F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote The Great Gatsby, was an author known for questioning the social "norms" of his time. His book The Great Gatsby was no different as it addressed the idea of ​​class and wealth that was present during his time period. The narrator becomes friends with Gatsby who represents the new wealth. As they grow closer, Gatsby takes him to meet Wolfsheim, who helped Gatsby gain his wealth. Nick, the narrator, described it like this: The idea baffled me. I remembered, of course, that the World's Series had been set in 1919, but if I had thought about it, I would have regarded it as something that simply happened, the end of an inevitable chain. It would never have occurred to me that one man could begin to play with the faith of fifty million people, with the determination of a thief who blows up a safe. (4.113). Fitzgerald talks about the positive view that Americans had or have towards money and wealth. Fitzgerald says that the power we give him by glorifying him can cause some negative effects such as the ability to play with the faith of many. In the stories “Story of an Hour” and “Orientation,” the situations the main characters are placed in and how they react to the situation demonstrate American culture's emphasis on superficial appearances rather than truth. While these stories are different, they both involve characters experiencing the demands of American culture to conform to certain social demands. .. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin condemns American culture for emphasizing marriage and even going so far as to expect it. “The Story of an Hour” overturns this stereotypical idea of ​​marriage; instead of hearing the good we hear t... middle of paper... in "The Story of an Hour" the social convention is marriage. In “Orientation” the social convention of doing a job is more important than being a good person. Orozco also describes the lives of many different people. The characters of Mrs. Mallard and the main character of “Orientation” are similar because they both warn us about the flaws of American society in different ways. The problems these stories talk about are still true today. America seems to only look at superficial things like jobs and marriage and looks the other way when it comes to character flaws. Works Cited Chopin, Kate and Kate Chopin. The story of an hour. Logan, IA: Perfection Learning, 2001. Print.Fitzgerald, F. Scott, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996. Print.Orozco, Daniel. Orientation. San Francisco: San Francisco Chronicle, 2011. Print.