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F. Scott Fitzgerald's A New Leaf: Beyond Appearances

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F. Scott Fitzgerald's A New Leaf: Beyond Appearances
In society are often interested in men who are not good for them. Scott Fitzgerald shows how falling in love cannot be based on someone’s appearance alone. Julia Ross was immedialtey attracted to Dick Ragland and didn’t care about anything else except his looks alone. Julia suddenly wanted to know more about Dick as soon as she laid eyes on him, “Handsome! He’s an archangel, he’s a mountain lion, he’s something to eat. Just why didn’t you introduce him?” (421). This shows how she immediately focused on his looks rather than wanting to get to know him more and get to know his personality, also how she can be quite superficial. Phil had warned Julia all about Dick and she still insisted on meeting him rather than not ever speaking to him, “I thought you seemed so attractive and it was such a pity” (423). This shows how she even admits it to Dick that she wanted to at least talk to him due to his looks. Although, knowing that he was also no good intrigued her much more. Finding out dick cheated on her Julia was outraged and came to realize his looks wont make her happy, “Nothing. Just your good looks—and the head waiter at dinner last night had that” (432). This shows how her foolish impressions of people only brought along sadness for her and made her feel meaningless and unimportant. Also, that the man she had come to love, didn’t really even love her that him having a “void” in his heart meanwhile she was gone and him filling it by being with another woman shows that he didn’t really care much for her and bring her into consideration because anyone really could have done that for him, just as Esther did so.

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