preview

This Side Of Paradise Character Analysis

Decent Essays

In This Side of Paradise, a story of modern youth and disillusionment, there are several major female characters who are involved in Amory Blaine’s life. As Amory grows to adulthood and beyond, he goes through several serious relationships with girls. In a way, the personalities of these girls reflect the state of Amory’s life and mind. The differing personal qualities and defining characteristics of these young women lead to contrasting relationships. While none of these relationships are lasting, they each have a definite influence on Amory’s life. Three of the major female characters in This Side of Paradise - Isabelle, Rosalind, and Eleanor – have different personalities, relationships, and impacts on Amory Blaine.
Each of the three girls has a different personality. One of the first …show more content…

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

Get Access