Tom

Question 1

Tom’s Control and Patriarchal Oppression

Answer 1

• Tom’s controlling nature reflects the patriarchal oppression women faced during the Jazz Age, despite the era’s facade of freedom and hedonism.

Question 2

Hegemonic Masculinity

Answer 2

• Tom embodies hegemonic masculinity, defining himself through physical strength and maintaining a superior position within society.
• ““Brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen…””-emphasizes Tom’s brute and savage nature, portraying him as lacking in humanity and reinforcing his dominance and physical strength.

Question 3

Traditional Gender Norms:

Answer 3

• He subscribes to traditional patriarchal gender norms and uses marriage to secure wealth and social status.

Question 4

Fear of Loss and Resistance to Change

Answer 4

• Tom fears losing his wealth and privilege to working-class Americans and represents the status quo, resisting the democratic promises of the American Dream.
• “‘I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife.’”-Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy offends Tom’s pride and highlights his fear of losing wealth and privilege to someone socially inferior like Gatsby. This reflects the clear divide between Old and New Money.

Question 5

• Antithesis of Gatsby

Answer 5

• Tom’s desire to maintain the status quo makes him the antithesis of Gatsby, who embodies the ambitious pursuit of the American Dream.

Question 6

Disrespect for Women

Answer 6

• Tom’s dominance extends to his lack of respect for his wife, as he openly parades his mistress, showing his disregard for marital fidelity.

Question 7

Double Standards

Answer 7

• Tom expects the freedom to keep a mistress openly while being offended when others, like Gatsby, do the same, revealing his hypocrisy and double standards.
• “…as we drove away Tom was feeling the hot whips of panic. His wife and his mistress, until an hour ago secure and inviolate, were slipping precipitately from his control.”-Reveals Tom’s fears and conservatism, as well as his recklessness. It shows his hypocrisy in expecting loyalty from his wife while engaging in affairs himself, and his manipulation of Myrtle to maintain his grip on society and uphold the status quo.