This Side of Paradise Youth Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

She had taken the first flush of his youth and brought from his unplumbed depths tenderness that had surprised him, gentleness and unselfishness that he had never given to another creature. (2.2.165)

It's pretty clear that the end of his relationship with Rosalind marks a major shift in the life of Amory Blaine. She even brought qualities out of him that he didn't know he had. But alas, like youth, their love was bound to end. Le sigh.

Quote #8

Let the days move over—sadness and memory and pain recurred outside, and here, once more, before he went on to meet them he wanted to drift and be young. (2.3.78)

Amory doesn't want to enter adulthood because he knows a life of boredom and mediocrity is waiting for him. All he wants to do is drift and be youthful. But Amory isn't Peter Pan. Sooner or later, he'll have to grow up and confront the world. The funny thing is that Fitzgerald became a famous author at twenty three and never looked back, so the guy never had to get a true day job like Amory.

Quote #9

"I don't want to repeat my innocence. I want the pleasure of losing it again." (2.5.39)

As Amory clearly states, he's not interested in living in a childish Neverland for the rest of his life. He wants to be young again so he can have the experience of losing his youth over and over. For him, there's nothing sweeter than the move from innocence to experience. But once it's done, he feels all used up and wants to do it all over again.