51 pages • 1 hour read
This Side of Paradise
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Symbols & Motifs
Princeton University
One of the novel’s key symbols is Princeton University. During his time in Minneapolis, Amory becomes aware of the social expectations of his class, including attending preparatory school and college. In his first conversation with Darcy, Amory shares his desire to attend Princeton because he thinks it’s “lazy and good-looking and aristocratic” (31, emphasis added) to do so. Thus, Amory wants to attend the university for the status and appearance it will give him. Once on campus, he becomes enraptured with the social hierarchy inherent in the university’s organization. He wants to attend the best clubs, write for the campus publication, and do everything he can to boost his status among the campus elite. Academic pursuits mean little to Amory, who cares more for the symbolic function of the school than the fact it’s an institution of higher learning.
As Amory’s time at Princeton progresses, the symbolism behind the university changes. By the end of his second year, Amory has reached the pinnacle of success by being voted into the most prestigious club. He feels genuinely happy and has little concern in life now that he has attained his goal of social superiority. However, his break-up with Isabelle diminishes his ascension, and the university he once loved becomes a burden and a symbol of missed opportunity and stolen happiness. He becomes more cynical of the university and questions the same social structure he once admired and worshipped.
It is also significant that Amory returns to the university at the end of the novel. Amory has lost everything: love, money, and purpose. Thus, he decides to walk from New York City to Princeton, the site of his former glory. Once on campus, he feels sorrow for the students who are stuck there, abiding by the old traditions the university has always upheld. Now, however, Amory appreciates his former rise to glory and desires to experience that again, albeit in a more mature and grounded way. Thus, Amory renews his ambition by returning to Princeton and what it represents.
New York
A second symbol found in the novel is New York City. Amory falls immediately in love with the city, which represents the Jazz Age’s glitz, glamour, and materialism. He then visits the city regularly while attending Princeton, using it to escape tradition and convention. While in the city, Amory attends plays, visits numerous clubs and cafes, and stays in hotels—all activities that fit the carefree hedonism of the Jazz Age. He even lives there with Tom and Alec after they all return from WWI. By living in the city together, the men can enjoy the city’s social scene in greater depth.
Over time, the gilded façade of New York begins to tarnish for Amory, reflecting The Dark Reality Behind the Jazz Age. During one visit, Amory sees a mysterious man, whom he thinks must be a devil. This event makes Amory realize that New York also represents the dark side of his generation and culture, which emphasizes sex, alcohol, material possessions, and social image. After Amory’s experience with the mysterious man, he no longer sees New York as the haven he once did. His disillusionment deepens when he works at an advertising firm to win Rosalind’s hand. Amory’s attempt ultimately fails, further distancing him from the city he once loved because it’s becoming a symbol of what he despises.
By the novel’s end, when Amory seeks to reinvent himself after losing Rosalind and his income, he leaves the glamour and superficiality of the city and returns to the tradition and convention of Princeton, seeking a more grounded, renewed sense of purpose.
Poetry
Poetry forms an important motif in the text. Numerous poems—some from real poets and others written by the characters—appear in the text. Amory turns to poetry as a form of self-expression. As Amory becomes more frustrated by his pretentious professors, he writes a poem as an outlet for that frustration. Likewise, during a particularly boring lecture, Amory writes a poem about Tennyson instead of taking notes, and he gives it to his professor. Lastly, when Amory attends a play and thinks he hears Rosalind’s voice, he writes a poem on his program to manage his emotions. All of these examples demonstrate how Amory uses poetry as a way to work through difficult situations and better cope with his feelings.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s inclusion of poetry also creates links between characters. Tom and Amory’s friendship develops because they can discuss poets and writers in a way they can’t with their other friends. Eleanor also shares Amory’s love for poetry: They recite and discuss poetry during their summer together, but they also each write a poem symbolizing their relationship and feelings about that experience. Even Rosalind recites a poem as she and Amory break their engagement. The use of poetry thus reflects the characters’ quest for more authentic emotion and experience beneath the superficialities of the Jazz Age era.
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By F. Scott Fitzgerald
