The war entirely changes the course of Amory’s life and that of his entire generation. The war suddenly brings the generation’s youth to an abrupt end, forcing them to enter the violent, traumatic modern world. There is a sense already, even before they have left, that this will be a significant source of generational consciousness, as Amory already blames the war on the previous generation and their values. Amory’s male friendships will never be the same after he leaves Princeton, as they were significantly shaped by their all-male social environment. Amory and Tom recognize this implicitly, making their goodbye very sad.