Who is the love of Amory's life?

Who is the love of Amory's life?

Maybe her father, certainly herself--because of her father. She yearned to be cherished but didn't really trust enough to give of herself to anyone. Some might think it was John Obercamp--maybe even Amory thought so--after all, he was younger, he went off to someone else, he died--all very romantic and fuel for fantasy--but had he lived they would have drifted apart just as the others had.

Cleve Finzi was Amory's true love. She was attracted to him physically, emotionally and financially. Cleve was the man who was there when Amory needed rescuing from circumstances and herself. Amory tolerated being strung along in their relationship long after she knew he wouldn't leave his wife for her.

I think all of the men in her life, from her father and everyone else going forward, let her down, did not live up to her first impressions of them. I think the one she would think back upon most fondly would be Charbonneau - even though their's was not an intense passion, he did not deceive her, nor did he ask much of her. They seemed to really understand each other.

I believe Amory loved her husband and tried to make a life with him, perhaps another one of her mistakes. I do think her true love was Cleve.

I believe that Sholto was the love of Amory's life. They were the happiest together, had the twins, and had it not been for his drinking and emotional problems of war, they would have lived a long, satisfying life together. Charbonneau was a toy. However, I also think that photography and the excitement and adventure, the satisfaction and fulfillment of it were her true loves. She needed the adrenalin and being in the thick of the action.

Cleve was definitely the love of her life. She always seemed to harken back to him. He was the one who seemed to always haunt the story from the time she met him. Charbonneau could have been the one because of their friendship, which trumps all, but he never could have lived up to the ideal of Cleve - rich, somewhat powerful, suave, etc. I think that that was what Amory searched for in all of her relationships from childhood on.