Thinking about Tom

Although I feel sorry for Roxy’s losing her relationship with her son, until now, I don’t think that I considered that it must have been difficult for Tom to cope (at least to some degree) with suddenly learning that he’s not white, or rather, the race he grew up thinking that he was.  In a sense, he loses part of his identity, because he based his feelings of entitlement  on his white skin and status.  I am not a fan of Tom’s, but I would think that such a potentially life-altering experience might be similar to having a rug pulled from under one’s feet.  He grew up in an environment that privileged white skin and looked down upon the Other; when Tom learns that he’s black, he feels ashamed and repulsed, but during this time period, can we entirely blame him for feeling this way if he’s grown up thinking that blacks are the basest people in society?  Yes, his attitude and feelings toward his mother aggravate me–especially when he would betray her for money (p.110) to pay off his gambling debts… even after all Roxy had done for him.    I initially expected/wanted Tom to feel connected to his mother (and his race), but maybe I shouldn’t have.  Given his upbringing, is Tom wrong for wanting to cling to his status and privilege?  Doesn’t his desire reflect human nature to a certain degree?