Beatrice Blaine in the Side of Paradise, Essay Example

Beatrice Blaine in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Side of Paradise typifies a character in literature that reflects the concerns and socio-cultural contingencies of the epoch in which she lived. Although there are characters within this work that may not be legally American, they are nonetheless poignant embodiments of the American character. The mother of Amory Blaine, the protagonist, Beatrice, from the narrator’s perpective, is an entitled, glib woman who expects everything in life to be handed to her in the way she desires. Rather than acting as a productive member of American society, Beatrice instead utilizes her education to fulfill her superficial desires and prove to others in her life how great and impressive she is. Her comportment eschews traditional gender expectations of elite women in America, as she brags to her son about her heavy drinking, which has yet to adversely impact her health. As such, she discursively limns herself as stronger than any man she knows, as her sound health proves. Throughout the novel, Beatrice perceives of herself as misunderstood by others even though appearances, materialistic concerns, and status preoccupy her everyday life. What it meant to be American in Beatrice’s eyes was the ability to spend money and lead a carefree, leisurely life, which is why her ethics relaxed and the constant free flow of money dominates her life and concerns. Beatrice Blaine’s character embodies the dark side and underbelly of the American Dream, which the 1920s is famous for. Rather than using her money, education, and status to positively contribute to the world around her, Beatrice’s glib comportment underscores how the materialism of the 1920s infused corrupted notions into the vaunted American Dream.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. This Side of Paradise. United States: Dover Publications, 1996. Print.