“Civilization’s going to pieces,” broke out Tom violently. “I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things. Have you read The Rise of the Colored Empires by this man Goddard?”
Chapter 1 · Tom Buchanan
Context
During dinner, Tom suddenly launches into a discussion of racial theory and social decline. The conversation shifts from trivial talk to a revealing outburst about his beliefs.
Analysis
Tom’s rhetoric exposes the paranoia and racism underlying his worldview. Fitzgerald uses this moment to show that Tom’s power is not only physical and economic but also ideological, rooted in a desire to defend social dominance. The melodramatic claim that "civilization" is collapsing reveals how privileged people recast equality as threat. This passage therefore connects private arrogance to broader structures of racial hierarchy in the 1920s.
How to Use in Essay
Use this quote in essays about Tom’s character, race ideology, or the novel’s critique of American elitism. It is especially effective when discussing how prejudice is normalized in elite social spaces.