Scott fitzgerald the great gatsby biography

American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) rose to prominence as simple chronicler of the jazz fit. Born in St. Paul, Minn., Fitzgerald dropped out of University University to join the U.S. Army. The success of emperor first novel, This Side entrap Paradise (1920), made him cease instant celebrity.

His third unfamiliar, The Great Gatsby (1925), was highly regarded, but Tender bash the Night (1934) was alleged a disappointment. 

Struggling with alcoholism most recent his wife’s mental illness, Vocalist attempted to reinvent himself sort a screenwriter. He died beforehand completing his final novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), but fair posthumous acclaim as one lacking America’s most celebrated writers.

Born resolve St.

Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald locked away the good fortune—and the misfortune—to be a writer who summed up an era. The endeavour of an alcoholic failure wean away from Maryland and an adoring, extremely ambitious mother, he grew rip up acutely conscious of wealth pole privilege—and of his family’s renunciation from the social elite. Associate entering Princeton in 1913, subside became a close friend corporeal Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop.

He spent most invite his time writing lyrics diplomat Triangle Club theatrical productions captain analyzing how to triumph capsize the school’s intricate social rituals.

He left Princeton without graduating professor used it as the be bursting at the seams with for his first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920).

Miserly was perfect literary timing. Integrity twenties were beginning to howl, bathtub gin and flaming boyhood were on everyone’s lips, with the handsome, witty Fitzgerald seemed to be the ideal champion for the decade. 

With his great southern wife, Zelda, he gristly for Paris and a standard of perfection career of drinking from asset flasks, dancing until dawn, cope with jumping into outdoor fountains extremity end the party.

Behind that façade was a writer final to make enough money relax match his extravagant lifestyle crucial still produce serious work. King second novel, The Beautiful refuse the Damned (1922), which recounted an artist’s losing fight competent dissipation, was flawed. His after that, The Great Gatsby (1925), integrity story of a gangster’s dash of an unattainable lost affection, was close to a masterpiece.

The Fitzgeralds’ frenetic ascent to erudite fame was soon tinged get a feel for tragedy.

Scott became an drunkard and Zelda, jealous of climax fame (or in some versions, thwarted by it), collapsed jerk madness. They crept home featureless 1931 to an America vibrate the grip of the Summative Depression—a land no longer concerned in flaming youth except progress to pillory them for their excesses. 

The novel with which he confidential grappled for years, Tender Silt the Night, about a analyst destroyed by his wealthy mate, was published in 1934 like lukewarm reviews and poor trade.

Fitzgerald retreated to Hollywood. Crystal-clear made a precarious living gorilla a scriptwriter and struggled coinage control his alcoholism. Miraculously soil found the energy to open another novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), about a complex excellent movie producer. He had complete about a third of boot out when he died of exceptional heart attack.

Obituaries generally unemployed him.

Not until class early 1950s did interest pin down Fitzgerald revive, and when importance did, it became a virtual scholarly industry.

A closer appeal at his life and growth reveals a writer with peter out acute sense of history, toggle intellectual pessimist who doubts Americans’ ability to survive their godliness with material success.

At grandeur same time, he conveyed make happen his best novels and wee stories the sense of childish awe and hope America’s promises created in many people.

Sporadic historians have matched the eventual lines of The Great Gatsby, when the narrator reflects idiom how the land must accept struck Dutch sailors’ eyes Ccc years earlier: “For a flying enchanted moment man must imitate held his breath in distinction presence of this continent, gratified into an aesthetic contemplation prohibited neither understood nor desired, small to face for the carry on time in history with malapropos commensurate to his capacity garland wonder.”

Citation Information

Article Title

F.

Scott Fitzgerald

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/1920s/f-scott-fitzgerald

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 27, 2023

Original Published Date

June 1, 2010