Tom Sloane: Difference between revisions

Tom's potentially ending the relationship between Daria and Jane, and effectively sealing the fate of the flirtation between Daria and [[Trent Lane]], caused Tom to be a very controversial character. [[The Kiss]] generated enormous antipathy for both Tom and Daria, therefore, there are very few fanworks that portray them in a positive light. Notable exceptions are [[Ring Toss]] by [[Nemo Blank]] and [[Mr. and Mrs. Sloane]] by [[Quiverwing]]. The Tom/Daria pairing has come in for stick for Tom being ''too'' much in the right, with some saying the relationship comes off as parternalistic and unequal as a result; others criticise it for being too unromantic, viewing this as unrealistic. Others defend the latter as making sense for Daria, a normally closed-off person. [[Starah Choe]]'s essay "[[Daria's Love Life]]" argues Tom has qualities that allow him to coax daria out of her shell and thus the relationship is perfect for Daria's first: "Tom, being the confident and easy-going guy, however, is just the guy to help give her the nudges and pushes required to make a relationship work." For Choe, this could not be long-term due to "her self-esteem (with Tom's assumptions of her needing to 'reach his standard' i.e. Bromwell) and her conscience", in that Daria must feel guilt over Tom's extreme patience.

OutsideOn of his relationship with Daria, Tom's portrayal still varies. A number of writers show him being a good person and/or an ally of Daria's. Others have criticised Tom for being dull and not having much to him beyond being "the boyfriend", claiming he wasn't fleshed out enough. [[TheDaria AngstFandom GuyBlog]] has usually shown Tom as being weak, attempting to do the right thing but backing out or getting it wrong; on the [[DariaThe FandomAngst BlogGuy]], he also once remarked Tom had been punished for The Kiss by ''having to date Daria'', which he viewed as being a source of pain and frustration for Tom.