F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Jazz Age, His Age
A humble boy, he wrote Side of Paradise to marry Zelda. Died at 44 with failure, his story surpasses The Great Gatsby. A concise introduction to life, family, and works.
Search Quotes from Classic Book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen |
Video
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Jazz Age, as depicted in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels, refers to the period in American society from the end of World War I until the Great Depression of 1929. This era was marked by rapid economic expansion, the rise of consumer culture, faster urbanization, the decline of traditional Puritan morality, and the prevalence of hedonism. It offered writers numerous opportunities.
In this era of change, Fitzgerald, born into humble circumstances, used writing as a stepping stone to pursue love and family. He achieved some success but ultimately died at 44, burdened by a sense of failure. His own story surpasses even his novels, leaving a lasting impression. Years after his death, The Great Gatsby was celebrated as one of the greatest American novels, cementing his place in literary history.
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was named after his distant relative, Francis Scott Key, the author of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'
Fitzgerald's family was not wealthy. His mother's family was well-known locally for its business ventures. However, Fitzgerald's father faced a series of business failures. During his childhood, the family often had to move because of his father's financial setbacks. They depended on the inheritance from his mother's family for support.
For a long time after his father's first business failure, the family even had to live with his maternal grandfather. These experiences made Fitzgerald a sensitive child from a young age. However, the family valued education and culture. Fitzgerald attended St. Paul Academy and later Princeton University, where he contributed to the university's literary magazines and started honing his writing skills. Fitzgerald demonstrated a talent for writing early on.
When Fitzgerald was 18, he met Geneva King, a wealthy and beautiful heiress, at a dance. They fell in love instantly, but Geneva was well aware that a man of humble origins couldn't be with her. In August 1916, Fitzgerald visited Geneva's home for the last time, where her father bluntly told him, "A poor boy shouldn't dream of marrying a rich girl." This statement ended their relationship and left a humiliating mark on his heart.
In 1917, during World War I, Fitzgerald enlisted in the army. The following July, Fitzgerald met Zelda at a country dance in Montgomery, Alabama. Zelda hailed from a distinguished family; as the youngest daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge, she was skilled in ballet, French, and poetry. Her family's indulgence fostered a strong sense of pride and rebelliousness.
Fitzgerald admired her courage, honesty, and fiery pride. He pursued her relentlessly, and Zelda finally accepted his proposal, but with one condition: if he could earn enough money to support the comfortable life he was accustomed to, they would get married. It motivated Fitzgerald to pursue a career as a writer.
After retiring from the army, Fitzgerald headed straight to New York, but he only found a job writing advertising copy for a small, obscure agency. In June 1919, Zelda grew impatient and ended their engagement. His early experiences made Fitzgerald especially sensitive to the word "money" throughout his life.
After publishing his first novel, This Side of Paradise, he sent her a copy of the book and a telegram saying, 'I have now made enough money to support us both. Will you marry me?' Zelda accepted, and they were married shortly afterward in 1920.
However, their story was tumultuous, characterized by financial hardships and Zelda's mental health issues.
In 1924, the couple moved to France. Their marriage soon hit a rough patch. While Fitzgerald concentrated on writing The Great Gatsby, Zelda was unhappy, spending her days swimming at the beach and partying, which sparked rumors of divorce. Fitzgerald even challenged his rival to a duel.
Zelda was a talented woman with a natural sensitivity to language. Fitzgerald often and openly used large sections of her diaries and letters in his works. He convinced Zelda to publish her writings under his own name or jointly, as the royalties would be much higher under his name.
However, Zelda could not accept simply being a writer's wife. At 27, she reignited her youthful passion for ballet and started a rigorous training regimen. This intense, overburdened training led to her first mental breakdown in 1930. Seven years after Fitzgerald's death, a fire broke out at her mental hospital; she was trapped on the top floor and burned alive.
Fitzgerald struggled with Zelda's hospital bills and his daughter's education. His talent and opportunities faded with the Jazz Age. Alcoholism became his only way to escape life, and he also wasted his remaining genius. His frequent delays in delivering manuscripts caused publishers to gradually stop publishing his articles.
