F.-Scott-Fitzgerald

F.ScottFitzgeraldByLynn•FitzgeraldwasoneofthebestknownAmericanauthorsofthe1920sand'30sandiscloselyassociatedwiththeoptimismandexcessesofthatera'sJazzAge.Fitzgerald'sstoriesoftenfeaturedpeoplelikehimself:middle-Americantypesinfatuatedwiththewealthandstatusofupper-crustsociety.Inthemid-1920shelivedinPariswherehewasfriendswithErnestHemingwayandotherliteraryexpatriates.Fitzgeraldwasapopularcelebrityofthedayandheandhiswife,Zelda,becamefamousfortheirextravagantlifestyle,drinkingboutsand(eventually)erraticbehavior.HismajorpublishednovelsincludeThisSideofParadise(1920),TheGreatGatsby(1925),andTenderIstheNight(1934).•F.ScottFitzgerald'slifeisatragicexampleofbothsidesoftheAmericanDream----thejoysofyounglove,wealthandsuccess,andthetragediesassociatedwithexcessandfailure.•NamedforanotherfamousAmerican,adistantcousinwhoauthoredTheStarSpangledBanner,FitzgeraldwasborninSt.PaulMinnesotaonSeptember24,1896.Thesonofafailedwickerfurnituresalesman(EdwardFitzgerald)andanIrishimmigrantwithalargeinheritance(MaryMollieMcQuillan),FitzgeraldgrewupinasolidlyCatholicanduppermiddleclassenvironment.•Fitzgeraldstartedwritingatanearlyage.Hishighschoolnewspaperpublishedhisdetectivestories,encouraginghimtopursuewritingmoreenthusiasticallythanacademics.HedroppedoutofPrincetonUniversitytojointhearmyandcontinuedtopursuehisobsession,writingmagazinearticlesandevenmusicallyrics.•At21yearsofage,hesubmittedhisfirstnovelforpublicationandCharlesScribner'sSonsrejectedit,butwithwordsofencouragement.Beginningapatternofconstantrevisingthatwouldcharacterizehiswritingstylefortherestofhiscareer,FitzgeralddecidedtorewriteTheRomanticEgoistandresubmititforpublication.•Meanwhile,fate,intheformoftheU.S.army,stationedhimnearMontgomery,Alabamain1918,wherehemetandfellinlovewithan18-year-oldSouthernbelle----ZeldaSayre.Scribnersrejectedhisnovelforasecondtime,andsoFitzgeraldturnedtoadvertisingasasteadysourceofincome.Unfortunately,hispaltrysalarywasnotenoughtoconvinceZeldatomarryhim,andtiredofwaitingforhimtomakehisfortune,shebroketheirengagementin1919.ScribnersfinallyacceptedthenovelafterFitzgeraldrewroteitforthethirdtimeasThisSideofParadise,andpublisheditayearlater.Fitzgerald,suddenlyarichandfamousauthor,marriedZeldaaweekafteritspublication.Zelda•Inbetweenwritingnovels,Fitzgeraldwasquiteprolificasamagazinestorywriter.TheSaturdayEveningPostinparticularservedasashowcaseforhisshortworksoffiction,mostofwhichrevolvedaroundanewbreedofAmericanwoman----theyoung,free-thinking,independentflapperoftheRoaringTwenties.•TheFitzgeraldsenjoyedfameandfortune,andhisnovelsreflectedtheirlifestyle,describinginsemi-autobiographicalfictiontheprivilegedlivesofwealthy,aspiringsocialites.Fitzgeraldwrotehissecondnovel----TheBeautifulandtheDamned,ayearaftertheyweremarried.Threeyearslater,afterthebirthoftheirfirstandonlychild,Scottie,Fitzgeraldcompletedhisbest-knownwork:TheGreatGatsby.•Theextravagantlivingmadepossiblebysuchsuccess,however,tookitstoll.Constantlyglobe-trotting(livingatvarioustimesinseveraldifferentcitiesinItaly,France,Switzerland,andeightoftheUnitedStates),theFitzgeraldstriedinvaintoescapeoratleastseekrespitefromScott'salcoholismandZelda'smentalillness.•Zeldasufferedseveralbreakdownsinbothherphysicalandmentalhealth,andsoughttreatmentinandoutofclinicsfrom1930untilherdeath(duetoafireatHighlandHospitalinNorthCarolinain1948).Zelda'smentalillness,thesubjectofFitzgerald'sfourthnovel,TenderistheNight,hadadebilitatingeffectonScott'swriting.Hedescribedhisowncrack-upinanessaythathewrotein1936,hopelesslyindebt,unabletowrite,nearlyestrangedfromhiswifeanddaughter,andincapacitatedbyexcessivedrinkingandpoorphysicalhealth.•ThingswerelookingupforFitzgeraldneartheendofhislife-hewonacontractin1937towriteforMetro-Goldwyn-MayerinHollywoodandfellinlovewithSheilahGraham,amoviecolumnist.Hehadstartedwritingagain----scripts,short-stories,andthefirstdraftofanewnovelaboutHollywood----whenhesufferedaheartattackanddiedin1940attheageof44,afailureinhisownmind.Mostcommonlyrecognizedonlyasanextravagantdrunk,whoepitomizedtheexcessesoftheJazzAge,Fitzgerald'sworkdidnotearnthecredibilityandrecognitionitholdstodayuntilyearsafterhisdeath.•ScottandZeldaFitzgeraldweremarriedinNewYorkinthespringof1920,andspentmuchofthenextfewyearsinandaroundNewYork,livingvariouslyinthecity,Westport,Connecticut,andGreatNeck,LongIsland,withsojournsinEuropeforafirstlookatthatcontinentandinSaintPaulforthebirthoftheirdaughter,Scottie.Theywerenevertoalightanywherelongenoughforittoseemlikehome,forFitzgeraldseemstohaveinheritedanabidingrestlessnessfromhisparents.•ButduringtheNewYorkyearsthetwoFitzgeraldsmadethemselvesfamous(somemightsaynotorious)fortheirunconventionalstyleoflifeandincessantpartying.FitzgeraldearnedareputationasasymboloftheJazzAgethathewasnevertoridhimselfofduringhislifetime.Buthealsocontinuedhisfranticstoryproductionandwidenedhiscircleofliteraryacquaintancestoinclude,forexample,RingLardner,GeorgeJeanNathan,andH.L.Mencken.TheinfluenceofMencken,especially,emergedinhissecondnovel,TheBeautifulandDamned(1922).•Thesesamethemesemergedinsev