Introduction
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) is a seminal work of American literature, often interpreted as a critique of the American Dream during the Jazz Age, an era marked by excess, affluence, and social upheaval. The novel explores themes of illusion, desire, and judgment, as framed by the narrator Nick Carraway’s reflections on advantages and moral reservations. This essay addresses the thematic prompt: what is Fitzgerald saying about the effect of desire on our choices and how we view the world? Focusing on the character of Tom Buchanan, I argue that Fitzgerald illustrates how an unfulfilled desire for power and masculinity distorts one’s perception of reality, leading to destructive choices and a worldview rooted in superiority and control. Tom’s interactions, motivations, and racist ideologies reveal a man blinded by his need to assert dominance, which ultimately contributes to the novel’s broader commentary on the illusions perpetuated by the American Dream. Through textual evidence and critical analysis, this essay examines Tom’s desire-driven behaviors, drawing on scholarly insights to evaluate their implications. The discussion is structured around Tom’s pursuit of masculinity through infidelity, his symbolic assertions of power, and his racial prejudices, demonstrating how these elements shape his choices and distorted worldview.
Tom’s Desire for Masculinity and Power Through Infidelity
Tom Buchanan embodies the destructive influence of desire in The Great Gatsby, particularly through his relentless pursuit of power and masculinity, which warps his choices and perception of the world. As a wealthy, physically imposing figure from old money, Tom’s desire is not for material wealth—he already possesses that—but for an unchallenged sense of dominance that reinforces his self-image as superior. This is evident in his extramarital affair with Myrtle Wilson, which serves as a means to assert control over others and affirm his masculinity. Fitzgerald describes Tom as someone who “had been one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 6), highlighting his physical prowess as a foundation for his identity. However, in the post-war era of shifting social norms, Tom’s desire to maintain this power leads him to seek validation through Myrtle, a woman from a lower social class.
The affair with Myrtle illustrates how Tom’s desire blinds him to ethical realities and influences his choices. He views Myrtle not as an equal partner but as an object to dominate, which allows him to feel powerful in contrast to her husband, George Wilson, whom Tom belittles as weak and insignificant. For instance, during a confrontation, Tom mocks Wilson, saying, “He’s so dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 26), revealing his contempt and the satisfaction he derives from emasculating another man. This behavior aligns with scholarly interpretations that see Tom’s actions as a response to the anxieties of the 1920s, where traditional masculine roles were challenged by economic changes and the rise of the “new woman” (Froehlich, 2011). Froehlich argues that characters like Tom represent a backlash against modernity, using infidelity to reclaim lost authority. Indeed, Tom’s choice to maintain the affair, despite its risks, stems from an unfulfilled desire for superiority; it hallucinates a world where he is untouchable, ignoring the emotional toll on Daisy and the moral decay it signifies.
Furthermore, Tom’s hypocrisy becomes apparent when he discovers Daisy’s affair with Gatsby, which insults his sense of power. Having used infidelity to assert dominance over Wilson, Tom feels emasculated when the same dynamic is turned against him. His rage is not born of love for Daisy but of a perceived threat to his masculinity: “I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 130). This reaction underscores Fitzgerald’s commentary on desire’s distorting effects—Tom’s worldview is so anchored in control that he cannot tolerate vulnerability, leading to aggressive choices like confronting Gatsby. Critics like Bewley (1954) note that Tom’s possessiveness reflects broader societal illusions in the American Dream, where affluence masks deeper insecurities. Thus, through Tom, Fitzgerald suggests that desire for power creates a blind spot to one’s own flaws, fostering choices that perpetuate inequality and personal ruin.
