The Great Gatsby: Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan

877 Words4 Pages
In the Great Gatsby, the two characters Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, at first glance, do not seem to have anything that is similar between the two. As the story goes on you become aware of their similarities. However, they aren’t all that similar so they have their differences. Gatsby and Tom get by in life throughout the story by using many people. Also, although Gatsby acts madly in love with Daisy, neither him nor Tom really loves Daisy. However, the two have dissimilarities. One of the greatest differences between Tom and Gatsby is that Gatsby is much more pleasant than Tom and Tom is more egotistic and controlling than Gatsby. Both characters were alike, however, they were both very different in their personalities. Although different, Tom and Gatsby can relate to the same secret affairs that occurs throughout the book. First, probably most importantly, Gatsby and Tom both use other people throughout the book. Gatsby’s initial goal in life was to find Daisy again. However, his problem with such is that he didn’t know anyone that knew Daisy. Gatsby would throw these extravagant parties chalk full of all the celebrities and well known people. Gatsby’s hope was to see if any of his guests knew Daisy. Gatsby found out that Nick knew Daisy and became good friends with him in order to find out more about Daisy. Knowing Nick gave Gatsby the opportunity to invite Nick and Daisy over for tea. Nick was a safe point for Gatsby because Tom wouldn’t let her go anywhere else. Especially to another man’s house. With Daisy in the picture, Gatsby completely ignores Nick giving his full attention to Daisy. Tom, on the other hand, uses people’s wants, thoughts, and feelings as a way to find his own comfort and happiness. He truly cares about nobody but himself. Tom doesn’t even love his wife Daisy. When he married her, he knew she was money hungry and blind by that fact. He
Open Document