Examples Of Social Norm In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, is an elaborate work of literature containing the theme of following the “social norm” in order to to be accepted in society. Daisy Buchannen, the wife of a wealthy man, Tom Buchannen,, is a crossroad in her life. The first love of her life, Jay Gatsby, has returned after years of being away for war. However, daisy is now married with a daughter. Her husband negligent and couldn't care less about his family. Even with his carelessness, he still refuses to let Daisy go. Jay built a whole new persona to win Daisy back and went from lower class to rich, stockbroker. Daisy gives in for a little while but guilt washes over her as Tom provides her with the life she is fortunate enough to live. Daisy feels

"What'll we plan?" She turned to me helplessly: "What do people plan?" Before I could answer her eyes fastened with an awed expression on her little finger. "Look!" she complained; "I hurt it." We all looked the knuckle was black and blue. "You did it, Tom," she said accusingly. "I know you didn't mean to, but you did do it. That's what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen of a −." There’s two things going on in that scene. One is that she inadvertingly confirms that Tom arranges out her daily schedule, being that she is completely confused on how people “plan” events. She even physically expresses her helplessness whilst turning to Nick with confusion. She cannot do a basic human activity of planning, namely because Tom has never allowed her to. Secondly, addressing Daisy’s description of her husband, she depicts him as a manly, strong guy. However, she is quick to say that it was an accident. It seems as though Daisy feels compelled to forgive Tom for all he does, rather than stand up for herself. Looking at the era she is living in, this makes sense, because women who fought back to brutality and inequality were labeled as “bitches” , and what man wants to date someone known as that. Additionally, she lowkey knows that if she doesn’t forgive him, her high status is gone. It’s sad to see that even if this “brute” man abuses her, she’ll take the blame because she knows that only negative things will come out of her fighting back. Speaking of, saying she married “brute ute of a man” implies that she expected the roughness being that she married that type of man in an era of male domination and fragile masculinity. Roughness and abusiveness was normal, so she wasn’t in shock and who was she to put an end to it when it’s literally expected