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people at that time which considered material items as the indication of attaining their success.
4.2.1 Wealth as Indication of Social Status and Happiness in ‘This Side of
Paradise’
The era of early 1920’s can be identified as the changes of America into new modern country that shaped by many developments, especially in economic
activities. Thus, the example can be seen by many of new modernization at that time which brings the society into a lot of prosperities. However as the result,
these changes also affected the societies’ lifestyle into a new term with wealth as their indication of social status and happiness. This indication can be seen by the
portrayal of This Side of Paradise characters that describe the materialism power to American people in the beginning of 1920’s or after World War I.
First, the description can be seen from the character of Rosalind’s mother, Mrs. Connage that has an intention to marrying Rosalind with rich men for social
status purposes.
“MRS. CONNAGE: Rosalind, you’ve been a very expensive proposition.
ROSALIND: Resignedly Yes. MRS. CONNAGE: And you know your father
hasn’t what he once had. ROSALIND: Making a wry face Oh, please
don’t talk about money. MRS. CONNAGE: You can’t do anything
without it. This is our last year in this house—and
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unless things change Cecelia won’t have the advantages you’ve had.” Fitzgerald, 1996: 131
The quotation above clearly explains the character of Mrs. Connage that considers material things as her major concern in life. It is proved by her intention
of marrying Rosalind with rich men and use her as a ‘material commodity’, even though without Rosalind willingness. She actually hopes that Rosalind can save
their house and position in the society by this way. Her greediness of wealth can be seen through her conversations with Rosalind below, where she try to arrange
Rosalind date with rich men for her purposes.
“MRS. CONNAGE: So I ask you to please mind me in several things I’ve put down in my note-
book. The first one is: don’t disappear with young men. There may be a time when it’s valuable, but
at present I want you on the dance-floor where I can find you. There are certain men I want to
have you meet and I don’t like finding you in some corner of the conservatory exchanging
silliness with any one—or listening to it. ROSALIND: Sarcastically Yes, listening to it is
better. MRS. CONNAGE: Paying no attention There
are several bachelor friends of your father’s that I want you to meet to-night—youngish men.
ROSALIND: Nodding wisely About forty-five? MRS. CONNAGE: Sharply Why not?”
Fitzgerald, 1996: 131
Beside that, another example of Mrs. Connage greediness is also described by her attitude that underestimate Amory because he is not as rich as the other
men that want to marry her daughter.
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“MRS. CONNAGE: I haven’t met Mr. Blaine—but I don’t think you’ll care for him. He doesn’t sound like a
money-maker. ROSALIND: Mother, I never think about money.
MRS. CONNAGE: You never keep it long enough to think about it.” Fitzgerald, 1996: 132
As it can be seen, material thing such as money has a lot of power for American people in 1920’s. And Mrs. Connage is one of the examples which use
money to keep her family existence in the society. Indeed, this problem actually occurs when human feel that they never get enough of what they got, and
expected to get more. In the result they will never feel enough and try to find many ways to fulfill their material desire as what Mrs. Connage do.
“MRS. CONNAGE: Oh, I won’t interfere. You’ve already wasted over two months on a theoretical
genius who hasn’t a penny to his name, but go ahead, waste your life on him. I won’t interfere.
ROSALIND: As if repeating a tiresome lesson You know he has a little income—and you know he’s
earning thirty-five dollars a week in advertising— MRS. CONNAGE: And it wouldn’t buy your clothes.
She pauses but ROSALIND makes no reply. I have your best interests at heart when I tell you not to take
a step you’ll spend your days regretting. It’s not as if your father could help you. Things have been hard for
him lately and he’s an old man. You’d be dependent absolutely on a dreamer, a nice, well-born boy, but a
dreamer—merely clever. She implies that this quality in itself is rather vicious.” Fitzgerald, 1996: 141
This quotation clearly explains that Mrs. Connage is to afraid to face the realities that her husband is already retired and they will got poor investment as
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the result. That’s why Mrs. Connage insists to do anything that she can do to keep her existence in the society, include by marrying her daughter with rich men.
Thus, the influence of material comfort in fact can also drastically transform someone for having bad personality. It can be seen from the changes of Rosalind
personality because of the influences from her mother and the condition of American society at that time, which only respect for someone with social status
then make her decided to marry Dawson Ryder rather than his boyfriend Amory.
“ROSALIND: Oh, Don’t ask me. You know I’m old in some ways-in others-well, I’m just a little girl. I
like sunshine and pretty things and cheerfulness-and I dread responsibility. I don’t want to think about pots
and kitchens and brooms. I want to worry whether my legs will get slick and brown when I swim in the
summer.” Fitzgerald, 1996: 145
Rosalind decision to reject Amory because he cannot guarantee Rosalind future gives a clear perception that material things have a really big control to
human lives. The power of wealth promises by Dawson Ryder that change Rosalind ‘love’ into material happiness, indicates that wealth and social status has
an important role for American people happiness in early 1920’s. As the prove can be seen trough the quotations below.
“AMORY: Rosalind, you’re playing with the idea of marrying Dawson Ryder.
ROSALIND: After a pause He’s been asking me to all day.
AMORY: Well, he’s got his nerve ROSALIND: After another pause I like him.”
Fitzgerald, 1996:142
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“ROSALIND: Oh—it is Dawson Ryder. He’s so reliable, I almost feel that he’d be a—a background.
AMORY: You don’t love him. ROSALIND: I know, but I respect him, and he’s a
good man and a strong one. AMORY: Grudgingly Yes—he’s that.
ROSALIND: Well—here’s one little thing. There was a little poor boy we met in Rye Tuesday
afternoon—and, oh, Dawson took him on his lap and talked to him and promised him an Indian suit—and
next day he remembered and bought it—and, oh, it was so sweet and I couldn’t help thinking he’d be so
nice to—to” Fitzgerald, 1996:143
The quotation above exactly indicates Rosalind personalities that have already changed because of material comfort that Dawson can give to her. It can
be proved by Dawson kindness which Rosalind described during her conversation with Amory. In the same time, Amory also feels regret of his relationship failure
with Rosalind that only caused by social status and material things that he can’t gain. It is proved by F. Scott Fitzgerald though the quotation below that portrays
the human attitude against of moral values to get the material success. Such as, Rosalind that in the end decided to marry Dawson because of material comforts,
not because she loves him. Amory finally concluded that Rosalind already becomes one part of business subject, and she has been controlled by wealth as
her happiness values.
“He saw the two pictures together with somewhat the same primitive exaltation—two games he had
played, differing in quality of acerbity, linked in a way that differed them from Rosalind or the
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subject of labyrinths which were, after all, the business of life.”Fitzgerald, 1996: 211
It is obviously ironic when wealth as the indication of social status and happiness become something that all human want to get, no matter how the way
is. Thus, Mrs. Connage and Rosalind’s character that use material things to survive in the society gives us some reflection of how human thinks that material
can give a lot of satisfaction for them. Many people in the reality think those material things are the symbol of their success and happiness. However, since
human only think of how to get material for happiness in life, they totally forgot that they had already been controlled by it, which later only give negative impacts
for themselves.
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4.3 Findings
