relationships as objects and mockery of formal education

In what I've read I keep noticing a pattern of thinking about relationships and shows of affection (namely kisses) as achievements in the competition for social status. This first appears when Amory makes getting a kiss from Myra a conquest. He tries to be manipulative, he doesn't even really like her, but he bets he can kiss her. Once the conquest is complete he is repulsed by the idea of kissing her again; there is no real need for him to. Again in his Minneapolis days, he collects trinkets from girls, and the rings he borrows are chewed out of shape, meaning they can't be lent out again. This can be taken as a metaphor for the way that Amory ruins girls. The girls that Isabelle is going to the party where she meets Amory with have all had casual, meaningless relationships with Amory, they are all conquests of his. Isabelle is yet another conquest, although a more interesting and absorbing one. The spot that ended their relationship is yet another symbol of how Amory ruins girls. When Amory meets Rosalind they kiss several time as signs of mutual approval. Gillespie articulates this theme pretty well when he says “I thought that after a girl was kissed she was-- was – won.” Rosalind responds that she has to be won over repeatedly, which is ironic since she was just completely taken with Amory. This symbolism objectifies relationships between the characters and makes their relationships seem entirely superficial. This in turn intensifies the picture of an entirely superficial class system that Fitzgerald paints for us. The romantic relationships that Amory develops are a reflection of the class system that he participates in. The fact that the relationships are entirely superficial helps us to see that the class system is shallow and meaningless.

Another aspect that I found interesting about the book is that it seemed to poke fun at the formal education system while apparently showcasing the culture of college. One of the earliest criticisms of the formal education system is Fitzgerald's comment “yet as no tutor ever found the place he left off, his mind was still in very good shape.” Amory is also placed in situations where he feels like he has to dumb himself down in order to be popular, another failing of the education system. Amory's grades and school work always come secondary to his pursuit of success socially. When choosing a college to attend Amory made decisions based on the social rapport of the universities, as opposed to any educational benefits. The purpose in attending seems to be a prevailing need to be seen. Even once enrolled at Princeton Amory, though hesitant, doesn't miss any opportunity to cut classes. College does not appear to be a place for knowledge, but rather a forum for social posturing and making social connections. These jabs at the education system might have been appreciated by Fitzgerald's audience, many of whom may have never made it to college, and might enjoy finding the flaws in those who had been perceived as farther along in life.