Great Gatsby- English Paper

 Wealth, Women and Power: Winning in The Great Gatsby

Winning is often associated with sports competition and political races, winning a reward or prize that leads to some sense of self-fulfillment in the end. Not only does self- fulfillment and winning apply in sports and/or politics it applies but also in the game of life. Those who are competitive in the game of life, like athletes are driven to win, some want to win at any cost. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is focused on New York’s wealthy society in the heart of Long Island, set in the roaring 1920’s, a period known as the “Jazz Age”. The “Jazz Age” was a period of power, wealth and youthful high spirits, occurring before the Great Depression and centered around the love of music—jazz music.  During the “Jazz Age”, people were obsessed with making and spending money; this period was filled with corruption, lust, promiscuity and lavish parties. Socially, there were many winners and losers. A winner is someone who leaves a situation with what can be conceived as a better outcome than others. Further, winning can be associated with obtaining results that are in a persons own best interest. Likewise a win-win is in the interest of both self and some other(s). Winners are often considered moral, upstanding people, people like  winners. Yet winners can also be morally bankrupt and corrupt people with harmful intentions, often achieving their victories or sense of fulfillment at the expense of others. 

In The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, can be considered a winner, because he only seeks what is in his own best interest, withdrawing back into his sheltered lifestyle with no consequences, never losing or placing at risk anything that cannot be replaced. Throughout the novel, Tom Buchanan is viewed as a symbol of power because of his aggressive and combative nature. Fitzgerald describes him as having “[t]wo arrogant eyes [that] [establish] dominance over [Tom’s] face and [gives] [Tom] the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward” (Fitzgerald 7). Tom upholds an absolute conviction founded on the belief, because he was born into wealth, he is entitled to having a certain kind of lifestyle and to this point he is portrayed as arrogant. Tom exudes a shallow and superficial demeanor that others cling to because he portrays himself to be powerful. While at lunch with Nick Carraway, Tom mentions a book that he has read called ‘The Rise of Colored Empires’ where he has adopted several scientific opinions that reveal his narrow minded mentality.  Both Tom’s arrogance and dominant overbearing opinions have allowed him to advance farther in life than many others. While conversing with Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker and Daisy Buchanan, Tom states, “[i]t’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these races will have control of things” (Fitzgerald 13). Tom supports his position by stating, “[i]t’s all scientific stuff, it’s been proved” (Fitzgerald 13).

Tom’s concern that Whites remain the more dominant race and should fight to block any person who does not have the same ethnicity as him, demonstrates both his racism and his self-centeredness. Writing about Tom’s character, Richard D. Lehan in “Civilizations Going to Pieces: Tom Buchanan” states, “Tom takes great pride in modern science and progress, can never understand the state of mind that this kind of mentality has replaced, is scornful of the distant past, and cancels all other cultures in the name of Nordic superiority” (Lehan “Civilizations” 1). As he lacks exposure to other cultures outside of his own, Tom takes these ideas straight out of the book without any opinions of his own. Tom often makes up for his lack of knowledge or invalid opinions through how he displays himself to others. In a matter-of-fact tone, Lehan argues “[Tom] is not only a man of powerful build and commanding presence, but he exudes a kind of authority as he ushers people about as well forcing moral pronouncements upon them”; through Tom’s combative nature he is able to reap any result he desires out of life.

Tom, who is often  referred to as the adolescent and only known for his athletic ability and his family’s wealth, is often persuasive and taken seriously as man of power by his circle of piers. Richard Lehan in  “Careless Driving: Nick Carraway” points out, “Tom whose vast fortunes feeds into a sense of power that allows him to use people like things for his own well-being” (Lehan “Careless” 2). In short, Tom is a predator, preying on those who are insecure and want to fit in. Tom develops a relationship with Myrtle Wilson his mistress. Tom’s desire to dominate someone else is what gives him confidence and a false sense of winning or self-fulfillment. Like Tom, Myrtle also lacks confidence and is very insecure only finding Tom appealing for what he can provide her with (i.e. money, improving her status, validation). They are both married and unhappy in their respective marriages because there is a lack of fulfillment that they seek. While staying in Myrtle’s New York apartment, that Tom bought, they quarreled about whether Myrtle had the right to speak Daisy’s name in front of Tom. Tom’s combative nature and short temper over took him and “[m]aking a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke [Myrtle’s] nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald 37). When Tom wants to win or get his way in life, he will often resort to any measure including aggression and violence. His instincts to do so have allowed him to propel forward in life as a winner because others are often intimidated by his dominating behavior. In short, Tom is a bully.

