As the book begins, we meet a series of odd characters. The novel focuses on the life of graduate students and professors. Following along with all college novels, all the characters seem to be misplaced in the world. I found this surprising because I thought that at the graduate level students and professors would have a better understanding of their environment and of who they are.
The backdrop of the novel is the skepticism of Communism and Socialism in the post-World War II era. Since the novel begins with one of the main characters killing himself (Edward Cavan), the story is boiling with an ominous stench that the reader cannot disregard.
Edward Cavan, after storming out of a Civil Liberties meeting, takes on the a mysterious role. Everyone is interested in his life and the cause of his odd behavior.
Overall, Harvard is depicted as a place where intellectual debate and inquiry is valued. Having moved past the undergrad years of “living out a wild youth,” the novel appears to be more academically focused. The professors play a more active role in the students’ experience.
Amory’s Princeton is defined by youthful angst and the search for self in an environment where social hierarchy, women, and friends dominate college life.
Harvard, as described in Faithful Are The Wounds, takes on the themes of self-discovery and confusion as This Side of Paradise. In addition, similarly, the theme of young romance is present. However, academics seem to be at the center of the college life. The attitude is much more scholarly. Many scenes take place in the classroom setting, or even outside including themes subjects such as American Literature (ex. Willa Cather) and socialism. This is something clearly missing in Amory’s Princeton.
From reading this novel, you learn that no matter what stage a person is at in their life, whether that be a undergrad, a graduate student, or even a professor, he is constantly on a struggle for self-discovery.
-Christian Aponte
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