The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald

Early Life and Aspirations

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on 09/24/1896, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Named after Francis Scott Key, who wrote The Star Spangled Banner.
His father, Edward Fitzgerald, instilled in him the importance of acting and dressing like a gentleman, but was not a successful businessman.
In 1908, Edward lost his job, deeply affecting Scott, who resolved to avoid failure.
His mother, Molly Fitzgerald, supported the family financially, enabling Scott to attend prestigious prep schools.

Scott felt like an outsider among his wealthy classmates.
He discovered his writing talent and used it to gain acceptance and attention.
He wrote poems, stories, and plays, becoming popular among his peers.
He staged plays, assuming starring roles, which gave him a sense of control and admiration.
In 1913, he was admitted to Princeton University, where he aspired to be a prominent figure.
Tried out for the football team but was too small (5'8'' and 138 pounds).
Contributed to university literary magazines and joined the Triangle Club, a prestigious theatrical group.
He wrote lyrics for musical comedies and starred in them, even cross-dressing for female roles.
Developed a drinking problem, documented in his diary.
Was placed on academic probation due to prioritizing plays over studies.

During his sophomore year, he met and fell for Genevra King, a wealthy debutante.
Genevra's father reportedly told Scott that "poor boys don't marry rich girls," leading to their breakup.
Ginevra represented the unattainable "golden girl" in his later novels.
By junior year, his failing grades led him to withdraw from Princeton.

In 1917, the United States entered World War I, and Fitzgerald joined boot camp.
He romanticized the idea of becoming a war hero.
In June 1918, he was stationed at Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama.
He attended a country club dance where he met Zelda Sayre.

On 11/11/1918, the armistice was declared, and Fitzgerald missed his chance to fight in the war.
He proposed to Zelda, and she accepted.
Scott moved to New York City to work at an advertising agency for 35 a week.
Zelda broke off the engagement due to financial concerns.
Scott returned to his parents' home in Saint Paul to write a novel.
He worked intensely, rewriting the novel in sixteen-hour bursts.

His novel, This Side of Paradise, was accepted for publication.
The novel was a romanticized account of his college days, capturing the spirit of his generation.
It was considered risque and became a sensation upon its release on 03/26/1920.
At 23, Scott became an instant celebrity.

Zelda changed her mind and agreed to marry Scott after his success.
They married on 04/03/1920, in New York City.
They became icons of the Jazz Age, known for their extravagance and wild parties.
Their exploits became legendary, symbolizing the era's self-indulgence.
Their daughter, Frances Scott Fitzgerald (Scotty), was born on 10/26/1921.
They moved frequently, with Scott writing short stories for magazines to fund their lifestyle.
In March 1922, he published his second novel, The Beautiful and Damned, which mirrored their deteriorating relationship.

By 1924, their lives were chaotic and alcoholic, prompting a move to Europe.
Scott began writing The Great Gatsby on the French Riviera.
They befriended Gerald and Sara Murphy, who introduced them to artists and writers.
Fitzgerald wrote multiple drafts of each chapter, refining his prose extensively.
Zelda had an affair with a French aviator named Edouard Josanne, deeply upsetting Scott.

The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, set in Long Island during the Roaring Twenties.
It tells the story of Jay Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, representing Fitzgerald's own yearnings.
The novel did not sell as well as his previous works, leading to disappointment.
Fitzgerald met Ernest Hemingway in Paris, forming a competitive friendship.
Hemingway envied Fitzgerald's writing style, while Fitzgerald envied Hemingway's commercial success.
Hemingway often tried to elevate himself at Fitzgerald's expense.

The stock market crash on 10/29/1929, marked the end of the Jazz Age, leading to a difficult period for the Fitzgeralds.
Zelda's mental health deteriorated, leading to her hospitalization and eventual diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Scott sought various treatments for her, understanding she might never fully recover.
He wrote Tender Is the Night, drawing on his experiences with Zelda's mental illness.
Tender Is the Night did not sell well, further straining Fitzgerald's finances and mental state.

Fitzgerald's drinking worsened, consuming large amounts of alcohol daily.
In 1936, he wrote The Crack Up, a series of essays about his emotional bankruptcy.
He received an offer from Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) to work as a screenwriter and moved to Hollywood in 1937.
He worked on A Yank at Oxford but did not receive screen credit due to extensive revisions.
He met Sheila Graham, a Hollywood gossip columnist, and they began an affair, while Fitzgerald remained married to Zelda.
His drinking led to volatile fights with Sheila, impacting his reputation in Hollywood.
He collaborated with Bud Schulberg on a film about Dartmouth College's winter carnival but was fired due to his drinking.

In 1939, Fitzgerald returned to writing novels, starting The Last Tycoon.
He was excited about the project, viewing it as a return to his passion.
In November, he suffered a mild heart attack and stopped drinking.
On 12/21/1940, he collapsed and died of a massive heart attack at the age of 44.
Few people attended his funeral, and Zelda was too ill to travel.

Zelda spent her final years in mental hospitals and died in a fire at Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, in March 1948, at the age of 48.
She is buried beside Scott in Rockville, Maryland.
Fitzgerald's books were rediscovered in the 1950s, and his reputation grew posthumously.
He is now considered one of America's greatest writers, with The Great Gatsby selling hundreds of thousands of copies annually.
In 1996, he was honored with a commemorative stamp in his hometown of Saint Paul.
He died with faith in his talent, leaving behind a lasting legacy.