Read the following description of tom buchanan from the great gatsby.
not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could
hide the enormous power of that body-he seemed to fill
those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and
you could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his
shoulder moved under his thin coat. it was a body capable
of enormous leverage-a cruel body.
which statement best explains how symbolism is used in characterizing tom
buchanan?
a. he portrayed as being arrogant and condescending toward his inferiors.
b. he is shown as secure enough in his masculinity to wear feminine clothing.
c. he is described as being egotistical and cruel towards those weaker than he is.
d. he is shown to be a powerful man capable of abusing the power he has.

The correct answer is option D.

Explanation:

He is shown to be a powerful man capable of abusing the power he has.

Is a man characterized by being physically imposing and muscular.

It has a "cruel body" that shows an air of power and aggression.

He takes advantage of both his physical and mental hardness and uses that gross personality in conjunction with violence, to keep everything under control.

the first proposition is to question economic materialism and victorian christianity. the lines are:

“it moves us not.—great god! i'd rather be

a pagan suckled in a creed outworn; ”

wordsworth is stating that nature no longer interests mankind, that the latter is not “moved” by it and explains that ancient western paganism had a more positive attitude concerning nature since it lacked the perv erted judaeo-christian interpretation of having received the world and all its animals and elements from god to use as we , instead of humans actually being not only part of nature but its wardens, meant to appreciate it and protect it.

the next lines are:

“so might i, standing on this pleasant lea,

have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

have sight of proteus coming from the sea;

or hear old triton blow his wreathed horn.”

wordsworth here make it very clear that by actually looking and contemplating nature, human beings would reconnect with happiness, serenity and purpose. the use of mythological figures is quite evocative as well, proteus is a greek mythological god of the changing sea. he personifies the sea that changes, which symbolizes the way nature changes and inevitably can change to be destructive not only due to natural causes but to human pollution. furthermore, the sea is even more symbolic since all life originated in the sea so it is not only our past but our future since no life form in our planet can survive without water and if all water is destroyed in earth all life will be gone as well.

he then uses triton which is symbolic of the synthesis of both nature and mankind. triton is a mythological greek god that has the upper body of a man and the lower body of a fish (a merman). this human fish duality evokes the fact that humans are not only human but also part of nature, the fish tail representing nature. the main attribute of this god was that he used a conch shell as a horn to calm the roaring seas. in other words, triton uses nature through science for the benefit of human sailors who risk death during tempests. with the use of such metaphor, wordworth is conveying the message that human technology   is supposed to use nature to preserve nature and thereby humanity as well.