Comparison between Tom and Gatsby in the Great Gatsby
The authors and artists of most literary works aim at communicating certain messages using their pieces of work. Most of the time, they highlight the activities and actions that are taking place in the society within which they live. At times, they focus on the good deeds, which they aim at encouraging the members of the society to uphold. There are those times when they shun the evil deeds that are being done in the society. In a greater sense, they use the characters that they develop to communicate such messages. In this sense, these authors create characters who display varied characteristics and behavior. It is in this sense that two or more characters in a particular book or novel tend to display similar traits and characteristics. At the same time, they also reveal the presence of different traits from which the readers are able to distinguish two or more actions. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald makes an attempt to achieve this through the creation of the two main characters who are Tom and Gatsby. They have similarities and differences that display the influence of money and power on individuals.
Comparison between Tom and Gatsby in the Great Gatsby
In his book, Fitzgerald reveals a clear intention in the creation of the two main characters. He does this through the creation of both similarities and differences between the characters. They are meant to bring out a clear distinction of the differences that are highlighted. Some of the similarities that are given to the two characters are intriguing. For instance, they are made to belong to the same age group in the sense that they both have a strong love for money and power. However, it is an indication that the fact that all the people in the upper class have a lot of money does not necessarily mean that they will end up in the same way. For instance, in the book although tom and Gatsby have a lot of money, they come from varied backgrounds. Tom was born in a rich family and is thus used to the high lifestyle as opposed to Gatsby. According to Nick Carraway who knew him since their years in college, he is a national figure with limited excellence from a wealthy family. It can be contrasted to Gatsby who came from a humble background and has to struggle to acquire his fortunes. It is for this reason that, unlike Tom he is not ready to waste his money.
Nonetheless, they have a number of similarities. In particular, they are both in their early thirties. In addition, Tom and Gatsby are characters who apply their own will without giving any regard to the consequences. Both of them are shown not to be educated despite the fact that Tom has attended college. They are both controlling characters and they both refuse to accept defeat. This is revealed when Tom claims his wife back while Gatsby dies as he waits for Daisy to call. Although they meet in several situations, they are not ready to reveal their feelings towards each other. It is only in the hotel that they both express the hatred that they have towards each other.
On the other hand, there are also a number of differences that are brought out between the two characters. It is revealed from the conflict that the two wealthy men engage in. During this time, the character of Tom is revealed as that which is made up of an interrupted kind of humanity hence corruption. The main causes of this are too much money and power. It is holy in contrast to the character of Gatsby, which advocates for the ability to retain humanity in a human way. This is based on the fact that there should be goodness in the heart despite the presence of money and power. Thus according to Fitzgerald, Tom is a clear representative of how the end justifies the means while Gatsby is a representative of how the means should justify the end. Nonetheless, even the character of Gatsby is not free from unwanted behavior but the extent is not similar to that which is expressed by Tom.
By bringing such concepts in the book, Fitzgerald wanted it to act as a mirror in the society. Through it, each of the readers would be in a position to reflect on a number of things in the community, which are related to the way that they behave after having acquired some money and power.
Conclusion
The reading of literary works helps the readers to understand certain concepts that are being communicated by the author. This cannot be possible without the highlighted events and especially the presentation of different characters. It is through the development of varied characters that different behaviors and traits can be revealed. For instance, the similarities that are presented by Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby in relation to Tom and Gatsby aim at showing the different trends in life. In this sense, perception and attitude may lead people to behave differently with the same elements.