The Relationship Between Tom And Daisy In The Great Gatsby

In the Great Gatsby, Tom and Daisy are a wealthy couple who currently live on East Egg on Long Island. They often to drift “wherever people played polo and were rich together” (page 6). As individuals, Tom, born into wealth is arrogant, cruel, racist and an adulterer. He feels superior because his money goes back generations. He does crazy things like transport “a string of polo ponies” east, and spends “a year in France for no particular reason” (page 6). He has a mistress who he flaunts around shamelessly not caring if Daisy finds out. He is abusive towards her and blames his wife’s religion the reason why he cannot marry her. He is outraged when he finds out about Daisy’s affair with Gatsby, not because he cares for her but more like territorial. After he
Helplessly in love with Daisy since he left to war, he is determined to win her back. Knowing that money is the solution, he becomes obsessed with making it even through selling illegal liquor. He threw extravagant parties to impress other rich people to fit in but in hopes to find Daisy again. Early on he changes his name from Jimmy Gatz to Jay Gatsby to cut ties of his early life but cannot let go of his pasted with Daisy which ultimately leads him to his death. Nick is Gatsby neighbor who also happens to be Daisy’s cousin. At first, he was unsure about whether Gatsby spoke the truth about himself and the rumors he heard made it difficult to trust him, but he always follows his father’s advice which helped him keep an opened mind. The time he spent with Gatsby changed his perspective of him, he considered him a close friend, a helpless romantic and successful man therefore believing he “turned out all right in the end” (page 2). Materialism consumes wealthy people, emotionally disconnecting them from reality only caring about living luxurious, impressing others, competing for power, and only associating with the same