Tom and Gatsby: interactions, opinions of each other, and comparisons...
5 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Tom and Gatsby's relationship is not very loving, yet they are both accomplices. The biggest interaction with the two characters happened in chapter 6, when Nick walked into Gatsby's manchine and Tom was there. The following night, Gatsby had a party, and Tom and Daisy attended. Tom's dislike for Gatsby lead him to keep a closer eye on Daisy at the party, as he became wearily suspicious of both. It will be interesting to see how the two interact in the end of the story...will Tom find out about Gatsby's love for Daisy? If so, what will he do??? HMMMM
"'I know your wife,' continued Gatsby, almost aggressively.
'That so?'" (102)
In this scene at one of Gatsby's parties, Gatsby seems to want to practically fight Tom and prove he's the better man for Daisy, while Tom seems to think Gatsby's a bit of a joke.
"Mrs. Buchanan...and Mr. Buchanan--" After an instant's hesitation he added: "the polo player." "Oh, no," objected Tom quickly, "not me."
*But evidently the sound of it pleased Gatsby, for Tom remained "the polo player" for the rest of the evening.* Page 105
I liked how the simplest change in title makes Tom so angry. Just because one person thought he played polo instead of football made him lose composure. Gatsby picked up on this sudden change in Tom's attitude and almost cynically enjoyed it. Tom didnt like being known as a polo player probablly because he is so proud of his Yale Football career. It's like he cant be arrogant about polo. I just thought it was interesting how Gatsby enjoyed the smallest thing that made Tom seem inferior.
I think that the both envy each other for different reasons. Tom envies Gatsby for his obvious wealth even though Tom is pretty wealthy himself. Gatsby is envious because tom has the only thing in the world that Gatsby can't buy (even though he thinks he can), Daisy. This makes their interactions akward in a sense because they are each trying to make themesleves appear better than the other. In the scene where Tom and his friends, the Sloanes, are at Gatsby's house after a horse ride, Gatsby uses his car to make himself seem important and Tom uses the fact that Gatsby didn't decline the invitation for dinner to make Gatsby appear socially inept.
when i compare these two, i see gatsby as an open and accepting man. one who constantly welcomes others to his doorstep. however, when i turn to tom, i see him as a racially ignorant man, unaccepting of others. he doesn't like gatsby, and is overly protective of daisy around him, which i feel is ironic because tom is having an affair with another woman, so he of all ppl has no right to be so protective over his wife. gatsby is trying ot be nice, but it is clear that he doesn't like tom either, nor does he want daisy to be with him. i feel as though its a silent and unacknowledged battle between tom and gatsby over daisy, and i cannot wait to see who wins.
5 comments:
Tom and Gatsby's relationship is not very loving, yet they are both accomplices. The biggest interaction with the two characters happened in chapter 6, when Nick walked into Gatsby's manchine and Tom was there. The following night, Gatsby had a party, and Tom and Daisy attended. Tom's dislike for Gatsby lead him to keep a closer eye on Daisy at the party, as he became wearily suspicious of both. It will be interesting to see how the two interact in the end of the story...will Tom find out about Gatsby's love for Daisy? If so, what will he do??? HMMMM
-Brooke
"'I know your wife,' continued Gatsby, almost aggressively.
'That so?'" (102)
In this scene at one of Gatsby's parties, Gatsby seems to want to practically fight Tom and prove he's the better man for Daisy, while Tom seems to think Gatsby's a bit of a joke.
"Mrs. Buchanan...and Mr. Buchanan--" After an instant's hesitation he added: "the polo player."
"Oh, no," objected Tom quickly, "not me."
*But evidently the sound of it pleased Gatsby, for Tom remained "the polo player" for the rest of the evening.*
Page 105
I liked how the simplest change in title makes Tom so angry. Just because one person thought he played polo instead of football made him lose composure. Gatsby picked up on this sudden change in Tom's attitude and almost cynically enjoyed it. Tom didnt like being known as a polo player probablly because he is so proud of his Yale Football career. It's like he cant be arrogant about polo. I just thought it was interesting how Gatsby enjoyed the smallest thing that made Tom seem inferior.
-Kelsey Laning
I think that the both envy each other for different reasons. Tom envies Gatsby for his obvious wealth even though Tom is pretty wealthy himself. Gatsby is envious because tom has the only thing in the world that Gatsby can't buy (even though he thinks he can), Daisy. This makes their interactions akward in a sense because they are each trying to make themesleves appear better than the other. In the scene where Tom and his friends, the Sloanes, are at Gatsby's house after a horse ride, Gatsby uses his car to make himself seem important and Tom uses the fact that Gatsby didn't decline the invitation for dinner to make Gatsby appear socially inept.
-Scott Hagen
when i compare these two, i see gatsby as an open and accepting man. one who constantly welcomes others to his doorstep. however, when i turn to tom, i see him as a racially ignorant man, unaccepting of others. he doesn't like gatsby, and is overly protective of daisy around him, which i feel is ironic because tom is having an affair with another woman, so he of all ppl has no right to be so protective over his wife. gatsby is trying ot be nice, but it is clear that he doesn't like tom either, nor does he want daisy to be with him. i feel as though its a silent and unacknowledged battle between tom and gatsby over daisy, and i cannot wait to see who wins.
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