Similarities Between Tom And Wilson In The Great Gatsby

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In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald paints a picture of societal frenzy of the early 1920’s. His characters, Tom Buchanan and George Wilson, represent the class struggles and radical extremes of the era (Levitt, 2011). Despite their physical and character diversities, the economical and societal differences, Buchanan and Wilson share many similarities.
Tom Buchanan is depicted as a large man. This is evidenced in Nick’s description of
Tom; “Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of leaning aggressively forward. You could see a great pack of muscle when his shoulder moved under his thin coat. It was a body of leverage …show more content…
However, George Wilson is a poor man who owns a garage in the Valley of
Ashes. (26) The Valley of Ashes represents the corruption and social decay that was brought about by the lavish and careless lifestyles to the wealthier class of the 1920’s. Residences of the
Valley of Ashes were stuck in poverty. (Kaplan 2009). Despite their differences, Tom and
George shared some like qualities.
Tom and George were similar in that they both loved their wives. When something went wrong, they both were willing to fight for their wives and do anything to get back at whoever hurt their wives. In addition both men love Myrtle (Shmoop 2008). Each man showed a violent side. Tom displayed violence when he struck Myrtle. George showed violence when he shot
Gatsby, because he thought that Tom was responsible for his wife’s death. (142)
The Great Gatsby symbolized an era of radical extremes, economic inequalities, and moral carelessness. Fitzgerald’s characters, Tom Buchanan and George Wilson, are typical examples of those living in the early 1920’s. With Tom being from a wealthy family, he had opportunities not given to George Wilson. Although George was a hard working man, he could

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