Amory Blaine

Rosalind Connage

Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind, who breaks his heart by choosing wealth and security over passion.

Isabelle Borgé

A youthful, flirtatious romance marked by Amory's idealized infatuation and Isabelle's coquettish manipulation, ending in mutual disillusionment.

Clara Page

Amory's platonic but deeply admiring love for his older, widowed cousin Clara, who represents an unattainable ideal of purity and maternal warmth.

Eleanor Savage

A brief, intense intellectual and romantic connection with the wild, cynical Eleanor, ending in a bitter breakup after a night of reckless passion.

Myra St. Claire

An early adolescent crush on the flirtatious Myra, representing Amory's first awkward steps into romantic pursuit and social competition.

Burne Holiday

A deep, intellectual friendship at Princeton where Burne's radical idealism and moral seriousness profoundly influence Amory's evolving worldview.

Tom D'Invilliers

A close, literary-minded friendship with the effete, aesthetic Tom, who serves as Amory's foil and fellow seeker of artistic truth.

Kerry Holiday

A casual but warm college friendship with Burne's brother Kerry, a more conventional and easygoing companion in Amory's Princeton social circle.

Fred Sloane

A superficial but loyal friendship with the wealthy, carefree Fred, representing the hedonistic side of Princeton social life.

Dawson Ryder

A romantic rival for Rosalind's affections, with the wealthy, conventional Dawson ultimately winning her hand over the more passionate Amory.

Froggy Parker

A childhood friend and later Princeton classmate, representing Amory's enduring connection to his prep school past and simpler social bonds.

Carling

A fellow Princeton student and drinking companion, part of Amory's wider social network of wealthy, aimless young men.

This Side of Paradise

The protagonist, a handsome and egotistical young man whose journey from romantic idealism to disillusionment forms the core of the novel.

This Side of Paradise

Amory's mother, a sophisticated and eccentric woman who influences his early life and education.

Book I: The Romantic Egotist

Protagonist; the chapter follows his childhood, education, and early romantic and social experiences.

Book I: The Romantic Egotist

Amory's mother; her eccentric and sophisticated influence shapes his early worldview.

Amory, Son of Beatrice

Introduced as a child inheriting traits from his mother, with auburn hair, handsome eyes, and a facile imaginative mind; shows early independence by choosing to go away to school.

Amory, Son of Beatrice

Amory's mother, a fabulously wealthy, cultured, and eccentric woman who educates him in arts and traditions; she is dramatic, prone to nervous breakdowns, and deeply influential on Amory.

Spires and Gargoyles

Reflects on his cynical idealism, mourns Dick Humbird's death, and navigates Princeton's social landscape.

The Egotist Considers

Struggles with financial news from his mother, disillusionment with college, and a haunting psychological experience in New York.

The Egotist Considers

Writes a letter detailing the family's reduced finances and gives Amory practical advice about health and career.

Narcissus Off Duty

Observes the reform movement at Princeton, befriends Burne Holiday, and visits his cousin Clara Page.

Interlude: May, 1917–February, 1919

Second lieutenant in the 171st Infantry, writes a poem and a letter expressing disillusionment and plans for postwar life.

Interlude: May, 1917–February, 1919

Recently deceased; Amory mentions her religious bequests affecting his inheritance.

Book II: The Education of a Personage

Returns from war, experiences disillusionment, romantic heartbreak, and a transformative journey toward self-definition.

The Débutante

Deeply in love with Rosalind, but increasingly desperate and insecure as she considers marrying Dawson Ryder.

II: Experiments in Convalescence

Struggling with heartbreak and disillusionment after Rosalind; engages in literary debates with Tom and seeks comfort in intellectual and refined company.

II: Experiments in Convalescence

Mentioned in a comparison; Mrs. Lawrence reminds Amory of Beatrice in her grace and dignity.

III: Young Irony

Amory is the protagonist, engaging in a passionate but ephemeral romance with Eleanor. He is introspective, poetic, and aware of his own emotional limitations.

IV: The Supercilious Sacrifice

Protagonist; reflects on his disillusionment, sacrifices for Alec, and mourns lost love and youth.

The Egotist Becomes a Personage

Amory reflects on his past cruelties, his loss of heroes, and his fear of poverty; he engages in a philosophical dialogue and coins the phrase 'spiritually married man.'