Excellent question and an interesting comparison. Both Tom
and Gatsby clung tightly to the images they had created for themselves. Both men wanted
to be appreciated/loved/revered for some depth of character that neither actually
had.
Tom and his guests dropped in unexpectedly, primarily
(I am certain) at Tom's direction. The purpose of the visit was to demonstrate Tom's
superiority over Gatsby by showing off his wealth (Tom mentioned his stables multiple
times in the book. Owning multiple horses was a sign of high
society.)
Gatsby's parties were an ostentatious display of
his wealth, acquired primarily to woo Daisy. Tom already "had' Daisy, and needed to
prove that he was more worthy of her than Gatsby could ever hope to
be.
Tom's connections to high society mirror Gatsby's
"gonnection" to the black market society. In many ways the men are mirror images of each
other, with one distinct difference: Tom (shallow and superficial) actually was who he
claimed to be. Gatsby, on the other hand, was a total
fabrication.
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