This Side of Paradise is often referred as a kind of fictionalized personal memoir of F. Scott Fitzgerald because of all the similarities between Fitzgerald and protagonist, Amory Blaine, from their privileged childhood to their experiences in Princeton and even some of their romantic relationships. The first novel of one of the leaders of the Lost Generation not only mimics the life of this author, but also mimics the livelihood of the time. This book repeatedly shows the loss and loneliness, confusion and worthlessness that many had felt between and during the World Wars. Possibly as a result of this loss of hope, shallowness and narcissism is often demonstrated in many characters, like the traits possessed in people of the time. Lastly,
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Personality is a physical matter almost entirely; it lowers the people it acts on—I’ve seen it vanish in a long sickness. But while a personality is active, it overrides ‘the next thing.’ Now a personage, on the other hand, gathers. He is never thought of apart from what he’s done. He’s a bar on which a thousand things have been hung—glittering things sometimes, as ours are; but he uses those things with a cold mentality back of them.” (Fitzgerald, 99-100)
Amory, a personage instead of a true personality relies on the “glittering” assets and materials he has in order to preserve his status seen by most of the world. This shows how shallow and self-consumed he must be. However Isabelle, during an argument recognizes this too and calls him out for his self-centeredness and for it being fake:
“Well, I thought you had a lot of self-confidence and all that; remember you told me the other day that you could do anything you wanted, or get anything you …show more content…
It both intrigued him and frightened him. It was easy for Amory, however to manipulate the system because he not only tried to think of the social hierarchy logically, but because of his ability to change his image so easily. He, through athletics, knew how to rise in popularity. In fact at Princeton his chief reason for joining the football team was to become worshipped by his peers. “Having decided to be one of the gods of the class, he reported for freshman football practice…” (Fitzgerald, 46.) He also went against much of the principles taught by his mother during his unconventional upbringing in order to climb the social ladder. “So St.Regis’ had very painfully drilled Beatrice out of him, and begun to lay down new and more conventional planking on the fundamental Amory. But both St. Regis’ and Amory were unconscious of the fact that this fundamental Amory had not in himself changed.” (Fitzgerald, 37.) Not only did he conform for his popularity in school, but he did after in his adult life too, like how he signed the army when his friends did, though not wanting to leave Princeton. In the real life, many went into the military, like Fitzgerald or Ernest Hemmingway, though it was a very negative experience. Amory also categorized and analyzed many social patterns he’s seen. Starting from boarding
Personality is a physical matter almost entirely; it lowers the people it acts on—I’ve seen it vanish in a long sickness. But while a personality is active, it overrides ‘the next thing.’ Now a personage, on the other hand, gathers. He is never thought of apart from what he’s done. He’s a bar on which a thousand things have been hung—glittering things sometimes, as ours are; but he uses those things with a cold mentality back of them.” (Fitzgerald, 99-100)
Amory, a personage instead of a true personality relies on the “glittering” assets and materials he has in order to preserve his status seen by most of the world. This shows how shallow and self-consumed he must be. However Isabelle, during an argument recognizes this too and calls him out for his self-centeredness and for it being fake:
“Well, I thought you had a lot of self-confidence and all that; remember you told me the other day that you could do anything you wanted, or get anything you …show more content…
It both intrigued him and frightened him. It was easy for Amory, however to manipulate the system because he not only tried to think of the social hierarchy logically, but because of his ability to change his image so easily. He, through athletics, knew how to rise in popularity. In fact at Princeton his chief reason for joining the football team was to become worshipped by his peers. “Having decided to be one of the gods of the class, he reported for freshman football practice…” (Fitzgerald, 46.) He also went against much of the principles taught by his mother during his unconventional upbringing in order to climb the social ladder. “So St.Regis’ had very painfully drilled Beatrice out of him, and begun to lay down new and more conventional planking on the fundamental Amory. But both St. Regis’ and Amory were unconscious of the fact that this fundamental Amory had not in himself changed.” (Fitzgerald, 37.) Not only did he conform for his popularity in school, but he did after in his adult life too, like how he signed the army when his friends did, though not wanting to leave Princeton. In the real life, many went into the military, like Fitzgerald or Ernest Hemmingway, though it was a very negative experience. Amory also categorized and analyzed many social patterns he’s seen. Starting from boarding