Jessica Ho
Mr. Silver
ENG2D1
November 27, 2012

Clashing Values of “The Social Network” In the film “The Social Network”, David Fincher narrates the personal journey of the young billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, and chronicles how Mark created Facebook, one of the most popular social networks. The opening scene of the film is set in a bar on the Harvard campus, with Mark having a spirited conversation with his then girlfriend Erica Albright. Their heated exchange reveals a deep chasm between the clashing values of the two characters. Mark values materialistic success. He deems social status and prestige extremely important. He tells Erica about his intent to join the very prestigious Final Club. Being the member of the club would mean a high social status. He also thinks that connections are important. He desperately wants to be associated with those in the Final Club as he sees benefits in those connections. He suspects Erica to be using him for connections to get into a prestigious club. He says, “Why did you ask me which club is the easiest to get into?” Subsequently, he demands that Erica should support him because once he joins the Final Club, he will offer that connection to Erica so she could access the Final Club members. In addition, he values financial success. This is shown when he brags about his friend Eduardo earning $30,000 in one summer. On the other hand, he disparages the doorman, not even addressing him by name, but rather by the job. His exuberance regarding his intelligence is excessive. As well, He speaks arrogantly about his SAT result, which is a full score. Thus, it is evident that Mark values success: academic, financial, and social.
In contrast, Erica has a different set of values. She does not consider social class important. When Mark brags that he could give her the opportunity to associate with the Final Club members, she is offended and immediately breaks up with him. Clearly she values relationship over connections. Whereas Mark despises the low social status of the doorman, she sees the person as an individual. She calls the doorman by his name Bobby, and asserts that “Bobby is in a perfectly good class of people.” Although Mark accuses her