An Introduction to The Great Gatsby: The Life and Times of

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Born into an upper-class family in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1896.

• Was encouraged to become a writer at the age of 15, and seriously began to hone his craft while attending Princeton University as a student.

• However, Fitzgerald was not considered a good student, and after being placed on academic probation, he dropped out of Princeton in favour of joining the army in 1917.

F. Scott Fitzgerald• The war ended however in 1918, before he was ever

deployed. At the time, he was stationed in Alabama.• While in Alabama, he fell in love with a court justice’s

daughter, Zelda Sayre. • After the war ended, he moved to New York City, trying

desperately to get Zelda to marry him. When she was convinced that he could not support her, the engagement was called off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeyjCSFesoY

Fitzgerald's Relationship with Zelda• Fitzgerald did end up marrying Zelda in 1920, after the

success of his semi-autobiographical novel, This Side of Paradise.

• They became famous in New York City, in part because of his literary achievements, but also because of their crazy, excessive lifestyle.

• However, their marriage did have its fair share of problems.

• In their 20s, his alcoholism increased, and she exhibited signs of erratic behavior, leading her to end up in a psychiatric facility for schizophrenia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYoSi-LwvWI

Fitzgerald’s Relationship with Zelda• While Zelda was in the hospital, Scott began seeing another

woman.• At one point, he spoke about how he was cheated out of his

dream by Zelda.• After a disastrous vacation in 1938, the two split up, never

to see each other again.

Paris, Hemingway, and Expatriates • During the 20’s, Scott and Zelda made

several trips to Europe, mostly Paris.• He made many friends with the American

expatriate community – a group of writers, artists, and intellectuals, who chose to leave the U.S. because they found it too artistically, intellectually, politically, racially, or sexually limiting or even oppressive.

• Some of his friends included writers Ford Maddox Ford & Edith Wharton, author/ playwright Gertrude Stein, and his closest friend, author Ernest Hemingway.

Friendship with Hemingway• Fitzgerald was the more recognized and successful of the two, and

took Hemingway under his wing, acting as a mentor, manager, and editor.

• However, with Hemingway’s success, came a reversal in the role between the two of them – Hemingway now acting as the mentor to Fitzgerald

• Eventually the two lost touch, after Fitzgerald got tired of complimenting his friend, and Hemingway criticized Fitzgerald one too many times for Zelda’s lavish lifestyle and Scott’s obsession with creating a commercial hit rather than a good novel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw9spMYA-XU

Fitzgerald's Alcoholism• Having been a heavy drinker since college, Fitzgerald’s

drinking caused him a variety of health problems in the 1930s, including bouts of tuberculosis.

• In the 1930s, he suffered from 2 heart attacks, one of which was the cause of his death.

• He was 44 when he died, leaving one novel unfinished.

Fitzgerald's Writing Style• Fitzgerald’s writing was considered to be quite modern for

its time. • He often used a lot symbolic imagery within his stories and

the characters he created, which helped convey the inner emotions of the characters.

• His characters are also considered much more realistic; rather than have a specific hero, his characters are flawed and not necessarily reliable or relatable.

• At times though, his writing could be considered pompous and overly-dramatic, however, readers must keep in mind that the style at the time was brand new and that Fitzgerald helped to define it.

Fitzgerald’s Literary WorksF. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels include:The Great GatsbyThis Side of ParadiseThe Beautiful and DamnedTender is the NightThe Love of the Last Tycoon (published posthumously)

He also wrote numerous short stories, newspaper articles, etc.

Introducing The Great Gatsby• Written in 1925, it is considered to be Fitzgerald’s magnum opus (his

masterpiece).• When it was first released, it received mixed reviews and did not sell very

well – in fact, it only sold 20,000 copies.• Fitzgerald died believing that his book was a failure.• However, during World War II, The Great Gatsby proved to be a success with

soldiers overseas, which helped to increase its popularity at home. • It began reselling at a high rate during the 1960s.• Since then, there have been 6 film adaptations, 1 opera, 4 spin-off books,

different radio shows, various theatre performances, etc. • It is now considered to be one of the greatest American novels of the 21st

century.• ENJOY THE NOVEL!