Compare the Character of Gatsby to That of Tom

            From the great Gatsby, it is clear that the characters of Gatsby and Tom are much more alike than they are viewed.  However, the characters hold dissimilarities also.  Both characters utilize different individuals through the whole story and additionally not either of them loves Daisy truly (Fitzgerald, 8).  The major difference is that Gatsby is demonstrated as a more pleasant individual than Tom. Gatsby is presented to be more egotistic than as compared to Gatsby. Both characters have a distinct personality but they are able to relate to a mutual secret affair that appears in the book.

            Tom is presented as a villain or rather an antagonist. This is illustrated by the fact that he is a racist person and therefore mistreats individuals that he associates with (Fitzgerald, 26).  Although he loves Daisy he views her like a possession more than a partner.  He breaks the nose of his mistress myrtle because she mentions Daisy.  In the death of Daisy, he seizes the chance of implicating Gatsby thus leading to the death of George and Gatsby (Fitzgerald, 28).  Tom is a person who originates from a money background and he is proud of where he comes from.  On the other and Gatsby is from a poor background and in order for him to secure himself out of poverty he works hard to achieve success and money.  Gatsby is therefore presented as a hero, unlike Tom who is an antagonist (Fitzgerald, 6).

            Gatsby and Tom have one thing in common which is money infatuation.  After Gatsby met Dan he got a taste of wealth and therefore his approach of getting Daisy back required him to get more wealth accumulation.  The pursuit of Gatsby towards Daisy is associated with material value as well as money by there is some degree of idealism as well as love.  However, he is different from Tom because despite the fact that Tom loves Daisy it is clear that the love held by Gatsby is more based on ideology, genuine and more passionate (Fitzgerald, 32).

            In regard to Tom, it is challenging to establish any redeeming qualities in him.  On the other hand, Gatsby is an idealistic and an admirable hero. However, he also has his flaws that are illegal activities engagement.  They are also similar due to the fact that their actions resulted in disastrous impacts. Gatsby destroys Tom and Daisy marriage due to his feeling while Tom was involved in the negative deeds (Fitzgerald, 44).

            Tom can be defined as a brutal man because he is repeatedly established with his physical character. His moral character is illustrated by the activities he is involved in and those things that he does (Fitzgerald, 24). This involves cheating on his wife, hitting myrtle and giving George hope which leads to his murder.  Tom can thus be described as an old money. This is because despite the fact that he is raised in a wealthy background he fails to value the privilege and power that the wealth held.  Gatsby, on the other hand, is new money individual. This is because everything that he owns has been built by him as he rose from poverty to riches (Fitzgerald, 48).

            Gatsby situates in dissimilarity to Tom’s cynicism that is hardened. Gatsby is an impractical character who believes in a dream while Tom does believe in dreams because he holds none.  In addition, Gatsby is a person who is made of his own projections, dreams, and hopes and on the other and Tom is an individual who is designed by the surrounding (Fitzgerald, 34).

 

 

            Work Cited

Fitzgerald, Francis S. The Great Gatsby. , 2014. Internet resource.