Character Analysis: Tom

Other characters in the book:

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan stands as one of the central antagonistic forces in the novel. A member of the American elite, Tom is a complex and deeply symbolic character whose actions and personality significantly contribute to shaping the novel's themes of class division, moral decay, masculinity, and the illusion of the American Dream. Through Tom, Fitzgerald explores not only personal corruption but also the larger systemic injustices embedded within early 20th-century American society.

Tom Buchanan plays a crucial narrative role as both a foil and antagonist to Jay Gatsby. He is introduced early in the novel as the husband of Daisy Buchanan, the woman Gatsby is desperately in love with. Jay Gatsby hopes to win back Daisy. Tom's presence is therefore one of Gatsby's obstacles to Gatsby's dream of rekindling his romance with Daisy. While Gatsby represents aspiration, idealism, and reinvention, Tom stands for stasis, entitlement, and the power of entrenched privilege.

From the beginning, Tom's character is marked by dominance and arrogance. His physical presence is described in aggressive, almost "violent" terms: he has a "cruel body" and a manner that suggests he is constantly on the verge of confrontation. Tom's behavior is emblematic of his need to exert control over others, especially women. His affair with Myrtle Wilson, a woman from a much lower social class, further emphasizes his view of people as possessions and his disregard for loyalty or decency.

Tom is a source of conflict in nearly every scene he inhabits. He challenges Gatsby's social position and romantic ambitions, eventually confronting him directly in the climactic scene at the Plaza Hotel. There, Tom reveals Gatsby's criminal background, undermining Gatsby's carefully crafted persona and effectively dismantling his dream. In doing so, Tom emerges victorious, not because he is morally superior, but because his social power enables him to crush those who threaten his comfort.

Tom Buchanan is a powerful symbol of the American aristocracy and the corruption that lies beneath the surface of privilege. He represents the "Old Money" class: families who inherited their wealth and maintain a rigid social structure that excludes outsiders, such as Gatsby, who earned his wealth through dubious means.

One of Tom's defining traits is his unshakable belief in white supremacy and patriarchal dominance. He is openly racist and sexist, citing pseudo-scientific texts to defend his faith in the superiority of the white race and male authority. His views are not just individual quirks—they echo broader social anxieties of the 1920s, a period marked by fear of cultural change, immigration, and the shifting role of women. In this way, Tom symbolizes the ideological resistance of the ruling class to any social or moral progress.

The way Tom treats women in the novel further emphasizes his symbolic role. His marriage to Daisy is loveless and controlling. He cheats on her with Myrtle Wilson, yet he is furious and violent when he suspects Daisy might be unfaithful to him. His double standard exposes the hypocrisy of traditional gender roles. Tom's and Myrtle's reactions to Myrtle's death also reveal his callousness: he quickly shifts the blame onto Gatsby. He retreats into the comfort of his wealth, avoiding any consequences for his role in the tragedy.

Tom Buchanan's character serves as a critique of American society, particularly the moral failings of its upper class. His wealth insulates him from accountability, and his sense of entitlement allows him to act selfishly without remorse. After Myrtle is killed and Gatsby is murdered, Tom and Daisy flee, leaving the wreckage behind. As Nick Carraway observes, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy, they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated into their money or their vast carelessness."

In this sense, Tom embodies one of Fitzgerald's key themes: the hollowness of the American Dream. While Gatsby represents the self-made man who believes in love, ambition, and transformation, Tom is the counterpoint, the man born into wealth who clings to it with no effort or imagination. He does not dream because he does not need to. His life is already constructed around security, exclusion, and power.

Moreover, Tom's dominance over Gatsby, especially in the climactic confrontation, reinforces the idea that the American Dream is an illusion for those not born into privilege. Gatsby's downfall is not just personal—it reflects the systemic barriers that prevent proper social mobility. No matter how wealthy Gatsby becomes, he can never truly enter the world of Tom Buchanan, who guards the gates of "Old Money" society with disdain.

Tom's character also raises questions about masculinity in the 1920s. His need for control, physical strength, and sexual conquest all align with traditional, hyper-masculine ideals. Yet Fitzgerald also critiques this version of manhood by illustrating its destructive and empty nature. Tom's life lacks genuine intimacy or moral substance; his victories are hollow, gained not through merit but through intimidation and privilege.

Tom Buchanan is a pivotal character in The Great Gatsby, not only for the role he plays in the plot but also for the values and attitudes he represents. He is a portrait of the American aristocracy at its most arrogant and morally bankrupt. Through Tom, Fitzgerald exposes the corrupt foundations of wealth and privilege, as well as the failure of the American Dream to deliver on its promises of equality and opportunity.

By contrasting Tom with Gatsby, Fitzgerald invites readers to question the validity of social hierarchies and the cost of clinging to outdated power structures. In the end, Tom does not change or grow; he survives by retreating into his fortress of wealth, untouched by the chaos he has helped create. In doing so, he becomes not just a character in a tragic love story but a symbol of a society unwilling to confront its decay.