Tom Sloane: Difference between revisions
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==Character Overview==
Tom Sloane is a rich teenager who belongs to one of Lawndale's richest families, but this is neither apparent from his appearance, nor by the car he drives.
He has certain characteristics in common with Daria: he is intelligent, well-read, and cynical, and he is not afraid to show it. Unlike Daria (and more like Jane), he is more open and friendly to new experiences and people. Tom is also quite adaptable to new situations and social groups, faster than others might find comfortable: he quite quickly became attached to Jane and part of her intimate circle of friends/family (disorienting and frustrating Daria) and, a bit later, involved with the Lawndale High crowd, and then moved trapidly from the break-up with Jane to dating Daria, despite the obvious tensions this was causing. He didn't appear to realise that the girls weren't going to adapt and move on as fast as he was, leading to conflict and tensions that he was quite confused by.
It is directly stated by many characters on the show that his family is not only rather wealthy but is also quite powerful. (This was retroactively introduced starting with "[[Is It Fall Yet?]]") His interest in this wealth and power varies considerably. Tom's initial car is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto Ford Pinto], considered to be among the more dangerous cars ever made. It can be seen as a clear attempt by Tom to escape or at least not be associated with his family's immense wealth. We later see him driving what appears to be a well-used Jaguar, a car more fitting of his station (he states his parents had his old car towed away in the night). However, he is not only gleefully going to attend the pompous, Ivy League school known as [[Bromwell]], he never shows any concern that he might not get in (though he has got safety colleges) and is shown having and using Bromwell contacts & influence through his family, though he shrugs that off when Daria points it out. He also uses his family's influence to get Daria into Bromwell as well, which (despite being a helpful act on his part) irked Daria. Generally, he seems to enjoy his family's wealth while noticing and casually disparaging some of its absurdities. His family's wealth and power was a source of tension between him and Daria during their relationship, sometimes from his unnoticed privilege and sometimes because she automatically assumed the worst because of his class.▼
In emotional conflicts, Tom attempts to use reason to resolve situations: he approached Daria in "Jane's Addition" to put forward a calm, reasoned argument for burying the hatchet; he pointed out his relationship with Jane was already dead in "[[Dye! Dye! My Darling]]"; and during conflicts with Daria, he would make appeals to logic and her intellect. This usually works in the end, but has been known to greatly irritate Daria.
He has a younger sister, [[Elsie Sloane|Elsie]], with whom he appears to have a hostile relationship. He seems to get on with his parents, though we primarily see them when Daria's present; remember that they ''did'' basically steal his old car and dispose of it in the middle of the night before giving him a more 'suitable' one for his class. Either way, he says in "Is It Fall Yet?" that never tells them about anyone he's dating, and was a bit worried when they caught him with Daria; this seems to be more from embarrassment than any conflict over who he dates though, as according to him his parents like Daria. In "[[Boxing Daria]]", he made a casual comment that his family (and other rich families) try to ignore their family problems and pretend they don't exist.
It seems to be hinted that Tom is not very popular at his own school, much like Daria and Jane at [[Lawndale High]]. He shows little interest in social events of his own class, such as not being interested in going to the dance in [[Is It Fall Yet?]] and referring to those events as "dull". In [[Jane's Addition]] his "good friends" blow him off, leading him to seek Jane at [[Pizza King]]. In [[My Night at Daria's]] when Daria tells him that a rumor is going around Lawndale that the two of them had sex, Tom asks if they could get the rumor going at his school, too. Notably, we ''never'' see any of Tom's friends from Fielding and (post-"Addition") only hear about them once, when Jane mentions going to a bowling alley with them in "[[Of Human Bonding]]".▼
During the summer months, at least in the year of "Is It Fall Yet?", he works in his father's office at [[Grace, Sloane, and Page]]. He is presumably being groomed to take over the family business.
▲It seems to be hinted that Tom is not very popular at his own school, much like Daria and Jane at [[Lawndale High]]. He shows little interest in social events of his own class, such as not being interested in going to the dance in [[Is It Fall Yet?]] and referring to those events as "dull". In "[[Jane's Addition]]" his "good friends" blow him off, leading him to seek Jane at [[Pizza King]]. In [[My Night at Daria's]] when Daria tells him that a rumor is going around Lawndale that the two of them had sex, Tom asks if they could get the rumor going at his school, too. Notably, we ''never'' see any of Tom's friends from Fielding and (post-"Addition") only hear about them once, when Jane mentions going to a bowling alley with them in "[[Of Human Bonding]]".
==Tom and wealth==
▲It is directly stated by many characters on the show that his family is not only rather wealthy but is also quite powerful. (This was retroactively introduced starting with "[[Is It Fall Yet?]]") His interest in this wealth and power varies considerably. Tom's initial car is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto Ford Pinto], considered to be among the more dangerous cars ever made. It can be seen as a clear attempt by Tom to escape or at least not be associated with his family's immense wealth. We later see him driving what appears to be a well-used Jaguar, a car more fitting of his station (he states his parents had his old car towed away in the night).
However, he is not only gleefully going to attend the pompous, Ivy League school known as [[Bromwell]], he never shows any concern that he might not get in (though he has got safety colleges) and is shown having and using Bromwell contacts & influence through his family, though he shrugs that off when Daria points it out. He also uses his family's influence to get Daria into Bromwell as well, which (despite being a helpful act on his part) irked Daria. He could get defensive when criticised for any presumed elitism, and sometimes appeared unaware that his family's wealth (and assumptions that came with it) might confuse, irritate, or embarrass people who were less wealthy.
Generally, he seems to enjoy his family's wealth while noticing and casually disparaging some of its absurdities. His family's wealth and power was a source of tension between him and Daria during their relationship, sometimes from his unnoticed privilege and sometimes because she automatically assumed the worst because of his class.
==The "Love Triangle" Story Arc==
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