Most of Fitzgerald's friends believed that Zelda ruined him; her extravagance and ostentation weighed heavily on him. He did his best, once writing a short story in just two days to cover Zelda's hospital bills. The final line of The Great Gatsby, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," is one of the most celebrated endings in literature and also deeply personalized to the author.
Fitzgerald died on December 21, 1940, at the age of 44, leaving a legacy as one of America's greatest writers. Although The Great Gatsby is now considered one of the greatest American novels, it was not a commercial success during Fitzgerald's lifetime. Critics of the time were divided, and Fitzgerald died believing he was a failure.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and writings provide a vivid picture of the Jazz Age, a period of rapid change and dazzling excess. Through his novels and stories, he depicted the hopes and struggles of his generation, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire readers and writers. For young readers, he is a writer of the Jazz Age, as well as a man, a role model, a symbol of that era, and even of this era.
Fitzgerald's novels explore the mental state and social life of young Americans during his era. In his stories, all the protagonists are lively, ambitious young people, yet as the plot progresses, their passionate personal struggles often fail to realize their dreams of success and wealth. They all face the cruel twists of fate, often losing themselves entirely after experiencing the harsh and unrealistic impacts of reality, which ultimately leads them down a path of destruction.
Fitzgerald's novel writing is a form of autobiographical, self-experiential storytelling. Drawing from his own life experiences, he carefully depicted the era and social landscape through his novels, realistically recreating the "Jazz Age." Most of Fitzgerald's novels are based on his personal emotional experiences or include elements from his own life. His works are infused with his personal self-awareness and emotional reflections.
In addition to his novels, Fitzgerald wrote numerous short stories, many of which appeared in popular magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. Stories like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Winter Dreams showcase his talent for capturing human emotions and the complexities of life.
In this era of change, Fitzgerald, born into humble circumstances, used writing as a stepping stone to pursue love and family. He achieved some success but ultimately died at 44, burdened by a sense of failure. His own story surpasses even his novels, leaving a lasting impression. Years after his death, The Great Gatsby was celebrated as one of the greatest American novels, cementing his place in literary history.
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was named after his distant relative, Francis Scott Key, the author of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'
Fitzgerald's family was not wealthy. His mother's family was well-known locally for its business ventures. However, Fitzgerald's father faced a series of business failures. During his childhood, the family often had to move because of his father's financial setbacks. They depended on the inheritance from his mother's family for support.
For a long time after his father's first business failure, the family even had to live with his maternal grandfather. These experiences made Fitzgerald a sensitive child from a young age. However, the family valued education and culture. Fitzgerald attended St. Paul Academy and later Princeton University, where he contributed to the university's literary magazines and started honing his writing skills. Fitzgerald demonstrated a talent for writing early on.
When Fitzgerald was 18, he met Geneva King, a wealthy and beautiful heiress, at a dance. They fell in love instantly, but Geneva was well aware that a man of humble origins couldn't be with her. In August 1916, Fitzgerald visited Geneva's home for the last time, where her father bluntly told him, "A poor boy shouldn't dream of marrying a rich girl." This statement ended their relationship and left a humiliating mark on his heart.
In 1917, during World War I, Fitzgerald enlisted in the army. The following July, Fitzgerald met Zelda at a country dance in Montgomery, Alabama. Zelda hailed from a distinguished family; as the youngest daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge, she was skilled in ballet, French, and poetry. Her family's indulgence fostered a strong sense of pride and rebelliousness.
Fitzgerald admired her courage, honesty, and fiery pride. He pursued her relentlessly, and Zelda finally accepted his proposal, but with one condition: if he could earn enough money to support the comfortable life he was accustomed to, they would get married. It motivated Fitzgerald to pursue a career as a writer.
After retiring from the army, Fitzgerald headed straight to New York, but he only found a job writing advertising copy for a small, obscure agency. In June 1919, Zelda grew impatient and ended their engagement. His early experiences made Fitzgerald especially sensitive to the word "money" throughout his life.
