Nick's Plot In Chapter 1 : The Great Gatsby

Throughout the novel Tom is shown as someone very arrogant and abrupt in the way he talks to people and feels he has the authority to question others in an interrogatory manner. In his first meeting with Nick he

Although Tom came from a wealth family, Tom lacks the proper intelligence for his social class. As shown in our first encounter with Tom was when Nick came over for the party, While having dinner, Tom tried to refer to a book he read to show his level of education. Although Tom tried to explain what the book was about, he could only reply with, “it’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved”(13). Daisy, aware of Tom’s affair with another woman, passively made fun of his intelligence by saying, “he reads deep books with long words in them”(13). Tom tries to portray his intelligence by pretending to read and understand sophisticated books to fit into his class.

We do also see Daisy portrayed as very boring character “Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it etc” (p.17). This also implies that Daisy might not be as bright as Tom and Nick and that she doesn’t shape her destiny or takes control of her life. E.g. she attempted to plan something with Nick. she said, “What'll we plan? What do people plan?” meaning she has never had to make decisions nor has she had much responsibility. Again unlike Tom who is very much in control and has got firm charge over his future (That he thinks). Daisy however does not have much loving feelings for Tom as when Jordan mentions to Nick that she knows Gatsby, it raises Daisy's interest momentarily “Gatsby? demanded Daisy. What Gatsby?”, but the conversation is quickly diverted by the announcement of dinner.

As the reader knows...nobody likes Tom Buchanan because he thinks he is above society. Nick says, “His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward people he liked—and there were men at New Haven who had hated his guts.” (Fitzgerald, 20). This is a real harsh judging coming from Nick as he uses the word “fractiousness” which basically means that he’s unruly or irritable. This clear explain why nobody really likes him, because nobody likes an irritable person. But for Nick to say he’s so honest is a total lie. Even though he hit the nail on the head with the judgement of Tom, Nick still blatantly lied to the reader because he clearly judged Tom. Nick obviously doesn’t like Tom so he takes another shot at him by saying “He had changed since his New Haven years. Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward” (Fitzgerald, 7) Nick is basically saying that since he has money, he seems to think that he has the right to tell everyone in society what to do. But, this is when Nick starts judging. Nick makes it very clear that Tom was born into wealth and that he never worked for it at all.

Acting as if he is superior to others is a trait that makes Tom Buchanan’s sporadic appearance in the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a laudable part of the plot. This twentieth-century novel is told through the eyes of Nick, the narrator, and set in New York. Nick lives next to a wealthy man, known as Jay Gatsby. Unfortunately, Gatsby’s love for Daisy Buchanan, who had a history with Gatsby before he went to war, becomes a problem when she is married to Tom Buchanan. As if this isn’t already complicated, Gatsby wants Nick to invite Daisy, who happens to be his cousin, over to his house so Gatsby can see her for the first time in a long time.

In the summer of 1922 Nick moves to New York City in hopes of pursuing a carrier in Wall Street. He moves in next to the mansion of Gatsby a mysterious billionaire that often threw extravagant parties. One day he decides to visit his cousin’s house, while he is there he has dinner with his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom. He gets introduce to Jordan Baker by Daisy who hopes they take a liking to each other. During the dinner a woman

Nick describes tom as a powerful end in football with a wealthy family. He is very powerful and wealthy. Nick also describes his eyes as “arrogant “and his body as “cruel with enormous leverage”.

Vigorously, Tom Buchanan suggests that Nick meets his mistress “We’re getting off he insisted” the forceful tone he speaks to Nick in implies he lacks respect even for someone he is quite close to and that is he is a insensitive elitist. Chapter 2 also is a turning point for Tom’s ability to control his secrets for example he fails to see that everyone is fully aware of his affair. On the other hand, whilst leaving Daisy in the dark he exercises his sexual dominance and his social power over Wilson “if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all”. Tom has a very condescending tone in his voice as he speaks down to Wilson who is clearly of a lower class to him, he knows that he could greatly help him by selling him the car but to his spiteful attitude he strings him along knowing deep down he would not sell him the car. He has dominance over his friendship with Wilson and also over his

Jordan Baker: A famous golf player, Baker befriends Nick throughout the story and is a close friend of Daisy’s. She learns who Gatsby is, the man who loved Daisy before the war, and he asks her to arrange a meeting with Gatsby and Daisy. Throughout the story, Jordan becomes closer with Nick. But we learn of her dishonesty (she cheated in a golf tournament) and Nick pushes her away. Her personality is self centered and apathetic. She is the model image of women in the

Nick’s judgement of other people within the novel and the way he portrays them to his audience reflects upon if the character in question acts in a way agreeable to Nick’s personal sense of morality. In the beginning of the novel Nick reassures readers of his objectivity and later on insists he “is one of the few honest men that [he] has ever known”, consistently demonstrating the importance of honesty and fairness to him (59). In contrast, Tom is a liar who not only has an affair but also only follows his set of morals when they don’t restrict him. Although he himself is unfaithful to his wife, he holds Victorian ideals of how Daisy should behave modestly, which leads Nick to say “the transition from libertine to prig was so complete” when he points out the contradiction (130). Nick views Tom as an antagonist in the novel and portrays him as such through his word choice because he believes honesty and consistency are important and Tom constantly violates these standards.

Tom’s reading, along with his vast sense of imagination, is probably the greatest influence on his behavior. When prompted with a dilemma, he recalls to a similar situation

Tom Buchanan represents everything that Nick does not like in humanity. Tom represents the superficial rich who only care about their own well being. Tom has so much, but simultaneously lacks everything of substance. He has money and power, but lacks love,

The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was published on April 10, 1925. The novel is notably recognized for the lavish lifestyles portrayed through multiple characters during the Roaring Twenties. The story is narrated through the eyes of Nick Carraway, an amateur bondsman. The whole story is a flashback, Nick writing the story as he tells it. It is not specifically mentioned where Nick is in the beginning scene, but it is assumed that he is in some sort of institution coping with loss and severe depression.

=Gatsby's reaching out towards something, staring at a green light across the water where Nick lives.

Nick describe Tom Buchanan as enormously wealthy, violent, forceful, aggressive, sturdy, supercilious, arrogant, aggressive, and cruel. That tells us that Nick is not very fond of Tom. He just tries to not have Tom being that way with him.