This Side of Paradise · Character

Rosalind Connage

A radiant, self-aware debutante who treats flirtation as a fine art and marriage as a market, and who finds in Amory the one man she cannot quite manage.

major

Also known as Rosalind, Rosalind Cecelia, Cecelia, Rosalind Coldly, Rosalind Mother, Mrs. Connage Rosalind, Rosalind Sarcastically, Rosalind Outside, Rosalind Dawson, Rosalind Amory, Alec Rosalind

First appearance: The Débutante

As a major figure in This Side of Paradise, Rosalind Connage is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Amory's great love, a beautiful and modern young woman whose rejection deepens his disillusionment.

In the storyThis Side of ParadiseOpen this moment free

See Rosalind Connage in This Side of Paradise Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

With Amory Blaine (romantic): Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind, who breaks his heart by choosing wealth and security over passion. With Dawson Ryder (romantic): A pragmatic, socially approved match where Dawson's wealth and stability appeal to Rosalind's desire for security over Amory's romantic intensity. With Howard Gillespie (social): A wealthy suitor in Rosalind's social orbit, representing the materialistic alternatives to Amory that ultimately appeal to her practical nature.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Rosalind Connage sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Rosalind Connage in The Débutante

Character Web

21 connections

A slice of how Rosalind Connage sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Other

Character groups

Post-War Relationships
Protagonist
Princeton Social Circle

+16 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Climax.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional peak of Rosalind’s spoiled, self-absorbed…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Amory Blaine
romantic · negative
Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind,… How this plays out →
Dawson Ryder
romantic · ambivalent
Howard Gillespie
social · ambivalent
Amory Blaine
romantic · negative
Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind,… How this plays out →
Amory Blaine
romantic · negative
Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind,… How this plays out →

Amory Blaine
Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind, who breaks his heart by choosing wealth and security over passion.
Dawson Ryder
A pragmatic, socially approved match where Dawson's wealth and stability appeal to Rosalind's desire for security over Amory's romantic intensity.
Howard Gillespie
A wealthy suitor in Rosalind's social orbit, representing the materialistic alternatives to Amory that ultimately appeal to her practical nature.
Amory Blaine
Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind, who breaks his heart by choosing wealth and security over passion.
Amory Blaine
Amory's intense, ultimately doomed love affair with the beautiful and shallow Rosalind, who breaks his heart by choosing wealth and security over passion.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Rosalind Connage in The Débutante

In the story

Rosalind Connage appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

This Side of Paradise
Amory's great love, a beautiful and modern young woman whose rejection deepens his disillusionment.
Book II: The Education of a Personage
Reignites romance with Amory but ultimately leaves him for a wealthier suitor, citing financial security.
The Débutante
Torn between her love for Amory and the practical advantages of marrying the stable Dawson Ryder; ultimately chooses the latter.
II: Experiments in Convalescence
Referenced as the source of Amory's heartbreak; he reflects on his deep affection for her and the pain of their separation.
IV: The Supercilious Sacrifice
Amory's lost love; he mourns her as 'young Rosalind is dead' and feels only bitterness remains.
The Egotist Becomes a Personage
Listed among the women Amory once idealized but now sees as removed by their beauty from contributing anything meaningful.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Rosalind Connage unlock in the free preview.

See Rosalind Connage in The Débutante

See Rosalind Connage in This Side of Paradise