Praxis Literary Texts and Authors Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Resource to Master Your Exam!

F. Scott Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise" is primarily centered on the theme of the disillusionment of youth during the Jazz Age. The novel captures the experiences of its protagonist, Amory Blaine, as he navigates through his formative years amidst the backdrop of societal change and cultural upheaval in the 1920s. It reflects the aspirations, conflicts, and the eventual sense of disillusionment that many young people faced during this era of prosperity, hedonism, and shifting values.

Fitzgerald uses Amory's journey through college and his encounters with love, friendship, and self-identity to illustrate how this disillusionment manifests in personal relationships and societal expectations. The stark contrasts between the idealism of youth and the harsh realities of adulthood highlight the theme effectively. This exploration resonates with the broader cultural context of the Jazz Age, characterized by material excess but also an underlying sense of emptiness, making this theme particularly impactful.