What Does Tom Buchanan Symbolize in The Great Gatsby?
Author: MARTIN MUNYAO MUINDE
Email: Ephantusmartin@gmail.com
Website: https://academiaresearcher.com/
Abstract
Tom Buchanan is one of the most significant characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. More than just an antagonist to Jay Gatsby, Tom embodies social, moral, and cultural forces that reflect the themes Fitzgerald seeks to critique. This paper explores what Tom Buchanan symbolizes in The Great Gatsby, analysing how his character encapsulates entitlement, social and racial privilege, the corruption of the American Dream, class divisions, moral decay, and masculine insecurity. With subtopics including his inherited wealth, social class, moral hypocrisy, breach of ethics, racism, gender norms, and symbolic role in the narrative, the essay argues that Tom is a central symbol of the darker side of American privilege and the fragility of moral codes in a society obsessed with status and power.
Introduction
Tom Buchanan, husband to Daisy and privileged heir to wealth, features throughout The Great Gatsby not merely as a foil to Jay Gatsby but as a symbol of entrenched privilege and moral decay. From the outset, Fitzgerald crafts Tom as physically imposing, emotionally domineering, and morally compromised. In the roaring 1920s, Tom represents the established order: the old money, the resistant social hierarchy, and the blind spots of privilege. His attitudes toward race, class, gender, and morality underscore deeper critiques of American society as portrayed in the novel.
The purpose of this paper is to answer What does Tom Buchanan symbolize in The Great Gatsby? by exploring various subtopics: Tom as symbol of inherited privilege and old money; Tom’s moral hypocrisy and corruption; Tom’s embodiment of racial and gender ideologies; his representation of the failure of the American Dream among elites; the contrast between Tom and Gatsby; and Tom’s symbolic role in sustaining social and class divisions. Keywords for SEO include: Tom Buchanan symbolism, Tom Buchanan character analysis, old money in The Great Gatsby, privilege and social class Fitzgerald, morality and power in Gatsby, Tom vs Gatsby symbolism.
Tom Buchanan as Symbol of Inherited Privilege and Old Money
Tom Buchanan’s character is deeply intertwined with the idea of old money—wealth inherited across generations rather than earned. From his physical estate, described as being in East Egg, to his mannerisms and associations, Tom symbolizes the privileged elite who were born into social power and comfort. This inherited privilege positions him as an obstacle to characters like Gatsby, whose wealth is newly acquired. The clash between East Egg (Tom’s world) and West Egg (Gatsby’s new wealth) underscores Fitzgerald’s commentary on class divisions. As many critics note, Tom represents institutional power, where status and identity are determined by birth rather than merit. (See Similarities and Differences between Tom and Gatsby for scholars’ comparisons.) Web of Proceedings+2PMC+2
Because Tom’s privilege is taken as a given and internalized, he acts with entitlement. He believes that certain rules do not apply to him. This sense of entitlement manifests in his treatment of George Wilson, his mistress Myrtle, as well as in his assumption that Daisy will return to him despite Gatsby’s efforts. Tom’s inherited privilege also makes him complacent: he does not need to fight for status or overcome barriers, unlike Gatsby. In this way, Tom symbolizes not only wealth but a system that rewards birth and perpetuates inequality. Fitzgerald uses Tom to critique how old money often maintains social structures that limit true mobility, underscoring that “the American Dream” as popularly imagined is constrained by class and lineage.
Moral Hypocrisy, Corruption, and the Decay of Ethics
Another major symbolic function of Tom Buchanan is to represent moral hypocrisy and corruption. While Tom often presents himself as upholding social order and moral norms, his actions reveal a deeply flawed ethical core. He maintains multiple affairs, exhibits violence, abuses power, and shows breath-taking selfishness. He cares more about appearances and preserving status than confronting the consequences of his behaviour. In this sense, Tom is a personification of moral decay among the socially privileged.