After publishing his first novel, This Side of Paradise, he sent her a copy of the book and a telegram saying, 'I have now made enough money to support us both. Will you marry me?' Zelda accepted, and they were married shortly afterward in 1920.
However, their story was tumultuous, characterized by financial hardships and Zelda's mental health issues.
In 1924, the couple moved to France. Their marriage soon hit a rough patch. While Fitzgerald concentrated on writing The Great Gatsby, Zelda was unhappy, spending her days swimming at the beach and partying, which sparked rumors of divorce. Fitzgerald even challenged his rival to a duel.
Zelda was a talented woman with a natural sensitivity to language. Fitzgerald often and openly used large sections of her diaries and letters in his works. He convinced Zelda to publish her writings under his own name or jointly, as the royalties would be much higher under his name.
However, Zelda could not accept simply being a writer's wife. At 27, she reignited her youthful passion for ballet and started a rigorous training regimen. This intense, overburdened training led to her first mental breakdown in 1930. Seven years after Fitzgerald's death, a fire broke out at her mental hospital; she was trapped on the top floor and burned alive.
Fitzgerald struggled with Zelda's hospital bills and his daughter's education. His talent and opportunities faded with the Jazz Age. Alcoholism became his only way to escape life, and he also wasted his remaining genius. His frequent delays in delivering manuscripts caused publishers to gradually stop publishing his articles.
Most of Fitzgerald's friends believed that Zelda ruined him; her extravagance and ostentation weighed heavily on him. He did his best, once writing a short story in just two days to cover Zelda's hospital bills. The final line of The Great Gatsby, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," is one of the most celebrated endings in literature and also deeply personalized to the author.
Fitzgerald died on December 21, 1940, at the age of 44, leaving a legacy as one of America's greatest writers. Although The Great Gatsby is now considered one of the greatest American novels, it was not a commercial success during Fitzgerald's lifetime. Critics of the time were divided, and Fitzgerald died believing he was a failure.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and writings provide a vivid picture of the Jazz Age, a period of rapid change and dazzling excess. Through his novels and stories, he depicted the hopes and struggles of his generation, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire readers and writers. For young readers, he is a writer of the Jazz Age, as well as a man, a role model, a symbol of that era, and even of this era.
Legacy and Contribution
F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels and short stories capture the spirit of the 1920s, a period often called the Jazz Age.Fitzgerald's novels explore the mental state and social life of young Americans during his era. In his stories, all the protagonists are lively, ambitious young people, yet as the plot progresses, their passionate personal struggles often fail to realize their dreams of success and wealth. They all face the cruel twists of fate, often losing themselves entirely after experiencing the harsh and unrealistic impacts of reality, which ultimately leads them down a path of destruction.
Fitzgerald's novel writing is a form of autobiographical, self-experiential storytelling. Drawing from his own life experiences, he carefully depicted the era and social landscape through his novels, realistically recreating the "Jazz Age." Most of Fitzgerald's novels are based on his personal emotional experiences or include elements from his own life. His works are infused with his personal self-awareness and emotional reflections.
In addition to his novels, Fitzgerald wrote numerous short stories, many of which appeared in popular magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. Stories like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Winter Dreams showcase his talent for capturing human emotions and the complexities of life.
| Year | Book | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | This Side of Paradise | It is Fitzgerald's debut novel. It tells the story of Amory Blaine, a young man who navigates love, ambition, and self-discovery. The novel's success made Fitzgerald a literary star and gave him the financial stability to marry Zelda. |
| 1922 | The Beautiful and Damned | Its explores the lives of Anthony and Gloria Patch, a glamorous couple whose dreams of wealth and success are undone by their own flaws and the pressures of society. |
| 1925 | The Great Gatsby | It is considered Fitzgerald's masterpiece. This novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who throws lavish parties in pursuit of his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby examines themes of love, ambition, and the American Dream. |
| 1934 | Tender Is the Night | It is a semi-autobiographical novel follows Dick and Nicole Diver, a glamorous couple living in Europe, as their lives unravel due to personal and societal pressures. The book reflects Fitzgerald's own experiences with Zelda's mental illness and his struggles as a writer. |