Like most married men that commit adultery, Tom finds himself forced to choose between his wife and his mistress. On this subject, Lehan writes, “[w]hen [Tom] finds himself on the verge of losing both his wife and mistress, he becomes panicky, but the situation proves to be one that he can manage” (Lehan “Civilizations” 1). Even though Tom finds himself in a wedge and forced to make a decision, he prevails and gets through a tough challenge to keep his lifestyle intact. Although Tom’s authority is challenged, his manipulative ways allow him to still be successful in making decisions that benefit himself.  In desperation to win his wife’s heart, Tom informs Daisy of all the corruption Jay Gatsby is involved in, and how he makes his money, this shows his replenishable instinct to win. Tom knows the weakness of his opponents and is able to use that to his advantage to win. In many ways, Gatsby and Tom are similar in that “[b]oth caricature Fitzgerald’s own experience- his own sense of combat: the dreamer in conflict with a rigid reality; the promises of youth in conflict with the ravages of time; and the man of suspect means in conflict the established wealth” (Lehan “Careless People” 6).

Tom is magnified as the symbol of power through his strategic and manipulative ways. To this point James E. Miller, Jr. in “Fitzgerald’s Gatsby: The World As Ash Heap” describes Tom as “the most sinister character in The Great Gatsby, as [Tom] seems to typify the American business man (man of power) who remains perpetually adolescent intellectually” (Miller 1). In a contemptuous tone Miller explains that Tom is viewed as a power symbol because of his sinister transparent personality. Miller goes on to portray Tom as a sheltered man protected from the realism of the world because “[t]here is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind” (Fitzgerald 125). Although Tom is, wealthy he lacks knowledge and wisdom because he lacks real world exposure.

In comparison to other characters in the novel, Tom as a result of his drive to win and lack of moral standards, reaps more out of life—often without consequences,. Towards the end of the novel, Nick Carraway talks about how “[t]hey were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they made” (Fitzgerald 179). On this point, Lehan writes “Gatsby, Myrtle, and George all die as sacrificial victims so that the Buchanan’s way of life can go on, their sense of superiority can be sustained, and their arrogance can remain inviolate” (Lehan “Careless” People 7) Tom nor Daisy lost anything that could not be replaced as a result of their reckless behavior. And The Buchanan’s felt no moral or social obligation to pay their respects; instead they both abruptly left without a trace. Tom’s dominant and aggressive behavior has strongly impacted the way Daisy thinks. Making Daisy dependent on Tom as a result of Tom’s overpowering influence.

Tom demonstrates that all winners are not always ethically or morally centered; they do not always play fair or treat others with respect. Despite the tough challenges of life, Tom has a goal and he acts on fulfilling that purpose no matter the cost. Tom Buchanan is both careless and reckless, demonstrating a consistent lack of respect for others. His aggressive, malicious and combative nature makes him a competitive guy and ultimately the winner in the end. Tom does not lose anyone or anything that cannot be replaced, and despite all the damage he has done he is able to withdraw back into his sheltered lifestyle without any consequences. Tom Buchanan is the winner for he was able to get the most fulfillment out of life with the least amount of pain. We learn that through Tom Buchanan’s interactions with others he is deceiving and out for his own self-betterment, equipping him as the winner because he is selfish.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, F.Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

Lehan, Richard Daniel. “Careless Driving: Nick Carraway.” The Great Gatsby: The Limits of

             Wonder. Boston: Twayne Publishers,1990. 98-110. Twayne’s Masterwork Studies 36.

             Twayne’s Authors on GVRL. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

---. “Careless People: Daisy Fay.” The Great Gatsby: The Limits of Wonder.

            Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. 67-79. Twayne’s Masterwork Studies 36. Twayne’s

             Authors on GVRL. Web. 27 Jan.2014.

---. “Civilization’s Going to Pieces: Tom Buchanan.” The Great Gatsby: The   Limits of Wonder. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. 80-90. Twayne’s Masterwork Studies 36. Twayne’s Authors on GVRL. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.

Miller, James E., Jr. “Fitzgerald’s Gatsby: The World As Ash Heap.” EXPLORING Novels.

             Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.