It's all about the connections

I recently went to a cupcake place in downtown Wilmette, IL to apply for a summer job. I went in, asked about the available positions, picked up an application and left. That night, my mom mentioned to a family friend that I was applying there, and he immediately responded by sharing that they are really good friends with the owners. I found out later that our family friends texted the owners of the shop and gave me a good recommendation, without me asking or knowing. The next day, when I dropped off my application, the owner sat me down and told me that it bothered him that I didn't have any previous work experience, but since my family friends gave me such a good recommendation it didn't matter. I was hired within five minutes. I was shocked at the speed of the process. This reminded me of my previous blog post, where I talked about how college is mostly about making connections, those that will end up helping you later in life. I suppose that connections can also be made through family. It is interesting that you seem to need all of these different types of connections to be successful in the U.S., although we always seem to think that we can make it on our own. It is definitely harder for a student from a family with no college graduates to make it than someone from a family with a legacy.

Where did you go to school?

A question that constantly surfaces within the first few minutes of conversation in current American culture and in The Great Gatsby is that of where one went to college. We very easily can guess things like one's class, economic background and/or current social status by asking this question. Depending on the interrogator, this in turn could perhaps lead to any of the types of classism that we discussed in class.  

Not just ANY education, but that of a prestigious education is of extreme importance in The Great Gatsby. We see this trend from the very beginning of the book, as Nick manages to say that he himself attended Yale (Fitzgerald, 3) within the first three pages. Tom attended Yale University as well (Fitzgerald, 5).  At the first party hosted by Gatsby and attended by Nick, Nick makes a point in noting that Jordan Baker's "escort" is "a persistent undergraduate" (Fitzgerald, 44).  Only the wealthy could attend college, especially the prestigious colleges that are continuously mentioned throughout the GG.  I think that human capital, in this case education, goes hand in hand with social capital. Often times, the men in the book built connections off of where they attended university. It is like this in current society as well. Some will argue that if education was the only thing taken into consideration, it wouldn't really matter where you went to college. Everyone is taught English, chemistry and business nearly the same way, no matter where you go.  The difference is the connections. The "better" or more prestigious college that you go to, the easier it is for you to get a job, and many times it is just because of the name. It is almost if each college in the United States is its own little secret society. You must be accepted by them, and no matter how hard you try to get in, or how qualified you are, they can always say no. You also meet people in college that might be fellow coworkers or bosses one day. Obviously education is something that Americans value very much, but it seems like there are hidden motives as well.