One example is Tom’s treatment of Myrtle Wilson, his mistress. He sees Myrtle as an object to possess rather than a human being with rights or dignity. When Myrtle dies, Tom manipulates events to protect his own position, shifting blame and retreating into his social safety net. He uses his influence not only materially but socially. Tom’s racism—for instance his beliefs about the superiority of white people, his fear of shifts in social order—is also part of his moral corruption. These prejudices are not just incidental but woven into how he thinks about himself and others; they support his belief that he deserves what he has. Scholars in The Great Gatsby: Gender, and Masculine Anxiety examine Tom’s anxiety about maintaining his race, class and masculine identity in changing times. Merrimack ScholarWorks
Tom’s symbolization of corruption extends to the way he uses money and status to avoid responsibility. His refusal to accept responsibility for Myrtle’s death, his confrontation with Gatsby, and yet retreat into his wealth show how corruption and irresponsibility are protected by privilege. In literary terms, Tom represents how social and moral norms can be corrupted by the accumulation of wealth and power, how rules are bent, and ethical consequences ignored. Tom symbolizes that corruption and moral hypocrisy are not anomalies but built into the social elite’s functioning in Fitzgerald’s America.
Tom Buchanan and Racial Ideology, Gender Norms
Tom Buchanan also symbolizes broader ideologies prevalent in 1920s America: racism, eugenic thinking, masculine supremacy, and traditional gender roles. He is not merely a bigot in occasional moments—his racist views are explicit and often tied to fears of losing power or status. For example, early in the novel, Tom references a book called The Rise of the Colored Empires, and his concern about social decay relates to race. These elements show that Tom’s worldview includes hierarchical classifications of people based on race. Tom, thus, symbolizes not only class inequality, but racial privilege and social fears that come with changes in demographics and social mobility. These views serve to illuminate how Fitzgerald portrays old-money characters as defenders of an exclusionary status quo, not simply in terms of class but in racial and social purity. TLH Journal+2Merrimack ScholarWorks+2
Gender norms are similarly part of Tom’s symbolic load. He expects conforming gender behaviour from Daisy: subservience, dependency, beauty, social charm. His masculinity is traditional, domineering, physical. Physicality features in his description (Tom is muscular, athletic), as does aggression. Tom’s treatment of women (Daisy, Myrtle) symbolizes patriarchal power, exploitation, and the commodification of women. He expects Daisy to stay with him, regardless of emotional pain; and he disrespects Myrtle, yet uses her as an escape from the restrictions of his marriage. In doing this, he symbolizes the gender inequalities of his era, in which male privilege is accepted, unchallenged, and protected by wealth and social status.
Symbol of the Failure or Corruption of the American Dream Among Elites
Often when people think of The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is conceived as the idea of self-made success, reinvention, and upward mobility. But Tom Buchanan symbolizes the darker mirror of the American Dream: its corruption, its hollow promise for those who already possess wealth. He is a figure for whom the Dream does not need to be pursued, because he already embodies its material outcomes—old money, leisure, influence—but yet fails to live up to any higher ideal. Thus Fitzgerald uses Tom to show that the American Dream is not only unattainable for many, but when attained or inherited, can be empty, corrupt, and morally bankrupt.
Tom’s character shows how wealth does not necessarily produce happiness or virtue. He is restless, cruel, unfaithful, and insecure despite his social dominance. The sense that material success is hollow is especially clear when Daisy chooses him over Gatsby, or when Tom remains entrenched in his status, rather than acknowledging or remedying the damage around him. In American Dreaming: Really Reading the Great Gatsby, scholars emphasize that the conflict between Gatsby and Tom is not merely romantic rivalry but a clash of different versions of the Dream—one earned (or at least attempted by Gatsby), one inherited (for Tom), each with its own moral implications. PMC
Tom symbolizes how the Dream, when tied only to money, status, and power, loses its meaning. Gatsby’s version of the Dream, though flawed, is tragically hopeful; Tom’s version is smug, destructive, indifferent. Fitzgerald uses Tom to argue that inheritance and privilege can stifle moral purpose and that wealth may shield one from consequences but not from decline.
