The Great Gatsby Jay vs Tom

The Fight For The Heart: Jay Gatsby vs. Tom Buchanan

Loving somebody is an important aspect in life that everybody should think long and hard about. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this is shown through the struggle between Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, of who is a better match for Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby is a better love interest for Daisy because of their differences in loyalty, money and carelessness.

Even though both Gatsby and Tom should know how to treat a lady, how careful they are around Daisy is very different. Gatsby shows Daisy endless carefulness while Tom is the complete opposite. Tom is much larger than Daisy, and can easily hurt her physically. This is shown when Daisy says, “We all looked – the knuckle was black and blue. ‘You did it, Tom,’ she said accusingly. ‘I know you didn’t mean to, but you did do it” (Fitzgerald 12). Tom accidentally bruises Daisy showing he is careless about his actions and does not think twice about them. This carelessness hurts Daisy physically and it may hurt her again in the future. Gatsby however, is very careful. Since he gained his wealth through hard work, he was taught to be very careful in all his actions. One of them is making few judgments about people. When Gatsby is explaining his past to Nick, Nick realizes, “It excited him, too, that many men had already loved Daisy – it increased her value in his eyes” (Fitzgerald 149). Even though Gatsby knows Daisy has been with other men before, he does not shame Daisy for doing so, he accepts the fact that it happened and nothing will change it. For Gatsby, it makes him want Daisy’s love even more as he thinks he will be the one to gain her in the end, which makes Gatsby careful in order not to push Daisy further away. Gatsby is also careful with how he controls others. When Gatsby holds his extravagant parties, he does not stop anyone he disapproves of coming into his party, letting everyone enjoy themselves. By showing that he is accepting, Gatsby hopes...