Comparing Tom Buchanan and Gatsby

extravagant parties to utter strangers. On the other hand, Tom Buchanan prides himself in his wealth and arrogantly boasts of it at any given chance. Tom's materialism is reflected in these examples. Jordan Baker describes Daisy's wedding to Nick as “...She married Tom Buchanan of Chicago with more pomp... than Louisville had ever seen. He came down with a hundred people in four private cars and hired a whole floor of the Seelbach Hotel, and the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” In a separate setting, Tom forcefully drags Nick along to show him his new house in the East. In addition, Tom sees himself above anyone who does not have money. He cares little for others and takes no responsibility for his faults and misgivings; instead he proceeds to retreat into the protection offered by the comforts of his wealth and status. Although both Gatsby and Tom lived a similar wealthy style of life, a stark difference between Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby is Gatsby's dependence on wealth; throughout the book examples can be found of Gatsby's strong desire to attain fortunes. While Tom's wealth excluded him from the burdens of earning a living, in contrast, Gatsby's life was one of continuous effort and hardship. “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people...” - Fitzgerald, pg. 104. Jay Gatsby proved himself to be the quintessential example of the American dream as well as new money. However, Gatsby's motive to gain wealth and riches were not spurned on by greed, in fact, Gatsby's strong desire to fit into Daisy's world led Gatsby down the path of bootlegging alcohol. Unlike Tom who tread the social water with caution, Gatsby cared little for social status and materialism but his destitution suppressed his chances of a relationship with Daisy. Gatsby was forced to reinvent himself. Although Gatsby transformation from a poor soldier with no money to a wealthy aristocrat involved dubious dabbling in illegality, Nick affirms there is goodness in Gatsby unlike the rest of the careless, self-absorbed characters in his life.