This Side of Paradise
I chose This Side of Paradise by F. Scott
Fitzgerald for my first quarter independent reading book. I initially chose
this novel because after reading The Great Gatsby my junior year I made it my
goal to read more F. Scott Fitzgerald novels. After reading this novel I am
glad that I made that decision. I am aware that This Side of Paradise is
Fitzgerald’s first novel, which I believe can account for the similarities
between the main character and Fitzgerald. The character has much in common
with the author himself, rendering the book heavily autobiographical. This Side
of Paradise, published in 1920, originally to be titled 'The Romantic Egotist'
and later 'The Education of a Personage', follows the exploits of Princeton
university student Amory Blaine. The story traces the early life of Amory
Blaine from the end of prep school through Princeton University to the start of
an uncertain career in New York. It was composed from various scraps of writing
amassed during Fitzgerald's years at university and later during his time
served in the war.
In my previous blog I briefly
described how desperately Amory wanted to be lifted from under his mother’s
shadow and become his own person. Amory and his mother share the same personality
because she has trained him to be like her. Ironically, Amory is not aware that his mother has had such a big impact on his life. He understands that as of right
now, the way he carries himself will not get him very far in life. He is aware
that he needs to make a couple of life changes but he is wrestling with what
changes need to be made.
“He went all wrong at
the start, was generally considered both conceited and arrogant, and
universally detested.”
At this point in the novel, Amory goes to St.
Regis, a private school far away from his home; he is immediately disfavored by
all of his peers. His peers see him as “arrogant” and a “know it all”. This can
be seen in a scene in the book where Amory tries to show off in his French
class but ends up getting a lecture of disapproval from his teacher. Going away
to boarding school has not only opened Amory’s eye to his undesirable attitude
but also to the realization that his mother is not always right.
“Vanity, tempered with
self-suspicion if not self-knowledge, a sense of people as automatons to his
will, a desire to “pass” as many boys as possible and get to a vague top of the
world… with his background did Amory drift into adolescence.”
Amory is aware that his
constant need to compete with other adolescents is a problem. It is a problem
that he is not yet ready to solve just yet. Amory’s mother has taught him that
he must be good at everything. While knowing that his mother’s advice is not
always right, he still carries her principles with him wherever he goes. Amory
is aware that he needs to detach from his mother and become his own person but
he is not ready to do that just yet.
The
novel has sped up a little bit from my previous post, but it is still going at
a rather slow pace.
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