Marriage is kind of a big deal in This Side of Paradise. For starters, Amory's mother and father married for convenience more than love, and this decision has a lasting impact on his life. Beatrice's lack of love in marriage leads her to devote herself completely to Amory, which ends up giving Amory a huge ego.
On top of that, Amory decides after meeting Rosalind Connage that marrying her will solve all of his problems and bring fulfillment to his dreary life. But when Rosalind breaks things off, Amory spirals into a despair so deep that it looks like he'll never get out. In the end, marriage might not solve a person's problems. But Amory keeps thinking it will because he never gets the chance to find out otherwise.
Questions About Marriage
- Do you think Amory could have had a happy marriage with Rosalind? Why or why not?
- Find a passage in the first few pages of the book where Fitzgerald describes the marriage between Amory's mother and father. What kind of marriage is it?
- How does Amory react when he finds out that Rosalind is going to marry some guy named Ryder? What does it tell us about him?
- Do you think Amory will ever love someone enough after Rosalind to marry her? Why or why not?
Chew on This
In This Side of Paradise, we learn that marriage might seem like a path to fulfillment… but it actually isn't.
In This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald leaves us thinking that Amory Blaine (or anyone, for that matter) could find fulfillment in life if only he could marry the person he loves.