This passage occurs in the beginning of the novel when Nick goes to dinner at Tom and Daisy's house. During the evening, Tom suddenly starts talking about a book he has read, The Rise of the Coloured Empires:
Well, it's a fine book and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be--will be utterly submerged. It's all scientific stuff; it's been proved . . . It's up to us who are the dominant race [Nordic] to watch out or these other races will have control of things.
Tom's remarks show two things: He is an ignorant racist, and he is very proud of having read a book. Nick, for one, is quite surprised that Tom has read a book; in college Tom was never known for his intellect--only for his football skills.
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