Amory Analysis

After Rosalind breaks up with Amory, he moves in with relatives in Maryland. There he runs into the female mirror of himself, Eleanor. She just like him is smart, beautiful, and unhappy with how society is treating her. In a discussion with Amory she says “you can lope about and get bored and then lope somewhere else, and you can play around with girls without being involved in meshes of sentiment, and you can do anything and be justified.”(220). Men can go after woman, flirt and have relations, all the while it being socially acceptable. Now, if a woman were to do the same thing she would be labeled a tramp. There was no sexual equality at this time, woman were expected to be pure. Even today there is still the mentality that women should not
Clearly she does have the most favorable outlook on marriage, but that should be allowed. Tieing the knot is not for everybody, as vows are a major commitment and should not be said lightly. To add on “I’m too bright for most men and yet I have to descend to their level and let them patronize my intellect in order to get their attention. Every year that I don’t marry I’ve got less chance for a first class man. At the best I can have my choice from one or two cities and, of course, I have to marry into a dinner-coat.”(220) Her intellect for many would undermine the principle that the husband was suppose to be the dominant force in the relationship, thus scaring many suitors away. Eleanor also comes from privilege, meaning a “first class man” for her is someone also in with status. Thus further showing the classist values placed on marriage in 20th century America. Also for women since being youthful and beautiful was highly prized she only has a brief window to find a quality suitor. For men as long as they have money they will always be desirable and therefore have a vastly longer window to find a