once too (126). Gatsby has money now not in the past. Daisy completely tells everyone everything she cares is…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom, her husband, commits unworthy actions that a husband should not do, but is very wealthy. Instead of being with a man who she truly desires to be with, she would rather be with a man that had more money from the beginning. In an argumentative discussion, Daisy communicates to Gatsby that she “did love [Tom] once but [she] loves him too” (140). Since Daisy is torn between the concept of money and love, she does not know who she desires to be with. However, a physical interaction between Gatsby and Daisy made Gatsby’s “heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own”(117). This shows that Daisy does have an attraction towards Gatsby, but prefers the benefits she receives by being married to Tom. If she was pure and innocent as her white colored face, she would not use her husband for…

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gatsby ends up confirming Tom’s suspicions of Daisy and Him having an affair saying that Daisy loved Gatsby and not Tom. This shows that men’s love for someone can blind them from recognizing that they are showing ignorance. Gatsby thought that by having Daisy in his life again and saw that he was rich that he was automatically the only one Daisy loved. His ego gets in the way because he thinks he is victorious by assuming that Daisy only loves him. When in reality she loves both Gatsby and Tom, and Gatsby can’t accept that. He wants to be the only wants Daisy to spend the rest of his life…

    • 1909 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Daisy In The Great Gatsby

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To start with, she thinks Gatsby is wealthy and falls in love with him. But realizing the fact that Gatsby can’t give her a luxurious life, she chooses Tom as her husband without any doubt. However, Gatsby’s appearing with historic fortune and his true love to her seems to make her moved, then she tries to recover the relationship between them. For Daisy, what she really wants is not a romantic lover, but she needs a man who can give her a comfortable life and a respect position.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He believes she is obligated to him and only him. Gatsby also believes there is no conflict between himself and Daisy that could arise. This however is very untrue. Gatsby doesn’t realize in a way that Daisy is married or at least thinks she married to save herself. She admits however that she loves both of the men she is deeply involved with, Gatsby and Tom. She states, “I did love him once- but I loved you too”(140). Gatsby has to prove himself to Daisy with material possessions because that is all he has now. He doesn’t really have a respectable position in society although it is upbeat all the time. Nick says, “While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher- shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue” (98). Gatsby doesn’t realize none of these things will change the way she feels for her husband. Gatsby’s love doesn’t seem to be enough for her. Daisy wants more then what he can offer her. Gatsby might have the feeling of proving himself to her but this won’t change what has already happened. Daisy loves Tom now and no real material can change that sadly for…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gatsby talks to Tom and says “she never loved you [Tom], do you hear?” [Gatsby] cried. She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one except me!” (Fitzgerald 130). Gatsby is trying to justify why he is okay with Daisy marrying Tom instead of him. Gatsby assumes that the only reason Daisy married Tom was for his money and not for who he is as a person. Gatsby has a misconception that if he earns enough money, Daisy will want to be with him. He earns his money by doing illegal bootlegging. Even though Daisy is married and has a child with Tom, Gatsby is still trying to win her over. He’s trying everything he can to interfere with their marriage by telling Daisy “he wanted nothing less of [her] than that she should go to Tom and say: I never loved you...just as if it were five years ago” (109). Gatsby feels like Daisy deserves more than what Tom has to offer, he really does care for Daisy and seems to want the best for her. Gatsby just approaches it the wrong way. His approach produces many conflicts and does not end the way he wanted it to. Gatsby tries to recreate the past because he loved her even before he went to war. He’s thinking that they may still stand a chance to be together because of their slight history together in the past. Gatsby’s getting so carried away with “...his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. [Gatsby] had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out...no amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his heart” (170). He has put his whole heart into this so called “relationship” with Daisy. Gatsby tries to reel in the past to show her that he hasn’t changed as a person, where his wealth is the only thing that has changed. He has so much passion in him to try to impress her and do…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom is angry because he gradually realizes that Gatsby and Daisy are having an affair. With this knowledge, Tom verbally attacks Gatsby after he tells him to leave Daisy alone. As a result, Gatsby changes his tone by having a quiet response to a loud, feverish response and is prompted to reveal the ongoing affair between him and Daisy. Gatsby affirms to Tom that Daisy never loved him and the only reason their marriage existed was because of his infirm financial state at the time and she was tired of waiting for him. Gatsby adds that Daisy’s decision was a mistake, but her love for him was always true. The vision and dream that Gatsby set for him and Daisy overrides reality when he states that Daisy only loved him; his statements are based on the emotional attachment to Daisy. Gatsby has a strong desire of self-assurance towards Daisy only marrying Tom for his money because if she truly loves Tom, then he cannot fix nor stop her from loving him.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    How Is Gatsby Selfish

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Daisy initially fell in love with Gatsby’s newfound riches than Gatsby himself. As soon as she discovered his wealth she falls back in love with him, completely disregarding her own husband. Daisy was too caught up in the wealth and attention she received from Gatsby that she even declared, “why - how could I love him [Tom] - possibly? … ‘I never loved him” (126). Buchanan is so infatuated with Gatsby's lifestyle that she announced she never loved Tom and only married him because Jay was at war. Daisy’s husband had the wealth to support her and gave her some attention, but she detached from him the moment a richer man came along, who gave her the attention she desired. Therefore Daisy’s craving for more riches causes her to cheat on her husband for the man who is supplying superior funds and…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After years of burying his feelings and waiting, he explodes in a rampage of rage and jealousy. Gatsby hates how his dream is being crushed because of this, something so cruel to him. In Gatsby’s eyes, Daisy’s love for him was being ripped away by Tom Buchanan. Gatsby genuinely thinks that Tom Buchanan is the reason Dasy doesn't love him the way he loves her, and that's how he snaps. “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone except for me!” (Fitzgerald 137). After the years that Gatsby labored saving his money, he thought that Daisy would wait for him. He believed that she would stay, because their love was pure. Daisy did not wait. She could not wait that long, and so she eventually just married Tom Buchanan. She married Tom not for love but for greed. Gatsby eventually realizes that the dream he had was never going to come true, and he is so incredibly jealous of the life Tom has with his Daisy. Gatsby just wanted to be perfect, to be content in his own little world. That is not how things work out for Gatsby, however. Things only seem to crumble even…

    • 847 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel The Great Gatsby, the relationship between the different characters eventually disintegrated because of unreal love and the struggle for wealth. The most controversial relationship in the novel is the relationship between Daisy and Tom. Infidelity in their marriage has caused problems not only for themselves, but for other characters also. Tom and Daisys relationship seems to be normal and healthy at the beginning. They are a wealthy couple living in East Egg, one of the most powerful and wealthy communities in New York. Tom is a friend of Nicks from when they went to Yale, and Daisy is Nicks cousin. Nick soon discovers that Tom and Daisys relationship is not all bliss. Tom and Nick go to New York City where they meet Toms…

    • 1503 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Great Gatsby is an extraordinary piece of work. This story covers up several themes such as money, love, and the American Dream. This story follows the life of Jay Gatsby who pretends to be someone he’s not to win back Daisy Buchanan, the girl of his dreams. Having the opportunity to read the book and watch the movie, there were several differences and similarities I observed.…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    My side character was Tom who in this scene of The Great Gatsby he was observing Daisy and Gatsby talking far away from the balcony, where he did not know they were saying to each other. Meanwhile, Nick was on the stairs looking and listening what Mr. Gatsby say to her.…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics