Thursday, June 19, 2008

Tom and Myrtle

What did Tom do to Myrtle when she mentioned Daisy's name? Would he treat Daisy like that? What does that say about him and his affair?

14 comments:

Daniel said...

When Mrytle says Daisy's name, Tom and her get into an arguement. In the latter part of the arguement Myrtle starts repeating Daisy over and over again, after a few seconds Tom breaks Myrtle's nose. Tom would never hurt Daisy or treat her violently. I think that Tom loves Daisy, but he needs excitment in his life, therefore he has a mistress. He doesn't care for his mistress but he loves his wife.

dani.k said...

I believe that Tom didn’t slug Myrtle because he loves Daisy, and I disagree with that his affair with Myrtle is to add excitement in his life like Daniel said in the previous post. I think that Tom has Myrtle for the same reason that many men today have mistresses: to feel more powerful. Throughout history, males have proven to be the “dominant male” by “owning” or “attracting” the most women. Women, especially within the time period that the story plot takes place in, are merely more than possessions; simple, child bearing ornaments that stand at home looking pretty.
Tom’s affection towards Myrtle, be it love, lust, or otherwise, will not change her status; she is lower class, non-the-less, a lower class woman. Because of this, Tom has no respect for her. The fact that Myrtle mentions a woman who Tom considers higher than her, maybe even better than her, is completely dishonoring, giving him the right to slug her, for she is, indeed, a woman.

kristeena said...

I completely disagree with what Danica has to say. I believe that the real reason as to why Tom hits Myrtle is because he loves Daisy. What I think is, like Danny said, Tom needs more excitement in his life so he has an affair with Myrtle. Every time Myrtle mentions Daisy's name it brings him back to the reality that he has a wife that he loves. When reality dawns on Tom it makes him feel guilty that although he has something almost perfect he is hurting it and trying to forget it always momentarily while he is with Myrtle.

Unknown said...

Unlike Kriteena, I do not think Tom really "loved" Daisy. He assualted Myrtle because he loved Myrtle more than he did for his current wife. He hated the fact that Myrtle kept mentioning his wife's name, even though he had no more affinity towards Daisy. Myrtle, on the other hand, is an important characer of the story. She portraits the era by representing herself as a flapper. She serves as a foil and helps to show Tom how much Daisy really means to him.

Seo Hee (Kyle) Lee said...

I want to reword my statement again in a concise paragraph. Also, I believe I made some incorrect ideas.

Tom punched Myrtle. Why? I believe Myrtle's jealousy fueled Tom's anger, who, in turn, had little affinity left towards Daisy. Daisy, after all, was his wife. Like Daniel said, Tom does not care for his mistress because Myrtle would not affect him much as Daisy does.

Da-Re Kim said...

I agree with Daniel. Tom does love his wife and his relationship with his mistress is a meaningless affair. People tend to like similar aspects on the opposite sex. By this I mean that Daisy and Myrtle are very different but have small similarities. They both favor wealth, they are gentle in different ways, and are very womanly. Tom needed refreshment in his love life and by meeting Myrtle I think it made him realize more and more how important Daisy was to him. So when Myrtle mentions Daisy’s name, Tom starts feeling guilty because even though he does not have the deepest feeling for his mistress, he is not home with his wife. Tom would also never be violent with Daisy because he does not only love her, but also cherishes her. Tom’s affair, just as Daniel said is just a way of giving himself excitement and refreshment in his life.

Maria S. said...

I agree a little with both Danica and Danny but I think maybe Tom wanted something else. The life that he has when he is with Daisy is very different from the life he has when he is with Myrtle. With Daisy he lives out in the East Egg in a large house with a baby. When they invited Nick over, the evening was very quiet and more sophisticated. They talked and then went to the terrace to eat and enjoy the sunset. When Tom is with Myrtle things are obviously different. They live in an apartment in busy New York where they invite people over all the time and there is a lot more commotion. Nick said that he had been drunk only twice in his life and the second time it had been the evening when he first met Myrtle. In my opinion Myrtle seems to be more, energetic and unstable, more open to new ideas. Tom might like that because Nick mentions earlier in the book that Tom and Daisy had moved various times because Tom was trying to find again the glory he had when he played football in college. Maybe the reason he is with Myrtle is because he thinks she would be a better supporter to those needs. Daisy instead, wants to stay where they are living and not move.

Unknown said...

When Myrtle mentioned Daisy's name, Tom broke her nose making it bleed. Tom wouldn’t have treated Daisy. I think Tom respects Daisy as she is his wife and is in the same social level. To Myrtle I believe that Tom feels that he needs to keep authority over her using his social status; however, I don’t think Tom feels any guilt toward his affair with Myrtle. Only later on in the story does one notice that Tom loves Daisy telling her that he will treat her better.

JinA said...

When Myrtle mentioned Daisy's name, Tom broke her nose. He didn't show interest or concern to Myrtle although she was bleeding. This means that Tom and his affair is just another way for him to show his superiority. Like Danica had mentioned, Tom sees Myrtle as an object. However, Tom will never treat Daisy the way he did with Myrtle. He sees Daisy as the same "race" he is, and respects her.

JinA said...

I disagree with what Kristeena said. I don’t think that Tom is with Myrtle because he needs more excitement in his life. In Chapter II, when Nick first meets Myrtle, Tom is rarely with her in the apartment. He doesn’t show any interest on her, even after heating her. I don't think Tom is with her for excitement or an adventure, but to play around with her. He is giving her false hope of being rich and having a future with him. He is basically mocking and fooling around with her, and proving his superiority toward Myrtle and George Wilson, who are poor.

Norberto said...

I disagree with everyone. I think that Tom only wanted to have a good time and he decided to have an affair with Myrtle. He has no feelings for Daisy or Myrtle; he only slapped Myrtle because he can’t stand being humiliated by someone who is “lesser” than him. He is a proud man and people are “supposed” to respect him. He took the big step and slapped her to shut her up and not allow anyone to make fun of him. Daisy knows how Tom is and doesn’t insult him, but if Daisy went as far as Myrtle, I think he is capable of slapping her as well.

Unknown said...

Tom Buchanan punches Myrtle in her nose when she insults Daisy. I believe that this action shows how Tom considers the relationship with his wife more valuable than the one with his lover, therefore showing that his moral values are not completely gone. I don't think he would have done the same damage to Daisy; I believe Tom do have some love, maybe very meager but something, left toward Daisy. This means that Tom, after all, considers affair is not more valuable than his marital relationship; also, it showed that Tom did have some truth in when he proposed marriage to Daisy.

Unknown said...

Perhaps Tom punches Myrtle as almost a wake up call to her thinking that she can "say Daisys name whenever she wants" in the relationship that they are living. It is evident in this quote that she thinks that their relationship can function permanently even if Daisy is involved. Which Tom does not think congruently.

Jack Mehoff said...

love how this page be like 12 years old and this dude posted a comment a year ago LOL


aight but no cap, quarantine hitting us all hard