If human beings are inherently selfish, how are they not always successful? As Moretti touches upon societal constraints on individuality and the new and destabilizing force of capitalism, F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts the harmful effects of Amory Blaine’s desire to fit in. With this comes a concession: People are inherently selfish, regretting nothing until they are unsuccessful. Amory Blaine, like all bildungsroman characters, demonstrates weakness in the face of societal pressure. Moretti proposes that two different methods of representing plot in a bildungsroman to “generate meaning” from a bildungsroman and encapsulate a character’s struggle: the classification and transformation principles (7). He defines the classification principle through
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Moretti presents this double bind, supporting his belief that a bildungsroman presents two undesirable situations that a character must choose between: self-betrayal or failure. Likewise, Amory realizes the difficulty of remaining unique and grows “decidedly unheroic,” using inaction as a “tool for survival” (Moretti 10) His eye for social realities grows keener as he admittedly watches a crowd, “drawing unconsciously about them a barrier of the slightly less important,” epitomizing his inability to accept his, along with others’ social inferiorities (47). Admittedly, Amory reaches an ingenuine but high social position on campus, embodying his pursuit of popularity. Amory capitulates to conformity and eventually solidifies his decision to become “one of the gods of his class” (46). His romanticized use of ‘god,’ suggests his misconstrued desires as he shifts from reverence of himself to reverence of other conformists. Eventually, Amory fully concedes to his pursuit of popularity as he admits that Princeton aroused the “Machiavelli latent in him” (47). The use of “latent” corroborates the idea that perhaps all bildungsroman characters are bound to conform, supporting Moretti’s argument that the bildungsroman has a “hybrid and compromising nature” …show more content…
Here, Fitzgerald offers Dorian’s admiration of his own self obsession and fraudulent character. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde bluntly portrays the destructive and unfulfilling nature of a character’s wish for endless beauty through Basil’s painting. As Dorian engages in a libertine life of amoral experiences, the painting reveals his inner grotesqueness. Fitzgerald includes comparison of Amory to Dorian through other characters. Outrageously, Amory cheerfully accepts that his friends refer to him as Dorian, revealing either his acceptance of his amoral superficiality or blindness to Oscar Wilde’s criticism of people like him. Likewise, Amory concedes his admiration of Dorian, expressing his desire to “look at Princeton through the satiated eyes of Oscar Wilde,” and allowing Kerry to pretend to engage Amory in Dorian’s “wicked fantasies” (54). Fitzgerald draws this comparison to imply a hedonistic worldview in which a character strays so far from his original self that by the time he realizes it, far too much damage has been done and he cannot save himself. Furthermore, Amory idolizes and possesses traits of the flawed Machiavelli, Dorian Gray, and Dick Humbird, turning him into a “decidedly unheroic” character (Moretti 11). Thus, the relation of Amory Blaine to Dorian Gray supports to Moretti’s argument that survival is contingent upon selfishness and
Moretti presents this double bind, supporting his belief that a bildungsroman presents two undesirable situations that a character must choose between: self-betrayal or failure. Likewise, Amory realizes the difficulty of remaining unique and grows “decidedly unheroic,” using inaction as a “tool for survival” (Moretti 10) His eye for social realities grows keener as he admittedly watches a crowd, “drawing unconsciously about them a barrier of the slightly less important,” epitomizing his inability to accept his, along with others’ social inferiorities (47). Admittedly, Amory reaches an ingenuine but high social position on campus, embodying his pursuit of popularity. Amory capitulates to conformity and eventually solidifies his decision to become “one of the gods of his class” (46). His romanticized use of ‘god,’ suggests his misconstrued desires as he shifts from reverence of himself to reverence of other conformists. Eventually, Amory fully concedes to his pursuit of popularity as he admits that Princeton aroused the “Machiavelli latent in him” (47). The use of “latent” corroborates the idea that perhaps all bildungsroman characters are bound to conform, supporting Moretti’s argument that the bildungsroman has a “hybrid and compromising nature” …show more content…
Here, Fitzgerald offers Dorian’s admiration of his own self obsession and fraudulent character. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde bluntly portrays the destructive and unfulfilling nature of a character’s wish for endless beauty through Basil’s painting. As Dorian engages in a libertine life of amoral experiences, the painting reveals his inner grotesqueness. Fitzgerald includes comparison of Amory to Dorian through other characters. Outrageously, Amory cheerfully accepts that his friends refer to him as Dorian, revealing either his acceptance of his amoral superficiality or blindness to Oscar Wilde’s criticism of people like him. Likewise, Amory concedes his admiration of Dorian, expressing his desire to “look at Princeton through the satiated eyes of Oscar Wilde,” and allowing Kerry to pretend to engage Amory in Dorian’s “wicked fantasies” (54). Fitzgerald draws this comparison to imply a hedonistic worldview in which a character strays so far from his original self that by the time he realizes it, far too much damage has been done and he cannot save himself. Furthermore, Amory idolizes and possesses traits of the flawed Machiavelli, Dorian Gray, and Dick Humbird, turning him into a “decidedly unheroic” character (Moretti 11). Thus, the relation of Amory Blaine to Dorian Gray supports to Moretti’s argument that survival is contingent upon selfishness and