In chapter 2 Tom Buchanan takes Nick into the city to meet his mistress. This really surprised and confused me because Nick is Daisy’s cousin so why would he go along to meet the woman who is having an affair with his cousin’s husband? It seems completely absurd that Tom would even ask Nick to go along with him. Whats more absurd is that Tom Buchanan is allowed to openly have a mistress.

” The fact that he had one was insisted upon wherever he was known. His acquaintances resented the fact that he turned up in popular restaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about , chatting with whomsoever he knew. Though I was curious to see her, I had no desire to meet her-but I did. ” pg. 24

The more that we learn about Tom the more I dislike him. It almost seems as though he thinks hes entitled to having an affair or that he is obligated to fit into society. Maybe Tom is so unsatisfied with himself that he has a mistress so that everyone thinks he’s this great powerful man. Its also interesting to see how Tom has this alternate world, but I think he likes this because he feels higher than his mistress and her friends which makes him feel even more powerful. When Tom is with Daisy he might feel threatened because they are on the same social level however with Myrtle he is not threatened and feels as though he can do whatever he wants because she is lower than him. He even backhands her across the face so hard that he breaks her nose. Tom seems like such an awful person I don’t understand why Nick would go along with it..especially when Daisy is his family.