Why is it easy for females to betray their loved ones while men find it very difficult to do the same? The story of Netherland, written by Joseph O'Neill and The Great Gatsby, written by F.S Fitzgerald, both show female characters as devious and conniving due to the negative influence they have on the male characters. The Great Gatsby is about an inexplicable man called Jay Gatsby who strives to find contentment in his life again by reuniting with his ex-girlfriend, Daisy Buchannan. Another novel which share a similar plot to The Great Gatsby is Netherland. This novel is about Hans Van Den Broek, a determined man who tries everything in his power to mend the broken relationship he has with his distinct wife, Rachel. It's obvious that the main
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Even when the male characters of the book are facing depression or going through a serious dilemma, the female characters hardly show them any form of love or affection. In Netherland, Hans goes through a tough time when he realizes that his mother passed away. Filled with regret and self-hatred for not spending enough time with his mother, Hans faces depression as his mind is filled with unrelenting distress. To add onto his suffering, Hans did not receive any words of comfort from his wife during this depressing phase. Hans, with disheartenment says about Rachel, “Even when I wept in the kitchen and dropped a bottle of beer on the floor out of pure sorrow, she [Rachel] merely wiped the floor with paper towels and said nothing,” (O'Neill.128). Her lack of sympathy for Hans’s loss really emphasizes Rachel's heartless personality, as a women who can't comfort their loved ones. Now when comparing the personalities of both female leads in the book, Rachel’s personality is like the one of an angel when compared to Daisy’s repulsive persona. For example in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby realizing that Daisy is the one that murdered Myrtle with his car, took the fault to make sure she doesn't get in trouble in the long run. He deliberately made it look like it was all his fault and went into extreme measures to ensure that no one ever discovers the truth. …show more content…
In the mid-progression of Netherland, Rachel decides to start a new relationship with a chef named Martin, even though she is in the midst of a relationship with Han. When Han's discovers that Rachel has been cheating on him, he shows that he is disappointed although he does not take any immediate action. Feeling sick and heartbroken Han's says, "..... Traveling a circuit of regret, self-pity and jealousy. I was obsessed needless to say, with Rachel's lover - Martin Casey"(O'Neill.201). Feeling betrayed, Han faces isolation and loneliness, and even starts to withdraw into a shell. His fear that Rachel might be moving on in his life without him, constantly plays in his head like a broken record player. However Rachel is oblivious to Hans’s misery and even continues to toy with Han's feelings by getting him to come to a barbeque with Martin present. Hans, who is already depressed about what Rachel is doing to him behind his back, finally reaches his boiling point. He, dejectedly, thinks, “My impulse was to corner her [Rachel], point out that this was torture, demand some consideration, and protest generally."(O'Neill.224). Evidently Rachel's sadistic actions of torturing Hans is disloyal and treacherous and for lack of a better word, inappropriate. Even though on some level Rachel acknowledges that her actions are very selfish and will
Even when the male characters of the book are facing depression or going through a serious dilemma, the female characters hardly show them any form of love or affection. In Netherland, Hans goes through a tough time when he realizes that his mother passed away. Filled with regret and self-hatred for not spending enough time with his mother, Hans faces depression as his mind is filled with unrelenting distress. To add onto his suffering, Hans did not receive any words of comfort from his wife during this depressing phase. Hans, with disheartenment says about Rachel, “Even when I wept in the kitchen and dropped a bottle of beer on the floor out of pure sorrow, she [Rachel] merely wiped the floor with paper towels and said nothing,” (O'Neill.128). Her lack of sympathy for Hans’s loss really emphasizes Rachel's heartless personality, as a women who can't comfort their loved ones. Now when comparing the personalities of both female leads in the book, Rachel’s personality is like the one of an angel when compared to Daisy’s repulsive persona. For example in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby realizing that Daisy is the one that murdered Myrtle with his car, took the fault to make sure she doesn't get in trouble in the long run. He deliberately made it look like it was all his fault and went into extreme measures to ensure that no one ever discovers the truth. …show more content…
In the mid-progression of Netherland, Rachel decides to start a new relationship with a chef named Martin, even though she is in the midst of a relationship with Han. When Han's discovers that Rachel has been cheating on him, he shows that he is disappointed although he does not take any immediate action. Feeling sick and heartbroken Han's says, "..... Traveling a circuit of regret, self-pity and jealousy. I was obsessed needless to say, with Rachel's lover - Martin Casey"(O'Neill.201). Feeling betrayed, Han faces isolation and loneliness, and even starts to withdraw into a shell. His fear that Rachel might be moving on in his life without him, constantly plays in his head like a broken record player. However Rachel is oblivious to Hans’s misery and even continues to toy with Han's feelings by getting him to come to a barbeque with Martin present. Hans, who is already depressed about what Rachel is doing to him behind his back, finally reaches his boiling point. He, dejectedly, thinks, “My impulse was to corner her [Rachel], point out that this was torture, demand some consideration, and protest generally."(O'Neill.224). Evidently Rachel's sadistic actions of torturing Hans is disloyal and treacherous and for lack of a better word, inappropriate. Even though on some level Rachel acknowledges that her actions are very selfish and will