"Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive."
Chapter 2 · Tom Buchanan
Context
Nick asks Tom whether Myrtle's husband objects to her leaving. Tom dismisses Wilson with contempt while waiting for Myrtle down the road from the garage.
Analysis
Tom's casual cruelty toward Wilson reveals his sense of class entitlement—he not only takes Wilson's wife but mocks his intelligence and very existence. The phrase 'doesn't know he's alive' is darkly ironic given that Wilson will later be driven to murder and suicide. Tom's contempt for the man he is cuckolding demonstrates the moral bankruptcy beneath his social privilege, and his dismissiveness foreshadows his inability to see Wilson as a genuine threat.
How to Use in Essay
Effective in essays on Tom's character, social class dynamics, dramatic irony, or the theme of power and exploitation in the novel.