Tom In The Great Gatsby

Improved Essays
8. Daisy begs Tom, rather than Gatsby, to leave, because she wants to leave with Tom. Daisy values money and stability, which is largely why she married Tom in the first place. It was just revealed that the source of Gatsby’s money is crime, which means that he and his money could disappear at any second. As a result, Daisy has chosen to stay with Tom, despite the fact that she still loves Gatsby.

9. Tom allows Daisy to drive home in Gatsby’s car so that he can mock Gatsby. He’s sticking the middle finger at Gatsby, letting him drive Daisy home - to Tom’s house. He’s allowing the two to be together, but purely for the purpose of bringing Daisy to Tom.

10. Fitzgerald uses the event of Nick remembering his birthday, and that he’s now 30, to show Nick growing up as a person. Nick realizes that he’s 30 right after denying Tom’s offer of a drink, symbolically rejecting the life of a 20-something year-old. By doing this, Nick also rejects the idea of living like those around him (Tom, Daisy, etc). This is a turning point for Nick’s character, as he’s realized that he can’t live like he did in the past (not judging people, trying to act objectively).
…show more content…
It’s symbolic that Myrtle was killed by Gatsby’s car because she was killed by materialism. Gatsby’s car is coloured yellow and green, colours that represent money and materialism. Myrtle vehemently pursued materialism, shown most evidently by her relationship with

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    The first time Gatsby sees Daisy in over 5 years Nick believes that “There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams”(Fitzgerald, page 95). Although Daisy is aware of Gatsby’s dreams of being together again and moving back to Louisville to continue where they left off, she has no interest in staying with him for long but does not let him know she won’t leave her husband. She knew that she could never be the Daisy Gatsby had once loved and still fantasizes over but she does not admit this to herself and watches him continuously bend over backwards for her. Daisy used Tom for a life of luxury and for his place in society, while at the same time got a deep and sincere love and appreciation from Gatsby.…

    • 1270 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Daisy In The Great Gatsby

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages

    He says “She chooses to leave him when he's in the War…….. It is completely Daisy's choice to *not* wait... And when she considers leaving Tom at the altar, she again chooses the reliable path.” He is telling us that Daisy really didn't care for Gatsby's love, but for his money. She could've easily…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Roaring Twenties was a time of new beginnings. From extravagant parties, prohibition, and the introduction of jazz music, life in America was divine. However, an event that occurred in the 1920’s that is widely forgotten is the Hall-Mills murder case. In September of 1922, the bodies of Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills were discovered with gunshot wounds in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Both Edward and Eleanor were married to others, but the two were said to have close relations.…

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Daisy carelessly destroyed Gatsby’s dream by rejecting him, but to her it was not even of great consequence, as she just ends up back with Tom, still “safe and proud” with her money and class. When Tom reveals all of the shady ways Gatsby has acquired his money, Daisy turns away from Gatsby because she no longer feels that he can provide her with the security she has had all of her life: “with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so that he gave up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room” (134). Daisy does what is natural for her to do, turning to Tom who is secure is his class and wealth, and in doing so destroys Gatsby’s dream, and getting rid of all the purpose in Gatsby’s life because he has placed it all in Daisy. The last scene in this chapter describes Gatsby watching Daisy’s house because he is afraid that Tom will hurt her, but it is unnecessary because there is no more dream for Gatsby to protect anymore and…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The characters within the story and even the average reader become convinced that Daisy should flee the scene. Indeed Nick describes Daisy’s situation at the end of the first chapter as “It seemed to me that the thing for Daisy to do was to rush out of the house, child in arms ...” (Fitzgerald 23). From Tom’s racism on page 16, to his mistress calling during dinner on page 17, both the reader and characters have plenty of reason to dislike Tom, but Daisy remains with him regardless. Unfortunately for Tom, this mistreatment of Daisy eventually sets the scene for Gatsby’s return into Daisy’s life.…

