Of Amory's Self-Identity In This Side Of Paradise By F. Scott Fitzgerald

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an extremely renowned coming of age novel. It portrays life in the roaring 20’s, following the life of a young Amory Blaine. Amory faces obstacles from devastation by wealthy women to fighting in World War I and losing some of his closest friends. Reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster emphasized the main ideas throughout Amory’s life. The two main ideas that stood out in Fitzgerald’s book, was the quest taken by Amory Blaine and what Foster calls “baptisms” throughout the story.

Isabelle was the first girl that Amory fell in love with, and she was also the first girl to give Amory honest insight into himself. During the fight that marked the end of their relationship, she told him that he was conceited, selfish, and critical (Fitzgerald 69). Rosalind had the most traumatic impact on him of any of the three girls. After a very intense love affair, Rosalind decided that Amory did not have enough money to support her wants and left him to marry another man. Rosalind left Amory broken-hearted, disillusioned, and cynical. This transformation of Amory’s outlook on life is what led him to his relationship with Eleanor. With her free spirit and rebellious nature, she was a natural attraction for Amory after his painful experience with Rosalind. However, at the end of their relationship, Eleanor and Amory hated each other. Amory had seen himself in her, and eventually grew to despise what he saw (Fitzgerald 180). Although his relationship with Eleanor did not end well Amory always remembered her, as evidenced by the poem he wrote her several years later (Fitzgerald

The change of actions only demonstrates the Duchess’s change of heart throughout the story, from churlish to exceptionally friendly. The action of caring for someone around the same age also presents heroic characteristics, taking into consideration that Piney is a complete stranger to the Duchess, she’s transformed into a rather kind-hearted character. In addition, the author's deliberate character transformation demonstrates the change in the theme of the story from an overwhelmingly negative and [grumpy], to positive and

However, when we find out a lot more about the background of her character, we learn slowly and subtly that her flirtatious demeanor is not truly what is happening inside. As a reader, we begin to start putting together the pieces through Curley’s Wife’s

Finally, his relationship with his parents reveals his isolation because he distances himself away from the love he is needing and searching for. Likewise, the protagonist’s desire

Fitzgerald became fearful that he would perish during the war and hastily composed a short story. The Romantic Egotist however, was not a success, but the publisher encouraged him to continue to rework the book further. During training for the army, Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre. He fell in love with her, however she was descended from an upper class family and would not accept a mere poor man’s love. World War Two was ended before he was deployed and Fitzgerald moved to New York to launch an impressive advertising career in order to entice Zelda to marry him. He soon abandoned his job and moved back to St. Paul to rework his failed novel. Eventually he came out with This Side of Paradise. The book turned

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the first draft of his first novel in army training camps between the years 1917 and 1918. The working title was The Romantic Egoist. By February of 1918, Fitzgerald had submitted his first full draft of the novel to Charles Scribner’s Sons only to have it be rejected. In October of 1918, Fitzgerald submitted a revised version to Scribner’s and again it was rejected. Finally, in 1918 the third version of The Romantic Egoist re-titled This Side of Paradise was accepted and published by Charles Scribner’s Sons.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writings largely focus on the American aristocracy during the 1920s. The ‘20s became alternatively known as “the Jazz Age,” a term coined by Fitzgerald with connotations encompassing the prosperity, frivolity, and decadence of the upper class. The atmosphere and mindset of lavish excess are preserved in the plots and characters of Fitzgerald’s writings. Although Fitzgerald’s protagonists are wealthy, there is a noticeable distinction between those who come from “old money” and those who are considered “new money”. Amory Blaine, of This Side of Paradise, and Jay Gatsby, of The Great Gatsby, exemplify this difference.

Georgina was adored by so many. Women were envious of her and men desired her (par.7). Out of them all, she chooses Aylmer. After reading through his opinion and thoughts, it would make the reader question if he truly loved her, or was he in love with the idea of making her into what he envisioned as perfect. He took a confident woman and tore her down till she was so unsecured to be looked upon by her husband. He loses the idea of what love is.

