... bed before he could muster enough vitality to stumble into the pantry for a drink." ( p. 388 ) Gloria and Anthony Patch are seen as glamorous, and "free." They live selfish lives, living only for the moment. They thrive on pleasure but, by the age of thirty, they are used up, spent, and gray ... Wealth - or the promise of wealth - turns Anthony into a failure. He believes nothing is worth doing and refuses to work. He dabbles with writing a medieval essay, and rejects his grandfathers' offer to make him a war correspondent. Anthony falls apart in wild and repulsive parties during which "...

• Word Count: 2828
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School