Quiet By Susan Cain Analysis

In order to complete my additional time assignment, I chose to read Quiet by Susan Cain. Cain explores how introverts adapt to a society where extroverted traits are valued, revealing the necessity to present oneself to society in the most appealing way and the immense impact that societal expectations have on a person from the time they are very young. One of the most compelling arguments in Quiet is how extroverts are considered smarter, simply because they are talking louder and more often. In The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan embodied the characteristic of someone who thought that making noise would make him appear smarter and more in control. When Nick Carraway comes over for dinner, Tom Buchanan interrupts his wife Daisy, in order to monopolize the conversation and bring the attention to himself. Tom Buchanan is the epitome of

He presents himself as having the perfect family and living the American Dream. Appearance is everything to him and if society thinks ill of him, he flees. Tom Buchanan came from money, meaning he has always been aware of the expectation that he would have to maintain his image and a good status with society. He needed to show of his perfect wife, his perfect house, and his perfect life. The idea that his image could be destroyed by an unfaithful wife destroyed him. Society finding out about all the problems in his relationship is Tom Buchanan’s worst nightmare. He is forced to overcompensate with his arrogance and controlling nature to maintain what society thinks of him. The reason that Tom Buchanan was able to be successful in the end is because he asserted his control and talked louder than those who opposed him. Society idealizes people who voice their thoughts, even if they have not been thought out. People seek to show their best self to society, an hide their problems. They do this by overcompensating