How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Children adored him because he was like a child; youth reveled in his company because he was still a youth, and couldn't be shocked. (1.1.194)
Children love Monsignor Darcy because he has managed to grow old without losing his sense of boyish wonder and his ability to keep an open mind to all things.
Quote #2
As he put in his studs he realized that he was enjoying life as he would probably never enjoy it again. Everything was hallowed by the haze of his own youth. (1.2.436)
At a young age, Amory realizes that his life is going to run downhill as he enters adulthood. This is a sad thing to think, but he's pretty convinced that once he has had his first kiss, everything else will seem boring.
Quote #3
"And what we leave here is more than this class; it's the whole heritage of youth." (1.4.347)
When Amory thinks about leaving school, he thinks about leaving behind his youth. Now it's time to enter the adult world of jobs and paychecks.
Quote #4
His youth seemed never so vanished as now in the contrast between the utter loneliness of this visit and that riotous, joyful party of four years before. (2.1.34)
Amory can only think about the parties of his youth now that he's grown into a young adult. The shift saddens him, although let's be honest; it's not like he was the happiest kid in the world.
Quote #5
Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush—these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment for the loss of his youth. (2.1.35)
After Amory has had his first true love with Rosalind, all that's left is his desire to destroy things and feel jealous of Rosalind's new lover. It doesn't seem as if adult life has left him with any positive emotions.
Quote #6
"Oh—I am very youthful, thank God—and rather beautiful, thank God—and happy, thank God, thank God." (2.1.284)
Rosalind Connage is thankful for her youth and beauty. Make hay while the sun shines, Rosalind! Carpe that diem.
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.
Quote #10
"Youth is like having a big plate of candy. Sentimentalists think they want to be in the pure, simple state they were in before they are the candy." (2.5.39)
Amory is not a sentimentalist. He's not interested in returning to his childhood. He doesn't want to have an uneaten plate of candy in front of him… he wants to be eating. He wants everything he learns to be as new and as exciting as it was when he first learned it.