Does Tom Buchanan cheat on Daisy?

Yes. Tom is secretly seeing Myrtle Wilson, and everyone in his circle seems to know it.

What does Tom do to Gatsby?

Tom questions Gatsby about where his money comes from and tells Daisy that Gatsby is not who he claims to be. Later, he tells George Wilson that the yellow car belongs to Gatsby.

What was Tom’s college sport?

Tom was a football star at New Haven, where Nick says he played as one of the most powerful ends of his time.

From The Great Gatsby

Tom Buchanan

Daisy’s proud husband

A former college football star who is very strong, very rich and used to getting his own way.

Who is Tom Buchanan?

Tom Buchanan is Daisy’s husband, a former college football star who is very tall, very strong and very rich. He is used to getting his own way, and he loves to brag about his fast ponies and his money. Tom keeps secrets of his own, yet he grows suspicious and angry when he sees that Daisy cares about Gatsby.

Tom Buchanan is a character in The Great Gatsby, the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Tom Buchanan like?

Boastful
Impatient
Proud

Tom Buchanan’s story

Tom Buchanan comes from a very wealthy Chicago family, and Nick says he was one of the most powerful football players ever to play at New Haven. He and Daisy moved East and settled in East Egg, where he keeps polo ponies and talks a great deal about his opinions. Tom thinks of himself as an important man, and he often speaks loudly and rudely.

Tom has a secret too. He is seeing Myrtle Wilson in New York, and in Chapter 2 he takes Nick along to her apartment. Yet when he realizes that Daisy loves Gatsby, he becomes jealous and angry. In the hotel scene in New York, Tom looks into Gatsby’s past and tries to show Daisy that Gatsby is a fraud who made his money in doubtful ways.

Tom’s plan works, and Daisy stays with him. After Myrtle is killed, he tells George Wilson that the yellow car belongs to Gatsby, and this leads Wilson to Gatsby. Later Tom and Daisy simply go away without leaving an address. When Nick meets Tom again, Tom still insists he did nothing wrong.

“Civilization’s going to pieces”

Tom Buchanan, at dinner with Nick and Daisy. From the original 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

A moment to remember

At Gatsby’s party, Tom scowls when Gatsby introduces him to the guests as “the polo player,” because he wants everyone to know how important he is.

Daisy Buchanan: wife
Myrtle Wilson: woman he secretly sees
Jay Gatsby: rival for Daisy
Nick Carraway: college acquaintance
George Wilson: garage owner he talks to about a car

Talk about it

Tom likes to brag about what he owns. How do you feel when someone brags, and what are better ways to share good news?

Questions about Tom Buchanan

Does Tom Buchanan cheat on Daisy?: Yes. Tom is secretly seeing Myrtle Wilson, and everyone in his circle seems to know it.
What does Tom do to Gatsby?: Tom questions Gatsby about where his money comes from and tells Daisy that Gatsby is not who he claims to be. Later, he tells George Wilson that the yellow car belongs to Gatsby.
What was Tom’s college sport?: Tom was a football star at New Haven, where Nick says he played as one of the most powerful ends of his time.