During the Jazz Age, appearances meant everything in order to be successful. Society judged people based on money, power and the influence of individuals a person surrounded themselves with. In This Side of Paradise, by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of Amory Blaine as he grows from a pampered childhood to adulthood,and learns to be his own man. He lived a very elite life but overtime he loses his money and therefore his identity and position in society. Amory, the main character, grows up in a wealthy family.

The quotation reveals that while doing a literacy practice Clara, he falls in love with her. The image of Clara reading a book while having a discussion with him makes him interested and slowly loves her as he never met a woman like her who is really enthusiastic in books. The literacy practices done by Clara and Amory are able to make them understand that they have the same in common which is reading poem and are able to unify them as a friend even though she rejected him to be her lover. While with Eleanor Savage , A young girl with a France education whom he met on a rainy haystack in Maryland, Amory gains an intimate interaction as they shares their love of literature more than when he is with Clara.

The couple later got married on April 3, 1920 in St. Patrick Cathedral, located in New York. A little over a year later He and his wife had a child named Frances (Doreski). Fitzgerald lived more by his feelings than his morals (Doreski). He and his wife, Zelda, would throw extravagant parties which put the couple in financial hardship early on. Sometimes these parties would even last 4 days in a row (Shain). Because of all the partying and choice of lifestyle, Zelda developed a mental disorder and had her first mental breakdown in 1930. Fitzgerald wrote short stories to pay for his wife’s treatments. However, he is best known for his works This Side of Paradise, from which he gained his wealth, and The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald’s most popular work (Coale 190). This Side of Paradise was his first autobiographical novel. The book is based on Fitzgerald’s childhood and portrays him as a young boy who is ready for his exciting life to begin (Shain). After it was published, Fitzgerald became rich quickly. Following Zelda’s hospitalization, he wrote the book Tender is the Night. The book was centered on a wealthy psychiatrist and his unstable wife (Bruccoli). By this

Isabella is of a cheerful disposition, but her soul is pure as virtue itself.” Matilda opposes “virtuous” with “cheerful,” the latter word given as an opposition to the suggestion that Isabella may have a flirtatious nature. It seems that one who is very pure and virtuous must not only hide sexual interest, but must curb evidence of any happiness or active enjoyment of life. This cheerfulness might indicate self-interest or a threateningly passionate nature. When Hippolita announces that a marriage between Frederick and Matilda has been proposed, Isabella says to Hippolita , “...But think not, lady, that thy weakness shall determine for me. I swear, hear me all ye angels—” (Walpole, 106). Matilda, who is in love with Theodore, cannot but agree to obey her mother.

Neither Maurice nor the narrator has any idea of the affairs. Despite these horrible actions from Charlotte, the love towards her from Maurice and the narrator was still immense. True obsession seeps through the irony in this devastating

Fitzgerald’s success came along with the roaring 20s, also known as the Jazz age. His fame and fortune skyrocketed during this era with his first novel, This Side of Paradise being a hit. However, the lifestyle of the rich and famous during the Jazz age would prove to provide an insurmountable heartbreak. Fitzgerald claims that the Jazz Age “flattered him and gave him more money than he had dreamed of” (qtd. In “Broken Dreams” 42). With this new fame and money, he began living very recklessly. He threw extravagant parties and “rode on the roofs of taxi cabs and jumped into fountains... and got drunk at countless parties.” Fitzgerald said, “I had everything I wanted and knew I would never be so happy again.” (QUOTE). He finally had a taste of the glamor of the American Dream, and he absolutely loved it. However, this lifestyle was expensive, one that Fitzgerald, even with all his money could not afford. He lived so irresponsibly that he was often in debt. He wanted more of this lifestyle, but it was the lifestyle of the American Dream that eventually lead him away from the American Dream. He began chasing the American Dream just so he could