After it finally registers on Tom that Gatsby and Daisy know each other, something almost incomprehensible to his way of thinking, he decides, in chapter six, to attend one of Gatsby's parties with her. Once there, he doesn't like being introduced as a polo player and he comments on not knowing the people at the party. They are not his set: "I don't know a soul here," he says. This is a snobbish comment: Tom...
After it finally registers on Tom that Gatsby and Daisy know each other, something almost incomprehensible to his way of thinking, he decides, in chapter six, to attend one of Gatsby's parties with her. Once there, he doesn't like being introduced as a polo player and he comments on not knowing the people at the party. They are not his set: "I don't know a soul here," he says. This is a snobbish comment: Tom has made it clear, especially when his horsey friends, in an insincere gesture, invite Gatsby to dinner, that he only likes to be around his own kind or with the lower-class mistresses he chooses. As he and Nick and Daisy are leaving, Tom begins to bring up questions about Gatsby that communicate disapproval:
"Who is this Gatsby anyway?" demanded Tom suddenly. "Some big bootlegger?"
Nick asks him why he thinks that, and Tom mentions that "a lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know." Then, Tom uses the word "menagerie" to describe Gatsby's guests. This word is rich with meaning, coming from the openly racist Tom, who only fully values "Nordics": he implies that Gatsby's guests are a mix of all sorts of animals. Finally, Tom makes an ominous statement, saying he wants to know who Gatsby is and what he does, and stating, "I think I'll make a point of finding out."
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