Often there are two natures that reside within a character that both oppose and complement each other. The Yin and Yang in a personality are clearly expressed in the character of Tom Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald's book, The Great Gatsby. In one respect, Tom exemplifies raw and pure domination through will and force. However, due to his class and social status, he exhibits his overwhelming presence with a finesse that is not entirely his own but rather attributed to him by his wealth. This conflict is clearly illustrated through the motif of the color blue throughout the novel, as Tom's angry inner personality becomes more evident while his cold, aristocratic outer appearance slowly fades, revealing that appearances are not not always reality. When Tom's character is first introduced, his appearance is that of a blue-blooded, wealthy person while his blue flame of anger lurks just beneath the surface. Tom lives in the "palaces of East Egg", a district of New York where only the social elite and the old rich reside (5). Tom lives in an area where not only rich people can live, but also a place where only blue-blooded people can live, thus making him appear as a rich and good-natured man. When Tom is introduced to his home, he poses impressively on the porch "standing with his legs apart," showing his confidence and blue-blooded nature (6). The fact that Tom stands with his legs apart is quite significant in that it shows that he knows his place in society and the image he must uphold. He is very confident and thinks he is far superior to everyone else. If Tom is described as standing with his legs together, that would convey a different message; i...... middle of paper...... all Tom is blue in color, whether it is a flame that burns the hottest blue or a blue-blooded social elite . Certain circumstances throughout the novel reveal its true color: blue. Throughout the novel, Tom's character becomes increasingly violent and angry, but early in the novel he is blue-blooded and only a glimmer of his angry nature is revealed. When he is provoked in the middle of the book, the burning flame of his anger is revealed, but the essential part of his aristocratic nature is still intact. However, when the truth about Daisy and Gatsby is revealed, the facade of his blue-blooded nature is lost and all that remains is his true barbaric and angry personality. Tom's progression from a blue-blooded aristocrat to a blue flame burning with anger is amplified by the motif of the color blue and illustrates how people are not what they seem..