F. Scott Fitzgerald

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F. Scott Fitzgerald

• 1896 1940

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F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography

• Fitzgerald was named after his distant relative,
  Francis Scott Key.
• Fitzgerald was born into an upper middle class
  family. He split his childhood between New York
  and Minnesota.
• Fitzgerald attended three different preparatory
  schools before entering Princeton University in
  1913.

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F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography

• Fitzgerald was a mediocre student at best and
  spent more time in the Princeton Triangle Club (a
  campus theatre group) than he spent on his
  studies.
• In his senior year Fitzgerald dropped out of
  school rather than flunk out.
• Upon dropping out Fitzgerald enlisted in the
  United States Army after the United States
  entered World War I.

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F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography

• While in the army Fitzgerald wrote the novel The
  Romantic Egoist. Though his writing was praised
  the novel was rejected by publishers.
• The war ended shortly after Fitzgeralds
  enlistment.

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Art Imitates Life

• While stationed at Camp Sheridan (Montgomery,
  Alabama) Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre (1900
  1948).
• Zelda was a member of Alabama society and the
  daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge.
• Fitzgerald took a job working in advertising
  after the war and became engaged to Zelda.
• Feeling that he could not support the two Zelda
  broke off the engagement.

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Art Imitates Life

• Fitzgerald moved back to Minnesota to work on
  rejected novel The Romantic Egoist.
• He adapted the novel to This Side of Paradise.
• The novel was published later the same year and
  became one of the most popular novels of the
  year.
• Fitzgerald became an instant celebrity and
  resumed his engagement with Zelda.

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What is the American dream?
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Instant Celebrity

• In 1921 Frances Scott Scottie Fitzgerald was
  born.
• Having a child did not slow down the extravagant
  lifestyle that Zelda and Fitzgerald shared.
• Fitzgerald is credited with creating the term
  The Jazz Age, he and Zelda would attend wild
  parties and spend time with many popular
  celebrities of the time.

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Modernists

• Fitzgerald was part of the American literature
  movement known as Modernism.
• Modernism lasted from 1914 1945, the period
  between the two world wars.
• Modernists felt that due to the war America had
  lost its innocence, their literature was marked
  with the idea of living for the moment.

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Modernists

• Modernist ideals coincided nicely with the
  roaring twenties.
• Major Modernist authors include Ernest
  Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Zora Neale Hurston,
  T.S. Eliot and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Fitzgerald belonged to a group of authors known
  as the Expatriates. These were American artists
  who disillusioned with the break down of the
  American dream spent a considerable amount of
  time in Europe.

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Would suddenly coming into a large amount of
money, such as winning the lottery, change your
life? How so (or why wouldnt it)?
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The Great Gatsby

• The Great Gatsby is based partially on
  Fitzgeralds own life. Connections can be made
  between Fitzgerald and the title character of
  Gatsby as well as the narrator of the story.
• The story takes place in 1922, during the roaring
  twenties.

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The Great Gatsby

• Nick Carraway
• Nick is the narrator of the story.
• Though the story is told from Carraways point of
  view he attempts to be detached from what is
  happening, however he is part of the story.
• This poses a question for the reader Can we
  totally trust Nicks account of the story?

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The Great Gatsby

• Jay Gatsby
• Gatsby is the main character of the story.
• Little is known about Gatsby other than he throws
  extravagant parties and has accumulated a vast
  wealth.

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The Great Gatsby

• Daisy Buchanan
• Daisy is Nicks cousin (though a distant cousin).
• Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan.
• Daisy is the main female character in the story.

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The Great Gatsby

• Daisy Buchanan
• Daisy is Nicks cousin (though a distant cousin).
• Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan.
• Daisy is the main female character in the story.

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The Great Gatsby

• Tom Buchanan
• Tom is roughly the same age as Nick, the two went
  to college together.
• Tom is a man of enormous wealth.

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The Great Gatsby

• Myrtle Wilson
• A woman considerably farther down the social
  ladder than main characters such as Tom or
  Gatbsy.
• A woman who has dreams bigger than what she can
  actually attain.

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Colors

• Money
• Dreams / Other Worldliness
• Death of Dreams
• Greed / Wealth
• Indulgence
• Innocence

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Is it possible to get a second chance at life?
To change the past or past decisions? Why / Why
not?