How Does Tom Buchanan Represent 1920s Society in the Great Gatsby free essay sample

Fitzgerald has done this, as he does not like men whose lives mirror Toms. Tom is a violent man, who is completely in control of the women in his life. He shows how disrespectful some men were to women. For example, he breaks his mistress Myrtles nose. In the Great Gatsby Tom is represented as a muscular â€Å"brute† of a man with a short temper and little morals, these characteristics are shown throughout the book through his actions, the first being his complete lack of morals as he has an affair with another man’s wife, Myrtle, and even lies to her, saying that Daisy is a â€Å"catholic† and she does not â€Å"believe in divorce†. This anti-moralistic attitude that Tom employs is directly representative of 1920’s society, as not only was this a time when there was increased sexual independence (especially within women) but it was also a time when morals were dropped and the society as a whole became much more careless. We will write a custom essay sample on How Does Tom Buchanan Represent 1920s Society in the Great Gatsby? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The anti-moralistic arrogance was enthused by the criminal underworld which in many ways was fuelled by the prohibition of alcohol. Tom’s short temper is also shown throughout the book and is particularly prevalent when he strikes myrtle when he is drunk, â€Å"making a short, deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand† this misogynistic part of his personality again creates links between him and the 1920’s society, as, women were becoming less and less respected as they became more independent this idea is encouraged by Tom as he treats women like second class citizens, even his wife whom he cheats on for the entire length of the book. However Tom is not completely representative of the entire 1920’s society, despite the luxuries that a massive amount of people had in this era, as shown in the book through most of the characters. However, there were people in the 1920’s who experienced severe poverty and this is shown in some parts of the book especially through George Wilson as he struggles to survive whilst others such as Tom and Gatsby live a life of luxury with money they will never spend. Tom’s treatment of George in many ways has direct links to the treatment of the poor by the rich in the 1920’s as they exploited them through their desperation, employing them into the underworld to perform dangerous jobs for little money. In the same way Tom treats George poorly through his reluctance to give him a car for him to sell and the enormous factor that he has an affair with his wife. Toms affair with Myrtle Wilson emphasizes both moral blindness and the refusal to condemn wrongdoings. Tom willingly admits his affair, yet Daisy has come to ignore it, at least outwardly. Tom thinks that Daisy will understand his affairs, believing Once and a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time. The fact that Daisy refuses to condemn Toms actions adds to Fitzgeralds portrayal of societys view on sin during the 1920s. Because society during the 1920s doesnt hold marriage in the position that perhaps their parents and grandparent did, they tolerate sins such as infidelity and lust, this acceptance of many of these sins was also a great factor in the rise of underworld criminality. In conclusion Tom does not necessarily represent the entire 1920’s society, however he does represent a lot of their values, such as carelessness, immorality and the large amount of money that he possessed.