Tom Buchannan reflects important attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s, give your response to the above view.

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Tom Buchannan reflects important attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. With reference to appropriately selected parts of the novel, and relevant external contextual information on attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s, give your response to the above view.

Tom Buchannan is certainly one of Fitzgerald’s most opinionated and distinct characters, and his social commentary reflects important attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. These attitudes and values are mostly negative, and Fitzgerald uses Tom as a way to convey everything he dislikes about 1920s society. In examining this view, a good place to start is Tom’s blatant racism.

Tom’s views are clearly racist, evidenced by his choice of reading: “Have you read the Rise of the Coloured Empires by Goddard?” This refers to a genuine book that was around at that time, titled The Rising Tide Of Colour by Lothrop Stoddard.  Tom feels threatened by the rising power of racial minorities and wishes to preserve the archaic status quo, which is reflective of the attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s. The influx of immigrants from Asia and Africa was seen as a threat to many established Americans, and led to measures such as National Origins Quota Act of 1924 which restricted immigration to 150,000 per annum. It favoured European immigrants and effectively banned Asians from coming to America. Immigrants were referred to as a ‘barbarian horde’ and a sense of post-war patriotism led to attacks on many immigrants. Furthermore, Tom expresses views that could be considered white supremacist: "It's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things.” The white supremacy movement was taking off in the 1920s through groups such as the Klu Klux Klan, which was founded in 1915 but dramatically increased in membership during the 1920s. Through his bigotry and hatred, Tom Buchannan certainly reflects important attitudes and values in real-life American society in the 1920s.

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Further support for this proposition can be found when we consider Tom’s misogynist views, and how such views were common in the 1920s. Fitzgerald portrays many female characters that are dominated by men. The main dominator is, of course, Tom. He perceives himself to be an alpha-male and dominates not only his wife, but any woman he is acquainted with. For example, he states that Jordan should not, “be allowed to run around.” However, the best example of his domineering nature is how he ‘picks up’ Myrtle.  They meet on a subway train and she initially, “told him I'd have ...

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