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Amory's Matriculation To Princeton Essay

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Amory interiorizes the conformity that Moretti describes on survival upon matriculation to Princeton. His life becomes a fraud as his daily interactions grow predicated upon what Moretti refers to as the curbing of “intrinsically boundless dynamism” (6). In essence, Amory restrains his role as a dynamic character in his pursuit of mastery of social structure and popularity. This obsession is alluded to and eventually cemented in his first year at Princeton. Walking into Princeton, he concedes his fascination as he “watched each rank of linked arms” pass by with “voices blent” (45). His admiration of the football team’s pack mentality and high position on campus provides insight into his willingness to compromise his character as well as into his overconcentration with trivialities …show more content…

Right as the character attains a realistic world view, Moretti proposes that the protagonist is forced to face a major decision: Should he abandon his values for conformity or continue to pursue his personal goals in the face of failure? Such a double bind implies Moretti’s belief that a bildungsroman presents two undesirable situations for a character and he or she must choose between the lesser of two evils: self-betrayal or failure. Moretti describes that bildungsroman characters grow “far less ambitious than synthesis” (Moretti 10). Likewise, Amory realizes the difficulty of remaining unique and grows “decidedly unheroic,” using inaction as a “tool for survival” (Moretti 10). Admittedly, Amory reaches an ingenuine but high social position on campus, thus embodying his active pursuit of conformity. Through his entrance into elite clubs, Amory capitulates to conformity and eventually solidifies his decision to become “one of the gods of his class”

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