Symbolic Assertions of Power and Their Impact on Choices
Beyond infidelity, Tom’s desire manifests in symbolic acts that further distort his view of the world, emphasizing control over others as a core motivation. A key example is his insistence on driving Gatsby’s car during the trip to New York, an act laden with symbolism in the novel’s context of automobiles representing status and power in the 1920s. Gatsby’s yellow car, described as a “circus wagon” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 121), embodies nouveau riche excess, which Tom despises yet envies. By demanding to drive it, Tom effectively “takes away” Gatsby’s power, as noted in critical analyses (Tredell, 2007). Tredell explains that cars in The Great Gatsby symbolize mobility and agency, and Tom’s appropriation is a deliberate emasculation tactic, reflecting his desire to dominate social inferiors.
This episode reveals how Tom’s unfulfilled need for superiority influences his choices, often at the expense of rationality. Despite the group’s tension, Tom pushes forward, bullying Gatsby with remarks like, “Self-control! … I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that’s the idea you can count me out” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 130). His motivations stem from a worldview where power is zero-sum; Gatsby’s rise threatens Tom’s inherited advantages, prompting defensive actions. Fitzgerald uses this to critique the American Dream’s illusions—Tom’s affluence does not fulfill him, leading to a hallucinated reality where aggression preserves his status. As Bruccoli (2000) observes, such interactions highlight the novel’s exploration of class tensions, with Tom’s desire blinding him to the humanity of others, including Gatsby, whom he reduces to a “bootlegger” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 133).
Moreover, Tom’s bullying extends to physical and verbal intimidation, such as breaking Myrtle’s nose during an argument: “Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 37). This violent choice underscores the destructive outcome of his desire; he perceives the world as a hierarchy where force maintains order, ignoring the consequences. Scholarly work supports this, with Froehlich (2011) linking Tom’s aggression to patriarchal anxieties in a changing era. Therefore, Fitzgerald portrays desire as a force that warps judgment, leading to choices that reinforce illusions of invincibility.
Racial Prejudices as a Manifestation of Desired Superiority
Tom’s desire for power also shapes his worldview through racist ideologies, which he uses to justify his superiority and influence his interactions. He espouses pseudo-scientific racism, referencing “The Rise of the Colored Empires” and warning that “it’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 13). This belief system stems from an unfulfilled desire to feel inherently superior, distorting his perception of a diverse America into a threatened hierarchy. Tom’s racism is not incidental but integral to his character, motivating choices that exclude and demean others, such as his disdain for Gatsby’s ambiguous origins.
Critics argue that Fitzgerald employs Tom’s views to satirize the era’s nativism, with Bewley (1954) noting it as a critique of the American Dream’s exclusionary nature. Tom’s desire blinds him to social progress, creating a reality where he is “scientifically” justified in his dominance. His interactions, like dismissing Nick’s observations, reveal a worldview resistant to change: “Civilization’s going to pieces” (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 12). This hallucination of superiority affects his choices, from social alliances to confrontations, emphasizing Fitzgerald’s message that desire fosters judgmental illusions, limiting empathy and understanding.
Conclusion
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses Tom Buchanan to illustrate the profound effects of desire on choices and worldview, portraying it as a force that generates illusions of power amid unfulfilled needs. Through Tom’s infidelity, symbolic power grabs, and racist prejudices, the novel demonstrates how such desires lead to destructive behaviors and a distorted reality, challenging the American Dream’s promise of fulfillment. Ultimately, Tom’s character serves as a cautionary figure, highlighting the blindness caused by unchecked ambition in an age of excess. This analysis underscores the relevance of Fitzgerald’s themes today, reminding us of the perils of desire-driven judgments in shaping personal and societal worlds.
References
- Bewley, M. (1954) ‘Scott Fitzgerald’s Criticism of America’, The Sewanee Review, 62(2), pp. 223-246.
- Bruccoli, M.J. (2000) Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2nd edn. University of South Carolina Press.
- Fitzgerald, F.S. (1925) The Great Gatsby. Scribner.
- Froehlich, M.G. (2011) ‘Gatsby’s Mentors: Queer Relations Between Love and Money in The Great Gatsby’, The Journal of Men’s Studies, 19(3), pp. 209-224.
- Tredell, N. (2007) Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: A Reader’s Guide. Continuum.