Tom Buchanan in Contrast: Gatsby vs Tom
Part of what Tom symbolizes comes into sharp relief when compared to Gatsby. Where Gatsby is self-made, hopeful, idealistic, Tom is born into wealth and sees him as socially inferior even after Gatsby gains great wealth. The contrast underscores the theme of social stratification and privilege. Gatsby tries to win Daisy and overcome social boundaries; Tom works to maintain them. When Daisy ultimately remains with Tom, it is partly a victory of the established order over upward mobility. This illuminates that despite material success, acceptance and belonging in old social circles are not guaranteed. Tom’s symbol as the gatekeeper of social class becomes vivid in these contrasts. Scholars in Similarities and Differences between Tom and Gatsby discuss this contrast in depth. Web of Proceedings+1
Moreover, Gatsby’s dream is founded on love, nostalgia, and aspiration; Tom’s identity is more static. His dream, if it can be called that, is maintaining power, status, and comfort. The novel emphasizes that Tom need not struggle as Gatsby does; his wealth is secure. Yet that security does not guarantee virtue or happiness. In narrative terms, Tom symbolizes the inertia of privilege, the strength of social structures, and the danger of complacency and moral stagnation. Fitzgerald’s choice to show Tom’s weaknesses as well as his strengths shows that privilege is not purely enviable—it carries responsibility and, when unexamined, leads to corruption.
Symbolic Role in Narrative: Conflict, Power, and Social Order
Tom functions not only as a symbol in thematic terms but also as an organizing principle in the narrative. He is one of the main sources of conflict: between him and Gatsby, between old and new money, between traditional social norms and the loosening morality of the 1920s. Tom’s presence in the narrative is essential to explore issues of power and authority. He wields his wealth, physical strength, and social connections to control situations, manipulate others, and deflect blame, always preserving his social order.
In terms of narrative power, Tom symbolizes the institutional status quo. He has both moral and social capital; he is respected, feared, and accepted in elite circles. Gatsby, no matter how wealthy, is not fully accepted in that world. Tom is a figure whose symbolic weight forces characters (and readers) to ask: Who holds power? Whose values dominate? Who sets the rules? Tom’s role in the narrative is to embody the social barriers that the novel critiques—not just individual villainy, but systemic inequality.
Tom also symbolizes social order at risk: he fears change (e.g., the changing social dynamics, threats to racial or class hierarchies). His hostility toward Gatsby’s wealth, his suspicion of the West Egg, his racism, and his persistent domination over Daisy symbolize not just personal insecurity but a fear among elites that their privilege is under threat. Fitzgerald uses Tom to dramatize this anxiety over social change. Tom’s symbolic role, therefore, helps bridge the novel’s major themes: the illusions of the American Dream, moral decay, class division, and social power.
Implications for Contemporary Readers
Understanding what Tom Buchanan symbolizes enriches our reading of The Great Gatsby today. Tom remains a relevant figure where societal inequalities persist, where inherited privilege still grants people power, and where moral corruption often seems protected by wealth. For modern readers, Tom is less a historical relic and more a warning: the danger not just of greed, but of complacency, entitlement, and the belief that one is above ethical scrutiny.
In many societies today, debates around wealth inequality, systemic privilege, racial injustice, and gender norms echo those embodied by Tom. The symbolic elements Fitzgerald weaves into Tom’s character continue to resonate: the idea that power tends to preserve itself, that inherited status allows evasion of responsibility, and that moral decay in the elite classes can have wide consequences for social cohesion and justice.
Conclusion
Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby symbolizes multiple facets of American society in the 1920s—and beyond. He stands for inherited wealth and class privilege; for moral hypocrisy, corruption, and the decay of ethical values; for entrenched racial and gender power; for the failure of the American Dream among those born into it; and for institutional power, social order, and resistance to change. Fitzgerald uses Tom not simply as antagonist, but as a symbol of systemic inequality, power, and the price of privilege.
By analysing Tom symbolically, readers gain a deeper understanding of The Great Gatsby’s critique of American culture—its glitz, its dreams, and its moral shadows. Tom’s character warns that wealth and status are not guarantees of virtue, and that the real cost of social power is often paid by those without it.
References
- Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1925.
- Tripp, S. (2020). The Great Gatsby, Gender, and Masculine Anxiety. Honors Capstones, Merrimack College. Merrimack ScholarWorks
- Cain, W. E. (2020). American Dreaming: Really Reading The Great Gatsby. PMC. PMC
- “Similarities and Differences between Tom and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby.” (2017). Chenye Wang. Web of Proceedings
- “A Reality Check on the American Dream in The Great Gatsby: A Textual Analysis through Strain Theories.” Rahul Borah, IJELS, 2024. IJELS