The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

             Scott Fitzgerald, the lack of parental influence has many negative effects on the younger generation. Fitzgerald depicts these effects through two of the main characters in the novel, Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert. Both of these characters suffer from alack of maternal care as children, combined with negative societal forces, which results in a of lack respect for their elders, low ethical standards. This ultimately leads to their emotional and financial decline. In his novel, The Beautiful and Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the reader that a lack of parental guidance combined with the pressure of societal norms and excessive wealth, have a detrimental effect on the on the youth of the early 1900's. .
             The protagonist of this novel, Anthony Patch's lack of navigation from his mother and father, directly affects the way in which he learns to treat those around him. Anthony lacks the traditional moral lessons and ethical behaviors are traditionally taught to children at a young age by their parents. Anthony, as said by Podis," . . . lives with his parents as a very small boy, but his mother . . . dies when he is not more than six or seven. His memories of her are faint." (2). After the death of his wife, Anthony's father was in a very delicate yet destructive state. Podis reminds the reader "Anthony's father is often drunk and generally negligent . . ." (3). Patch Senior drinks very heavily and breaks many promises to his son. One of those includes taking young Anthony on 'trips'. "On one trip they do take, Anthony's father dies amid, 'much sweating and grunting and crying aloud for air,' leaving the child and orphan at eleven." (Podis 3). Following the death of both of his parents, there is a subtle change in Anthony where by his isolation increases and, "at sixteen he had lived almost entirely within himself." (Fitzgerald 5). The death of his parents seems to have caused the end of his emotional maturity and moral growth, causing him to act immaturely and almost childlike for most of his life.