In the book The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Buchanan is held captive by the ideas of the book ‘The Rise of Colored Empires’ and the prospect of losing his wealthy and white privilege from it.
The wacky and bigotry views of the book ‘The Rise of the Colored Empires’ have easily captivated Tom Buchanan and his beliefs. While he was describing the book, Tom states that says that the white race will be “utterly submerged”. This idea that “the white race will be—utterly submerged” is very extraneous for even the standards of 1920 America. By using the word “will”, Tom shows his certainty and true belief in this subject, how a single book has persuaded him of this theory, and has captivated him and his beliefs. Through saying “if we don't look out” tom…show more content… Tom describes the possibility of minority races gaining power by other as “Civilization going to pieces”. Through comparing the possibility of losing his privilege to the end of the world, Tom exposes his fear of losing the his his “white” supremacy. The mere idea that the book presented of a possible uprising turned Tom into a “terrible pessimist about things.”. His fear captivates him, turning him into a “pessimist” showing how Tom resides to a hateful state of mind when confronted with a threat to him and his privilege. Tom talks about the “things” which whites, “the dominant race”, have produced such as “science and art and all that.”, all representing the proud views which Tom has. He mentions all of theses feats in order to grandiloquently boast about the achievements of“white” people, representing his disparity. His desperate tone again represents Tom’s fear of being suppressed and losing his privilege and status as “the dominant race”. Tom is captivated by the fear of losing the privilege of being “the dominant race” and the wealth that comes along with
