How does Tom cling to his image of himself just as Gatsby clings to his dream of Daisy in The Great Gatsby?

Tom's lack of emotional affect and his lack of reflection
helps him to cling to his image of himself.  Tom surrounds himself and insulates himself
with his own inflated sense of ego.  The manner in which he carries himself as part of
the East Egg social setting, as well as his assertions about the world (expressed to
Nick in the opening exchange), and the fact that his mistress is of a lower social
setting and designation than his own reflects how he carries himself in a manner that
substantiates his own supposed superiority.  Along with these, the very idea of how he
carries himself reflects just how much he loves himself and clings to the image of him
being, well, him.  The overall impression the reader has of this
character is his physical power and brute strength. He is a fairly one-dimensional
figure in this sense.  Tom does not necessarily display anything else in the novel that
does not reflect a sense of self love.  He is in love with his own supposed elevated
sense of self, and the zeal with which he loves himself is almost matched by the
selfless sense of devotion that Gatsby has for his wife.