Reply #8: People remember Gatsby. Maybe Daisy.

[aquart]

Tom has no identity at all.

Christ should have said, "The rich will always be with you," because their selfishness and entitlement is an endless obstacle to any nation.

Tom was written as an example of a destructive element in society that caused harm. He was in no way the hero.

The ostentatious selfishness of America's wealthy led to laws restricting that wealth. Their selfishness in business led to labor laws, food and drug regulations, a whole host of restrictions on their damaging, dangerous greed. All the rules that George is rolling back were put in place because the rich had too much and wanted more, even if fellow Americans suffered and died.

The fact that great fortunes are never made honestly is not a good reason to discard honesty. It is a reason to control the acquisition of wealth. (When I say great fortunes, I don't mean Oprah's money which is honestly earned. As a comedian said on one of her shows, if Bill Gates woke up one morning as rich as Oprah, he'd jump out a window and kill himself.)