The Social Network Essay Sample

The Social Network is a movie supposedly based on the incorporation of Facebook, the friendship between Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, and the breakdown of their friendship. At first glance, it would appear that the movie is simply about the website that began in a dorm room in Harvard University and created by five friends in 2004. While the movie is based on real people and real events, the accuracy of the film will remain a question. But in analyzing the essence of the movie, accurateness to the actual events that transpired during Facebook’s first year are immaterial because the story itself, true or not, is not a documentary of Facebook and is more than enough to provide a good fictional narrative. More than the creation of a website, The Social Network is about friendship, social class, success, gender, sexuality, and ego.
As the movie opens, the audience is introduced to Mark and Erica who just seem to be talking to each other about an intelligent topic, yet end up fighting and breaking up with each other. As a result, out of spite and anger, Mark blogs about the break-up with Erica and calls her names, makes fun of her family name, comments about her bra size, and calls her a bitch – all while slowly becoming intoxicated. This is one of the first instances that gives a hint about gender issues considering how Mark treats and thinks of Erica both while in the bar and while alone in his room. Mark’s comments berating Erica’s school and how much Erica “will be meeting a lot of people [Erica] wouldn’t normally get to meet” (6) are signs of how little he regards Erica as an individual. Although he tries to apologize for it, the damage has already been done as Erica decided to end her relationship with Mark. She leaves him with a stinging remark that seem to trigger something in him,
“You are probably going to be a successful computer person. But you’re going to go through life thinking that girls don’t like you because you’re a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won’t be true. It’ll be because you’re an asshole.” (9)
Erica’s comment leaves one to think that there is some truth in what she said considering that society often thinks men are more powerful and intelligent than women, that women are the weaker sex. Women are as strong as men in terms of intelligence but women are stronger when it comes to their emotional make-up. When men attempt to downgrade women, women know how to fight back and tell the situation as it is. This is the same thing that happened in one of Marc’s classes when a female classmate sent him an unsigned paper with a “U dick” (29) comment after Marc and his friends uploaded the Facemash application online, which supposedly matches two females and allows the users to vote who is prettier. In this case, most of the male students who participated in the voting scheme just affirmed how much women are considered as a commodity.
In addition, the film also depicts women as either sex-crazed, druggies, or drunks who have nothing else to do but hook up with the next successful guy on the block as shown in scenes held at the Phoenix Club’s frat house, the way Christy Lee introduced and picked up Eduardo and Marc, and the endless partying in Palo Alto when Marc’s group set up an office in California. It shows how women are nothing but playthings of men. Another point that the movie stresses is that because of the Internet or Facebook, for that matter, the world is slowly becoming transformed into a man’s world as most of these social networking sites are built by men, for instance, Facebook by Marc and Napster by Sean.
One thing that the movie successfully represents is that not all women are men’s toys. Apart from Erica, the film also introduces another woman character who defies the definition of a woman, in the person of Marylin Delpy, who shows she has the intelligence and maturity to advice Marc on why a settlement is the best option instead of fighting Eduardo and the Winklevoss twins is the way. She says the jury will judge him based on “what the jury sees when they look at the defendant. Clothes, hair, speaking style, likability—” (161). What she is trying to insinuate is that when a lawyer asks marc a question, even if it does not actually represent who Marc is and how he conducted his business, the fact that the words or questions have been said, a “seed” has already been planted into the minds of the jury, which would make them believe that maybe, there is some truth to what the lawyer is saying. Thus, would work against Mark. Towards the last scene in the movie, she leaves Mark saying, “You’re not an asshole, Mark. You’re just trying so hard to be” (162).
The Social Network is also a movie that shows how ego and jealousy can affect relationships. Coming from different backgrounds, Marc and Eduardo start off as best friends yet within the story, the audience get to peek at how the once good friendship turned sour because of ego. The Phoenix Club, considered as one of the oldest and most exclusive Clubs at Harvard secretly sent an invitation to Eduardo to become one of its exclusive members. The selection process is rough and tough as the invitees have to undergo at least four stages to finally become a member. On the other hand, Marc does not get an invitation and although he tries not to act jealous, his remarks about the Phoenix Club are enough to make one think that he secretly harbors a desire to get in. In one instance, he told Erica that, “the Phoenix is the most diverse” (3) and explained how Teddy Roosevelt was a member of the Porcellian, while others are with the Fly Club. Because he wasn’t getting invitations from clubs, it apparently hurt his ego that is why he wanted to create something big to attract the attention of the clubs. With Facemash and later on, Facebook, Marc was able to do just that. The audience is introduced to how Marc really is as an individual – a young man with a brilliant mind, but at the same time, is also awkward in his ways, has deep insecurities, and a bit antisocial.
What does this all mean? Does it lead to the idea that life online reinforces this social structure and behavior? Considering how Marc felt a sense of power over the others for developing something “cool” and being known for it, then the answer is yes. He is not in it for the money, but the glory of being called a genius and being able to work on what motivates his in the first place, that is, the ability to build something from nothing. The film also shows how different and forward looking most young entrepreneurs are and how much they are guided by different reasons for doing what they are doing. In the case of Eduardo, it is for the business, while for Marc, it is more for the glory, authority, and power as he told Eduardo, “Wardo, it’s like a Final Club except we’re the President” (40).