I was heartbroken when I found out that Tom and Pinky did not end up together. Though (quite obviously) their romance is not necessarily the central aspect of the film, I believe that this was the part I was most upset about because it has some important modern-day implications. Tom, as seen in the film, is portrayed as a generally very nice man. Even when he discovered Pinky's black heritage, he still loved her just as much and refused to leave her side. He even goes so far as to claim he will strive to not be prejudiced. However, everyone (in my opinion) will always be a little bit prejudiced no matter how hard one tries. Later in the film when Pinky decides to fight for the house, Tom cannot comprehend why, but he resolves to support her nevertheless. In this sense, he is truly dedicated to Pinky. At the end of the film when he insists Pinky continue passing as white and marry him, it reminded me of Kathy from Gentlemen's Agreement. Tom and Kathy both deeply loved their respective partners, but they were too passive. They both wanted to live an easier life dealing with lies rather than struggle by living honestly when they are true to their beliefs. Even now, this is a hard decision to make. Even well-meaning people may choose the former, and they are also probably much happier. Pinky and Phil make the tough choice because they believe it will benefit their community, but Tom is not willing to give up his life (which in all honesty, is pretty understandable. Overall, I think Tom was a great character in that he showed a lot of depth and complexity in this aspect.