“I know myself, but that is all--”(Fitzgerald 213). F. Scott Fitzgerald produced story of a young boy growing into a man all while figuring himself out along the way. Fitzgerald based the novel during the most historic time period of change in the early 1900s to better capture the change the main character faced with himself. The struggle of finding oneself was perfectly captured through the plot, setting, characters and imagery while using underlying themes all throughout the text. The novel was a huge success because of the time period it was released in, at the time everyone could relate and it has been one of Fitzgerald’s most praised works.
The protagonist is a young boy named Amory Blaine. At a young age he travels with his mother,
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With almost every chapter title there is a strong sense of foreshadowing used. “Book 1, Chapter 4: Narcissus off Duty” Is the chapter when Amory puts up a front. He adapts the ideas of a friend without truly absorbing them into his true being. He is only changing on the outside, hence the term “off duty”. “Interlude” is when Amory was in the war. An interlude is something of little importance yet this word is used to describe one of the most memorable wars in U.S. history. It shows how insignificant it was to Amory’s life. It had nothing to do with him finding himself or improving himself so what did one of the most important wars matter to him. “The Egotist Becomes a Personage”, Earlier in the novel, Darcy explained the importance of personage and personality. “Amory's discussion with Darcy serves to further indicate his true character. His conception of himself as a "personage" rather than a "personality" presents the fundamental Amory as one who is able to collect successes and then lose them without it affecting his self-image”(Trudell). In a way, Fitzgerald was foreshadowing this later event to take place and then through the chapter title announcing that at last the Egotist is becoming something more than