Blue Blooded Reality in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Often times there are two natures that reside within a character that both conflict and complement each other. A Yin and a Yang in a personality is clearly expressed in the character of Tom Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby. In one respect, Tom exemplifies brute and sheer domination through willpower and strength. However, due to his class and social standing he exhibits his overwhelming presence with finesse that is not entirely his own but instead placed upon him through his wealth. This conflict is clearly illustrated through the motif of the color blue throughout the novel as Tom’s inner personality of anger becomes more evident while his aristocratic, cold outer appearance slowly fades, revealing that appearances is not always reality.
When the character of Tom is first introduced, his appearance is that of a blue blooded, well-to-do, wealthy person while his blue flame of anger is hiding just beneath the surface. Tom lives in the “palaces of the East Egg”, an area in New York where only the social elite and old wealthy reside (5). Tom is living in an area where not only people of wealth can live but also a place where only people of blue blood can live thus causing him to appear to be a good natured rich gentleman. When Tom is introduced at his house he is impressively posing on the front porch “standing with his legs apart” showing his self confidence and blue blooded nature (6). The fact that Tom stands with his legs apart is quite significant in that it shows that he knows his place in society and the image he needs to uphold. He is very confident and he thinks that he is far superior to everyone else. If Tom is described as standing with his legs together it would convey a different message; i...

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...all Tom is the color blue whether that be a flame that burns the hottest blue or a blue blooded social elite. The certain circumstances throughout the novel reveal his true color: blue.
Throughout the novel Tom’s character becomes increasingly more violent and angry, however at the start of the novel he is blue blooded and only a glimmer of his angry nature is revealed. When he is provoked in the middle of the book the hot flame of his anger is revealed but most of his aristocratic nature is still intact. However when the truth about Daisy and Gatsby comes to light the façade of his blue blooded nature is lost and all that is left is his true barbaric and angry personality. Tom’s progression from a blue blooded aristocrat to a burning blue flame of anger is amplified through the motif of the color blue and exemplifies how people are not what they appear to be.