Thank you, butterfly

As I sit at my desk Wednesday after Wednesday, trying to conjure up a “Blogging All-Star”-worthy topic, I often find myself woefully uninspired, today without exception. Frantically, my eyes searched around the room for insight other than the blank Microsoft Word document that stared at me unforgivingly until they gravitated to the little blue star next to my favorite quote from our in-class “speed-dating” discussions. Henry David Thoreau observes, “Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.” Despite the unexpected choice of a “butterfly” for the simile, I believe that Thoreau accurately represents the true meaning of happiness. He claims that the search for happiness proves unsuccessful and that one should acquire an alternate, more realistic goal. Additionally, he claims that without expectations for one’s happiness, a person can more thoroughly enjoy life, therefore, lead a happier life. The transcendentalist philosopher’s ideals reflect the common theme in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald along with my experience writing this blog. In Fitzgerald’s novel, he depicts the intertwined lives of New York socialites in the “roaring ‘20’s,” as nothing short of extravagant. However, with their wealth and social status come expectations associated with their state-of-minds. For instance, Daisy, the cousin of the narrator, Nick, behaves ambiguously to hide her true emotions. Her façade of a confident and happy heiress does not deceive Nick, though, who observed, “I felt the…insincerity…as though the whole evening had been a trick” (17). He directly characterizes her as insincere, therefore, portraying her as someone who puts on a front on the exterior that does not correlate with her true feelings. Fitzgerald, through Nick, exhibits Daisy as a person who strives for happiness in the wrong ways such as: She stays with her husband despite his betrayal and she emphasizes the importance on material goods and social status. To reach a state of happiness, as according to Thoreau, Daisy should alter opinions of what fosters happiness and focus on them, allowing room for the figurative “butterfly” to grant her contentment through her newly acquired behavior. I, too, have found authenticity in Thoreau’s quote. Instead of happiness, though, I sought the perfect blog topic. However, when I stopped thinking so hard to discover an award-winning idea, a certain little butterfly came and rested on my shoulder.