I was really worried that Amory wouldn't change at all at the end of this novel, but with this ending I'm happy that he reached a state of enlightenment. He doesn’t regret anything; he doesn’t wish he were less selfish; he does not neglect, but he embraces who he was - flaws and all - as well as everything that has happened to him. He has gotten a better grasp of himself, selfishness and all, and he looks back at the events in his life upset that they’re over, not upset that they happened. I would’ve been disappointed if he didn’t reach such a pivotal point at the end.
The novel ends when Amory walks back to Princeton, and I think that’s because Princeton was where the most significant part of his character was built.
Another thing that humbled Amory was the fact that he lost all his money at the end. I think it was predictable - even a bit humorous - when Amory started preaching about socialism. Of course, since he's poor, he's all for socialism.
If Amory ended up marrying Rosalind or Eleanor or Clara, he would've never had to go through the pain that stripped him down to his real self. He would've never had the tough yet necessary time of self-reflection, which he had when Rosalind let him go. This part was essential to the building of “the fundamental Amory.” I think getting dumped also humbled him a bit.
In the novel, college life at Princeton showed the problem and pressures of conformity and social acceptance, as well as the need to stand out. This is still present in college life today, and it's an aspect of social life that Amory has struggled with throughout his career.
In the end, though, Amory claims that he knows himself. I don't know if that's possible - to fully understand yourself, but Amory does have a better grasp of his true character.
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