Tom

Tom is the wealthiest man in the novel and he gained that wealth through birth. While Gatsby did not earn his wealth through respectable tactics, Tom did not really earn his at all. . He gains power over the women by use of his wealth. His wealth keeps him in the higher echelons of society and the “renting” of Myrtle and the other women’s bodies reinforces his place. He can, quite literally, afford to sleep around. This tells us that he uses these commodities, as Marx would say, as power over women. He seeks out lower-class women because they are in awe of what he has to offer. He uses this to gain and advance relationships, specifically when he buys Daisy a $345,000 necklace. He also seeks to provide Myrtle with a belief that they may get married in attempt to have sex with her.     -TC