F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby

What you really need to know to do well on Jeopardy! and in Trivial Pursuit.

•From St. Paul–So?

•Look for evidence in GG that concerns Midwest values and the where the Nick comes from

What you really need to know to do well on Jeopardy! and in Trivial Pursuit.•Was affluent growing up•Went to Princeton (party boy)•Was an overnight success with This Side of Paradise

•After it was published, he promptly married . . .

ZELDA

• He was in the Army when he met her

•She was a “much sought after belle.”

•He was broke; she broke off the engagement UNTIL he got his book published

• They had one daughter, Frances Fitzgerald (Scottie)

•Zelda was tough on him in many ways

–Drinkers–Pressure for money–Affairs •Watch for parallels

in GG

Literary Impact• He was considered an “Ex-patriot”

• Lived in Paris and other European cities for many years

• Was friends with Hemingway– Very interesting stories

• Read A Moveable Feast if you’re interested

Jazz Age• Coined the term “Jazz Age”

– “It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, and it was an age of satire.”

» from Echoes of the Jazz Age.

Zelda’s Health•Eccentric•Ballet Dancer in her 30’s•Very strained marriage•She was admitted into multiple asylums•Perished in a fire at Highland Hospital in 1948

Death•After many failures, he moved to Hollywood to be a screenwriter

–Mild success

•He died of a heart attack on December 21, 1940 believing himself a failure.

•The obituaries were condescending, and “he seemed destined for literary obscurity.”

•Between 1945 and 1950, GG was reexamined and by 1960 “he had achieved a secure place among America’s enduring writers. The Great Gatsby, a work that seriously examines the theme of aspiration in an American setting, defines the classic American novel.”

Epitaph

What to Watch for in GG• Disillusionment• Time (and lack thereof)• Old Money and New Money• East and West• Colors (white, yellow, and GREEN)