    • 1595 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Daisy left the thought of love or what seemed like love, but her true love was money. It was the social status that she was in love with. Daisy never expresses her true feelings putting on another mask not really showing how she feels. The impact that daisy faces is that instead of being with Gatsby her true love, she chooses to be with Tom for selfish…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    As I previously stated, Daisy’s every decision is strategically made for no one’s benefit but her own. Taking this into consideration, the second Gatsby leaves for war, she simply marries Tom; receiving the benefits of his wealth. Gatsby tries to convince Tom of Daisy’s false motives by saying “she never loved you… she only married you because I was poor” (Fitzgerald 130). This infact is true, as the second Daisy realized Gatsby couldn’t satisfy her financially she found someone who could. Daisy’s only logic for marrying Tom was that no matter the cost, she must keep her social status intact.…

    • 1498 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Tom knows that he has the upper hand and that whatever relationship Daisy and Gatsby have is over. After this Daisy is still with Tom and Gatsby will never have all of her love. All Gatsby really desired in life was Daisy’s love, and when he never got it, his dream was…

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A moment later she rushed into the dusk, waving her hands and shouting; before he could move from his door the business was over” (Fitzgerald 144). “The “death car,” as the newspapers called it, didn’t stop; it came out of the gathering darkness, wavered tragically for a moment and then disappeared around the next bend. Michaelis wasn’t even sure of its color-he told the first policeman that it was light green” (Fitzgerald 144). Myrtle is hit by a car and killed. George is devastated, “Oh my God!”…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Tom Buchanan is one of the main characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. He is portrayed as a selfish, arrogant man who is often prone to violence. Throughout the novel, Tom demonstrates his selfishness by boasting to Nick about his wealth and evenly showing off his mistress just to make Nick jealous of him. However, while he was so focused on himself, he was unable to see the fact that the life he built around himself was crumbling apart bit by bit.…

    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hypothetically speaking, if Daisy were to stay with Gatsby rather than Tom, Gatsby would have no intentions of ever telling her about the mystery about his life that have left so many people curious. Gatsby will only follow through if it benefits him the most in the end. There is no legitimate proof that he feels guilty for doing what he has done to Daisy. Thus, Gatsby shows no sympathy to anyone and only cares about his self image. Gatsby sees Daisy as a mirror rather seeing Daisy as an individual.…

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It’s in this scene that Fitzgerald shows the reader that Tom literally killed Gatsby by being the one to tell Wilson that Gatsby is the owner of the yellow car that killed Myrtle. Fitzgerald included this scene so the audience is shown how Tom was responsible because if Wilson wasn’t told about Gatsby from Tom, then Wilson might not have ever known about the owner of the car that killed his wife. This leads to the conclusion that Gatsby might have lived longer.…

    • 1289 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fantasy can lead to destruction mentally, spiritually and physically. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is driven with obsession with Daisy Buchanan. Daisy was not willing to wait for Gatsby who at the time was poor and left to war. She went off and did her own life with Tom Buchanan, a wealthy man who gave her the life she wanted. In consequence, Gatsby is physically destroyed by fantasizing a life next to Daisy that eventually never happen.…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    After this quote, it is learned that the car that hit Myrtle was the car driven by Daisy and Gatsby on their way back from the hotel. In all honesty, it only makes sense that the car that hit and killed Myrtle would be yellow. Knowing that the color represents both gold and death, the car represents what was holding back both Tom and Myrtle’s relationship and Gatsby and Daisy’s affair: money. Money was the only shallow reason that Daisy and Tom were still together, despite their unhealthy relationship. Myrtle could never live up to the class and social standings that Daisy had, which is why Tom never left Daisy for Myrtle.…

    • 1615 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Tom and Gatsby are both dishonest and deeply flawed men who commit consistent shows of indiscretions. For example, Tom condemns Daisy’s affair, but does not have the decency to be discreet about his own. Gatsby’s shady business dealings with Wolfsheim and illicit ways of acquiring wealth can, without a doubt, compare to Tom’s unscrupulous character. Both Tom and Gatsby lie and cheat, but Tom does it for the sole purpose of self-indulgence, while Gatsby does what he does in pursuance of his dream. Tom and Gatsby both have controlling personalities, and will do what they can to get what they want, regardless of the consequences.…

    • 1585 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays