F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby presents a cast of characters whose lives intersect, often with tragic consequences. Among them, George Wilson and Tom Buchanan represent two divergent paths within the American Dream, embodying vastly different social strata, moral compasses, and ultimate destinies. While both men are white, middle-aged Americans with wives who stray, their similarities end there. Buchanan, born into immense wealth, embodies the careless arrogance of the established elite, whereas Wilson, a struggling mechanic, reflects the desperate ambition and eventual disillusionment of the working class. Their contrasting portrayals serve as a critical commentary on the rigid social hierarchy and the corrosive effects of wealth and class in 1920s America.
The most striking difference between Wilson and Buchanan lies in their socioeconomic standing and the privileges that accompany it. Tom Buchanan is a scion of old money, heir to a fortune that shields him from the harsh realities faced by ordinary Americans. His physical presence—"a brute of a man, a great pack of muscle, and a 'cruel body'"—mirrors his unearned authority and the sense of entitlement that defines him. He moves through the world with an unthinking confidence, accustomed to having his desires met and his transgressions overlooked. This is evident in his casual affair with Myrtle Wilson, whom he treats as a mere plaything, devoid of genuine affection or respect. His wealth allows him to inhabit a world of opulent mansions, exclusive clubs, and a general aura of untouchability.
George Wilson, by contrast, is trapped in the suffocating reality of the working class. His garage in the Valley of Ashes is a physical manifestation of his stagnant life, a place "desolate and grim." Unlike Buchanan's inherited privilege, Wilson's life is a constant struggle for survival, marked by meager earnings and a gnawing sense of inadequacy. His quiet desperation is palpable; he is a man worn down by his circumstances, dreaming of escape but lacking the means or the vision to achieve it. When he suspects his wife, Myrtle, is having an affair, his reaction is not one of blustering entitlement, as Buchanan's might be, but of a profound, almost pathetic woundedness. He confides in Michaelis, his neighbor, lamenting, "I gave her that pretty white sweater. So I bought some chiffon and made it myself." This poignant detail highlights his earnest, if futile, attempts to provide for his wife, a stark contrast to Buchanan's casual cruelty.
Their moral frameworks, or lack thereof, also present a significant divergence. Tom Buchanan operates with a deeply ingrained sense of self-preservation and a casual disregard for the well-being of others. He is a hypocrite, condemning Daisy's infidelity while engaging in his own blatant affair. His racism and classism are overt, revealing a worldview built on prejudice and a belief in his own inherent superiority. He wields his power and social position to manipulate situations and people, including orchestrating Gatsby's downfall through calculated lies. His pursuit of Myrtle is driven by lust and a desire for control, not by any genuine emotional connection.
George Wilson, while flawed and ultimately driven to violence, possesses a more traditional, albeit misguided, moral compass. He initially believes in the sanctity of marriage and is devastated by Myrtle's betrayal. His actions, though horrific, stem from a place of profound grief and a desperate search for meaning and justice in a world that has offered him little of either. His mistaken belief that Gatsby is Myrtle's lover and the owner of the "death car" leads him down a path of tragic miscalculation, fueled by a desperate need to find the man responsible for his wife's perceived infidelity and the subsequent destruction of his own life. His misguided pursuit of vengeance, while morally reprehensible, stems from a place of personal pain and a warped sense of justice, unlike Buchanan's calculated self-interest.
Ultimately, the fates of Wilson and Buchanan underscore Fitzgerald's critique of American society. Tom Buchanan, shielded by his immense wealth and social connections, emerges from the chaos of the novel largely unscathed, continuing his life of privilege as if nothing has happened. He is the embodiment of the careless rich who "smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness." George Wilson, however, is a tragic victim of this system. His desperate search for answers and justice leads to his own demise, a casualty of both his wife's ambition and the indifferent cruelty of the wealthy elite. His death, alongside Gatsby's, serves as a grim testament to the destructive consequences of class inequality and the elusive nature of the American Dream for those not born into its gilded cage.