F. Scott Fitzgerald Study Notes

BIOGRAPHY

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)

• F. Scott Fitzgerald is acknowledged as both a reporter and a symbol of his times, becoming a major figure in modern American literature. However, his literary reputation was predominantly recognized only during a brief period of his life.

Early Life: Poor Little Society Boy

• Birth and Family Background

  • Fitzgerald was born Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald in St. Paul, Minnesota.

  • He spent a substantial part of his early childhood in upstate New York.

  • Father's Background: His father was descended from an aristocratic family in Maryland.

  • Mother's Background: His mother, the daughter of a prosperous Irish immigrant merchant, eventually became the family provider due to her husband's business failures.

  • Fitzgerald believed that this upbringing instilled in him a lifelong feeling of not belonging to the affluent society he aspired to join.

• Education and Early Writing

  • In 1908, the Fitzgerald family returned to Minnesota, where he published his first stories in the St. Paul Academy school magazine.

  • In 1911, he transferred to the Newman School in New Jersey.

  • During summer breaks, Fitzgerald wrote plays for an amateur theater group consisting of his friends.

  • He entered Princeton University in 1913, where he continued writing for various school publications and engaged in student theatrical productions.

  • Despite his literary activities, he was distracted by extracurricular pursuits, leading to his departure without completing his degree in 1917.

Cultural Significance: Symbol of the Roaring Twenties

• Fitzgerald's works reflected the extravagance and social dynamics of the Roaring Twenties, a significant period in American history characterized by economic prosperity and cultural upheaval.

Personal Struggles and Later Years

• Struggles with Personal Life and Zelda

  • Fitzgerald's financial stability was challenged as he managed the expenses associated with Zelda’s mental health struggles. Zelda showed signs of mental illness, leading to a series of breakdowns and hospitalizations starting in 1932. This ultimately required her to live in and out of institutions.

  • Fitzgerald received disappointing feedback for his novel "Tender is the Night" (1934), which is now regarded as one of his finest works but was initially seen as disconnected with the sentiment of Depression-era readers.

  • By this time, the Jazz Age, a cultural backdrop Fitzgerald was closely associated with, had ended; however, his identity remained closely linked to that era.

• Military Service and Marriage

  • Eager to serve in World War I, Fitzgerald enlisted in the army as a second lieutenant.

  • During his stationing near Montgomery, Alabama, he met southern debutante Zelda Sayre.

  • The war concluded before Fitzgerald was able to be deployed overseas; he subsequently moved to New York to work as an advertising copywriter, aiming to save enough money to marry Zelda.

  • His earlier novel from college was rejected, prompting him to revise it back in St. Paul, leading to the publication of "This Side of Paradise" (1920), which garnered immediate success.

  • Shortly after, he married Zelda in New York, and released his first short story collection, "Flappers and Philosophers" (1920).

  • The couple became prominent figures, epitomizing the Jazz Age lifestyle of partying and indulgence.

• Career Highlights

  • In 1921, following the birth of their daughter Scottie, Fitzgerald saw a slower reception for his subsequent works compared to his first.

  • A political satire play he wrote did not perform well in previews before reaching Broadway.

  • To mitigate expenses, the Fitzgeralds relocated to France in 1924. For the ensuing years, they traveled frequently between America and Europe and socialized with fellow American expatriates, mingling with notable figures such as Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso.

  • The publication of "The Great Gatsby" (1925) received favorable reviews but faced poor sales performance.

  • Leading a lavish lifestyle, Fitzgerald commonly spent beyond his financial means.

• Screenwriting and Final Years

  • By 1937, Fitzgerald transitioned into a Hollywood screenwriter, continuing to write stories and essays for magazines.

  • He entered an affair with columnist Sheilah Graham while concurrently making regular visits to Zelda in North Carolina.

  • Although he made attempts to control his drinking habits, these efforts were only temporarily effective, leading to deteriorating health.

  • Fitzgerald passed away from a heart attack in 1940 in Graham's apartment. A half-finished novel about Hollywood, titled "The Last Tycoon," was published posthumously in 1941.

AT A GLANCE

• 1919: Published first short story in a national magazine.

• 1920: Published first novel and married Zelda Sayre.

• 1922: Lived on Long Island, which served as the setting for "The Great Gatsby."

• 1925: Published "The Great Gatsby."

• 1936: Wrote the autobiographical essay "The Crack-Up."

• 1938: Received credit as a screenwriter for "Three Comrades."

• 1939: Worked briefly on the screenplay adaptation for "Gone with the Wind."