Tom Buchanan

Question 1

What suggests that Tom does have some feelings?

Answer 1

• When he discovers Myrtle’s dead his “tears were overflowing”.
• When Daisy tells him she doesn’t love him he pleads with a “husky tenderness”.

Question 2

How does Tom’s language show that he likes to be in control?

Answer 2

He regularly uses the personal pronoun “I”, for example, telling Nick “I’ve got a nice place here” rather than ‘We’ve’, which excludes Daisy from his achievements.

Question 3

Which two points suggest that Tom is a hypocrite?

Answer 3

• He’s appalled when he learns of Daisy’s affair with Gatsby, but he has lots of affairs himself.
• He criticises Gatsby for “sneering at family life”, but “was God knows where” when his daughter was born.

Question 4

Challenge how Toms caring for Daisy is not completely real?

Answer 4

He only seems to start caring for Daisy when he sees he could lose her. This suggests his reaction is as much about pride and possessiveness as about actually caring for her.