Affluenza, Ethics and Power: A Qur’anic Reading of Tom Buchanan's Character in The Great Gatsby

Abstract

Abstract

The current study deals with the character of Tom Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald`s novel The Great Gatsby (1925). Majorly, the analysis focuses on sociological concepts, psychological models of hoarding, and Qur`anic ethics. In addition, the study also emphasizes the concepts kanz (hoarding) and israf (excess). Unlike modern studies, the present study draws attention towards Tom Buchanan instead of J. Gatsby (the embodiment of the American Dream). Structurally, Buchanan`s actions embody affluenza (a condition whereby not only excess is normalized, but also entitlement and moral disengagement). Furthermore, the study also implements Bourdieu’s concept of social capital and Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption. The study argues that the inherited wealth of Tom Buchanan enables him not only to control and accumulate social power and relationships but also material extravagance. As the study analyzes psychological aspects, it clarifies how hoarding is used as a mechanism of control and a response to insecurity. It is significant to deal with Tom Buchanan’s conduct along with the Qur`anic ethics. The study demonstrates that his deeds constitute a convergence of israf (excess) and kanz, resulting in systemic imbalance and ethical failure. Consequently, the study proposes that the author’s critique of the excess in the Jazz Age aligns with the universal moral discourse that is not restricted to cultural and historical limitations, situating affluenza as a modern representation of ethical disorder parallel to Jahiliyyah (the dark age of ignorance and disorder).